Blithering Idiot - Weyerbacher Brewing Co.

jifigz

Pennsylvania

4.4/5  rDev +19.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Poured into a pint glass.

The beer pours a beautiful mahogany reddish brown color with a pretty decent white head that rose about 1 inch to its zenith and then slowly dissipated. The aroma is rich in figs, raisins, plums, and other dried fruits mingled with the sweet smell of something akin to strawberry Twizzlers. There is a slight undertones of hoppiness that barely shine through the dense and thickly layered candied fruit aroma. Ahhh....this smells like a good English Barley wine. The flavor of this beer is rich and complex like a barley wine should be. The initial sip is very sweet and warming on the mouth. The middle changes to a somewhat coffee and toffee like chocolate candy with a touch of cherries. The finishing tastes are on the slightly bitter side which keeps the beer quite balanced and delicious. The MF is thick and viscous as soon as it hits your tongue.

Great English barley wine. I think Weyerbacher did a pretty good job on this one. English style barley wine is one of my favorite styles.

Serving type: bottle

06-18-2013 14:49:44 | More by jifigz

minterro

Michigan

3.06/5  rDev -16.6%
look: 2.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3

So I bought this beer at this small beer shop in Ohio and it seems like the bottle was in poor condition. when I packed it up I noticed beer leaking from the top. I'm sure this will impact the rating of this beer and hopefully wont make me sick (my hope is the high abv might help kill bacterial that might have found its way into the bottle).

No sign of a head (probably because of cap problem. Very deep ruby translucent colored beer. Kinda faint smell to this beer: flowery hops, sweet bready tones, marshmellows.

Yeasty tang in the mid taste. Slight spicy and alcohol finish. Overall alcohol is well hidden for a plus 11% beer. No carbonation present, medium bodied.

Overall this beer was pretty average. My hope is that because this bottle might have malfunctioned the quality of this beer went down. I hope I get another chance to try thing one somewhere down the road.

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2013 23:21:55 | More by minterro

Jimmys

Pennsylvania

4.01/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle into tulip.

A: clear. bright/dark copper. bubbly head is slightly off-white. very frothy. retention is good, lacing is even better.

S: smells fruity. plums. figs. a bit woody. a little nutty as well. reminds me more of a Belgian quad, at first. then it gets more and more barleywine-esque.

T: a definite alcohol heat. present, but not overwhelming. sweet unfermented sugars. obviously caramel. virtually no hop presence. this thing is all grain, booze, and some mild yeast esters. tastes like velvet.

M: smooth and a sipper. full bodied.

D: definitely a sipper. could use a bit of refinement. hot, age could help. this thing can do a lot better with some bourbon and since they do that (see Insanity) go try that version. it is exceptional.

Serving type: bottle

06-11-2013 01:37:24 | More by Jimmys

deeznuts420

Pennsylvania

3.08/5  rDev -16.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

a mediocre english style barley wine. i like american styles better so admittingly my scores may be lower. served from a bottle into a snifter with a fingers worth of head that dissipated very quickly. dark brownish red color. smells of dark rum soaked fruits, raisins, dates and fairly hot alchohol. taste follows the nose well with hardly any hop prescence with a medium fairly heavy mouthfeel. not a horrible english style bw but weyerbacher , i feel needs to use more hops to cut the sweetness. i'm sure a few years in the cellar would do this beer good

Serving type: bottle

06-05-2013 09:57:36 | More by deeznuts420

BB1313

Ohio

3.63/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle poured into a snifter. Pours a transparent auburn which becomes hazy with some sediment; fluffy off-white head which slowly fades and leaves nice lacing. The aromas are full of cherries and caramel malts. There's a little bit of chocolate in the mix as well. Flavors are slightly boozy, but not in a negative way. The heat gives this one some character. Lots of raisins, dates, and dark fruits in the mix. It's on the sweeter side and doesn't have an aggressive hop bitterness. Mouthfeel is really nice. It's on the lighter side of full-bodied; very creamy, fluffy and smooth. Perfect amount of active carbonation. Alcohol is somewhat noticeable, but definitely not overboard. This is dangerously drinkable. Makes a nice sipper. It can be rough around the edges at times, but it's enjoyable.

This is a very solid English barleywine. It's worth checking out. This one ages extremely well too.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2013 21:22:37 | More by BB1313

ckollias

Maryland

3.5/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Enjoyed this 12oz bottle out of a Beligan Tulip glass.

A: Pours a dark amber hue with an off-white, 2-finger, frothy head that quickly dissipates leaving a good trail and solid lace.

S: Sweet fruity aroma.

T: Similar to the smell there is a sweet fruity aroma – with an almost wine-like quality. Finishes slightly tart and dry.

M: Medium body and medium carbonation.

O: Interesting take on a a barleywine – It went down smooth an easy.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2013 20:49:58 | More by ckollias

Immortale25

Florida

4.1/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served on-tap in a Cigar City snifter at Brewskis in Coral Gables, FL.

A- Pours a rubyish brown color with a 1/4 inch light tan head that doesn't retain long before becoming a thick ring around the edge of the glass with a sheer patch of film on the surface.

S- Notes of sherry, dark fruit and a slight whiff of booze.

T- More notes of sherry bordering on wet cardboard with some mild spice, raisin and some booze. Still, with all these somewhat unpleasant characteristics, it manages to be balanced and smooth.

M- Moist, with a slight sharpness from the booze. Medium-low carbonation and a fullish body.

O- With all its pitfalls, this is a very drinkable barleywine. Not as incredible as Insanity, but it holds its own.

Serving type: on-tap

05-11-2013 03:01:18 | More by Immortale25

tbeckett

Ontario (Canada)

3.44/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 2.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3

Bottle from Total Wine in Tampa. From notes.

A - Poured dark copper with a one finger off white head. Bright. Mild carbonation, no lace, no retention.

S - Dark fruit, port, lot's of rich dark malt, brown sugar.

T - Booze, boozy plums and fruit cake. Sugar. Opens up richer with sugary fruits.

M - Good carbonation, medium body, boozy finish. Body was a bit odd.

O/D - There are good things about this beer. You can really tell it's 11% though, and not in a subtle way. The body is odd too. Not a bad barleywine, but probably needs time. Has potential, just needs to mellow out the boozy character. Lacked complexity for its ABV and style.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2013 01:22:28 | More by tbeckett

DMXLOX22

Pennsylvania

3.65/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Picked up a single of this brew at my local establishment, Civera's in Drexel Hill. Poured the 12 ounce in a traditional pint glass. Lets see how this matches up.

Appearance: pours a solid, dark brown, copper coloring that seems quite inviting. Head is about an inch high, but dissipates quite quickly. Nice lacing on the way down, but not when it's finished. Quite nice overall though.

Smell: first aromas don't bring much hop presence, but as standard with English barleywines. The alcohol is pretty much filling the aroma area, not much else is detected upon first check. More reveals a slight hint of cherries and mild figs. Not much else is detected in that department. Slightly disappointed. Some things could be improved.

Taste: the first sips reveals at first a heavy rush of alcohol. Sort of hard to detect any other flavors in the first tastes. Upon more and more sips, it's not entirely as flavorful, but keep in mind the style. Malts are now apparent and is rounded out by wild cherries, slight orange and slight figs. These flavors are makes by the 11.1 percent ABV. Not too bad, but not to be taken lightly.

Mouthfeel: lightly carbonated with a slightly above average body. Not too bad, but has a syrupy after taste. Finishes somewhat dry.

Overall: coming into this beer, I was surprised by the alcohol content. A little intimated was another feeling also. Opening and pouring were normal, but the flavors and mouthfeel were slightly disappointing. The mild flavors were not impressive. I doubt I would try again, but would recommend only if someone wanted low hops and high ABV. Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2013 01:33:57 | More by DMXLOX22

zac16125

South Carolina

3.95/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12oz bottle into a snifter
No bottled on date. Its the new label though, which I think makes it Vintage 2013.

A: Pours a brown with reddish hues, maroon when held to light. Approximately 1/2 fingers width of light tan head builds then quickly recedes. Leaves effectively zero lacing. Pretty color though.

S: Ripe dark fruits, with sweet plum and black cherry notes. Red grape juice. Hints of woody/herbaceous notes, candied sugar. Very nice aroma but pretty one dimensional with sweet dark fruit notes dominating.

T: Follows the nose with big sweet dark fruits hitting the palate right from the first sip. There is a good amount of yeast characters and some spice. Honestly this tastes a lot like a Belgian Quad. I also get notes of green apple, grape, a nice complementary booziness, some maple syrup sweetness, and a hint of baker's chocolate bitterness. I like.

M/D: Medium bodied, on the thinner side of the spectrum, carbonation is very low. I dont think Ive ever said this about a Barleywine, but I think this one would benefit from a higher carbonation (its too thin to support such a low carbonation). ABV is very well integrated though, and drinkability is good.

O: Overall, I quite enjoyed this one. I think the palate profile is very similar to many Belgian Quads Ive had, but the taste and aroma are both real nice. The mouthfeel leaves a bit to be desired, but this is still a beer I would gladly drink again. Seems like a pretty nice base beer for barrel aging. Insanity is up next.

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2013 00:17:21 | More by zac16125

BlurryVisi0n

New York

3.66/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Served in a tulip glass.

Appearance: A clear darker amber with a slightly darker orange to white head rising to maybe 1/4" off the body.

Smell: Strong vanilla and scotch scent, pretty appetizing on scent alone.

Taste: See the problem I see with this brew is that the strong alcohol overwhelms the rest of the flavor. Light malty feel, heavy alcohol with pure vanilla feel.

Mouth: Light to medium, strong scotch feel.

Overall: Good beer but in my opinion not a step above good. If you want to get buzzed quick I guess it works but I want more than just that. Definitely needs tweaking but still worth a try. Salud!

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2013 20:47:00 | More by BlurryVisi0n

brewdlyhooked13

Ohio

4.1/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance - looks a cloudy brownish-amber, but upon closer inspection it is loaded with tiny particulates in suspension.. The head is a light cream color and quick to leave. There' s about a half-cover but it's holding pretty well.

Aroma - a quick whiff of cinnamon-raisin bread during the pour. Fades quickly to a grainy, less-sweet aroma. Some estery vapors emerge with warming.

Taste - good chewy and toasty malts. Mouth-filling and tasty. Not overly sweet, but enough to segue into some mildly citrusy hops. Conservative bitterness, excellent balance to the grain, at least for those who prefer a malt-forward barleywine. An alcohol presence that is up front but not brash. Warming but not hot at all. Warm, toasty, lightly bittering and dry finish. Well done.

Mouthfeel - good weight, average to slightly crisp carbonation.

Overall - not overly complex to me, but an unbelievably drinkable beer. If I sip 'er slow I could do another one or two 12-ouncers.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2013 01:27:39 | More by brewdlyhooked13

ElCommodoro

Texas

5/5  rDev +36.2%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

This is one of the most perfect beers I've ever enjoyed. I'm not entirely sure it can be beat and this isn't even one of my top 10 styles of beer. Maybe I should make some room because this is phenomenal.
How to describe the smell besides overpoweringly delicious? It's sweet, alcoholic and...red? Can something smell red? I think it can because that's what I smell. What that means to me is that there are scents in there I generally associate with red ale. Similar malts are probably used. There are also hints of apricot, red apples, fresh grass, and hay. Some yeast smell too, as you'd expect.
The taste is mesmerizing. I can't properly convey what the taste is in words. The constituent parts wouldn't properly explain anything. What they are isn't important. It's how they come together in the perfect amounts that creates perfection. Or maybe it's just brewed with immense amounts of love. It's hard to say. Anyway, it has the intensity, smoothness, and complexity of a very old, aged whiskey. Which is not to say it tastes like one. There's no whiskey flavour. It's very strong. The alcohol is up front for sure, along with the smooth sweetness. It's a very sweet beer. But there's a lot going on in the background for you analysis connoisseurs. I'm not good with this part of the review, but it's definitely spicy. That apple flavour present in the nose is definitely there. Not green apples, but sweet apples. The hops are mostly spice hops, but there's some astringency on the finish as well. There's a bit of that apricot I detected on the nose in there as well, with about of that straw flavour. The rest is all malt complexity. It's too complex for me to understand, but there must have been several malts used in this. All I can say is they are all excellent and used in perfect proportion. Now I'm going to stop annoying myself by trying to analyze this for this review and sit back and enjoy this perfection, because that's what this beer is. It's pure perfection. You don't have to be a blithering idiot to appreciate it. But you'd have to be one not to give it a try. Beware the bite though. This stuff bites like 19th century cough medicine. So be warned, but if you're into that sort of thing, enjoy the hell out of it. I know I will.

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2013 07:53:12 | More by ElCommodoro

screamking

Ohio

3.26/5  rDev -11.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

12oz bottle poured into snifter.

Appearance-pours cloudy dark red, very little head which is gone instantly. 3.5

Aroma-dark fruit right off the bat, lots of plum. I'm also getting lots of yeast as well. Overall very subdued aroma. Almost reminds of a dunkel. 3.25

Taste-the plums are present in the taste, although they come with a huge dose of carbonation. A noticeable nutty flavor that comes through after the sweet plum. Then bitterness sinks in. Not too impressive. 3.25

Feel-light full bodied brew, tons upon tons of carbonation, coats palate well but for a barleywine I'm surprised it doesn't have a thicker feel. 3.25

Overall-while I haven't had many barleywines I've had enough to see that this fails to compete with any of them. As I'm sipping this I keep thinking I'm drinking a strong dunkel not a barleywine. It's not very boozy for an 11% abv beer, so it has that going for it, but that is all. 3.25

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2013 02:43:29 | More by screamking

AmitC

Indiana

3.76/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Poured form a 12 oz bottle into a snifter.

Color is deep amber and slightly brown. Some suspensions. Very hazy. Less than half finger thick head with very little retention. Some good lacing. No bubbles.

Aroma is a lot like that of an old ale. A lot of malt. Some caramel character and a mix of slight hops. Slight booze comes through.

Taste is that of very slightly bitter malt. Hops are nice and they taste well overall. Somewhat faint. A little bit of scotch or wee heavy like flavor which is odd. Good warmth.

Mouth feel is medium bodied. Low carbonation. Malty, warm and boozy.

A very average barleywine that runs off the track.

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2013 00:34:29 | More by AmitC

sommersb

Tennessee

3.69/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Tasted On: 04-07-2013
Freshness: Bottled 12-18-2012; best by 12-18-2017
Packaging: 12 oz. brown bottle, pry-cap
Glassware: Globe glass
Purchased: Received in a trade

Pours with a semi-clear cherry brown color. The small head is off-white and has good retention. Lacing on the glass is only fair. Aromas are malty sweet with dark breads and rich, ripened fruit.

The taste is quite sweet from the malts, with flavors of caramel, raisins and other dark fruits. There's little or no hop character I pick up. The feel is full-bodied. The finish is very rich with semi-sweet aftertastes. At first it seemed overly sweet, but as it warmed up it was less so.

Overall a good sipping beer for the end of the day.

Thanks to buschbeer for the trade!

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2013 04:11:11 | More by sommersb

BigRedGator

Georgia

3.81/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

A powerful beer. Full bodied. My first barley wine, so I can't compare to the other types. But it has a powerful approach with strong alcoholic push that is followed by a smooth and calm wash. Its very smooth. It will get you there quickly and you'll enjoy the ride. I took my time with it. So I had a chance to drink it cold and warm. Its actually better at room temperature if you plan to drink it slowly. Good stuff, especially in winter.

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2013 00:49:59 | More by BigRedGator

Dave1999

Virginia

3.81/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Pours a dark opaque red with a small white head.

The smell is dark fruits, strong cherries and fruity port like smell.

The taste is sweet dark fruits, red wine with a bit of bitterness at the end.

This beer is thick a syrupy with almost no carbonation, finishes very dry.

Overall slighty disappointed with this beer, could use slightly more carbonation but it does hide its abv very well. It's like drink a red wine more than a beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2013 00:07:24 | More by Dave1999

DrewV

New York

3.78/5  rDev +3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

While this isn't Bigfoot, it's not half-bad. Certainly nowhere near a "Poor" rating, as the Bros have it. Maybe the recipe has changed since 2001, I don't know. But as it stands in 2013, it's not a bad brew at all. A bit on the weak side, flavor-wise, it pours with little head and not much aroma beyond the caramel sweetness. Taste is more of the same, with a substantially sweet viscous mouthfeel and decent carbonation. I'll give Weyerbacher credit for producing an 11.1% ABV brew with almost no detectable alcohol. It's certainly not my favorite barleywine, but it does fit the style fairly well and tastes halfway decent. More of a "beginner's" barleywine, lacking some substance and hop balance. There are better barleywines out there for the price, to be sure. But I'm glad I tried this at least. A solid B or B+ rating from me.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2013 00:49:47 | More by DrewV

ChrisCage

Alberta (Canada)

4.25/5  rDev +15.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

A- Gave this a reasonably hard pour....It comes out of the bottle a yeasty dark copper color with orange hues. The head is nothing special, starting out around a finger thick but quickly dissipates into a patchy film over the beer. The lacing isn't really too existent either...thin wisps quickly flow down off the inside of the glass back into the liquid. There appears to be a fine balance of carbonation rising gingerly in many columns....

S- This definitely smells rich...heavy caramelized barley malt dominates the aroma profile, followed by delicate caramel and/or toffee. Dark fruit is noticed as well....plum, raisin and dried fig to be more specific. The alcohol is noticeable but it doesn't smell like a stinging boldness that I would have expected....

T- Surprisingly, the alcohol punch is superbly well balanced and actually has a rolling smoothness that is really well hidden...wow! The flavors follow the aromas quite well too, with candy like sweetness and rich caramel....this tastes something like a Caramilk bar...really! There are rich dried plum, raisin and fig newton type flavors happening as well, and a yeasty quality that helps to balance out the overall flavor profile. There is a faint hop bitterness that is actually more noticeable in the aftertaste than during the actual tasting on the palate. Very well done in this category!!

M- Full bodied for sure, there is a syrupy quality to the feel on my palate. The carbonation, as it looked, is very fine and there isn't a whole lot of it either. The likeness that I can put to this beer is a freshly baked, very moist fruitcake baked using a high end dark rum in the recipe. It is warming on the throat and warms up the belly very well too....

O- I have to admit, that any high alcohol brew intimidates me to a degree, but I give this beer full marks! It is a highly smooth brew, with lots of rich, sweet malty goodness and the alcohol is so well hidden that you really don't realize that this sits at just over 11%. Very highly drinkable, I could easily put back a couple of these with relative ease, and would enjoy the feeling that I'm sure would eventually come along with these! I highly recommend this one and think anyone who really enjoys this style or is getting into it will appreciate it too! I will now enjoy the rest of this fine ale with a dinner of smoked sausage, sauerkraut, and perogies....this should pair up very well!

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2013 02:04:01 | More by ChrisCage

BWED

Pennsylvania

3.53/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

12 oz. into a wine glass.

A- Dark amber with hues of orange, with a half finger, light tan head. Fairly creamy in texture. Retains well and little speckles of lacing stick around.

S- Dark dried fruits, slightly boozy, hop aroma not noticeable.

T- Dried fruits, a little caramel sweetness, and slight bitter hop on the tail balancing it out slightly.

M- rather light and smooth, the booze is hidden well, with a slight warmth on the back of the tongue. Small dry/bitter aftertaste.

O- This was a pretty smooth and easy drinker, unlike a lot of barleywines, especially for the beefy ABV. With that being said, however, I thought this was one of the least complex barleywines I have had. My head wasn't spinning trying to track all of the aromas and flavors, like others have done.

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2013 16:41:29 | More by BWED

jondeelee

Massachusetts

3.96/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Blithering Idiot opens to a rich and malty nose, thick fruit esters, sugars, and grain aromas cascading from the bottle. The fruits and sugars are what are the most immediately noticeable, with thick swaths of grape, fig, cherry, and mandarin orange esters filling the nasal cavities in Jolly Rancher candy-like potency, and leaving a sticky rim on the bottle. The grape is especially present, coming across very much like a hard candy in strength and consistency, being somewhere between a Concord grape (tart, dry) and a standard red grape (sugary, medium). There’s also a heavy touch of molasses and brown sugar, mixed with vanilla bean, adding further sugary complexity. Add to this a touch of citrusy pink grapefruit from the hops, and the beer is notably sweet and sugary, with just enough of a range of sweet, dark, bitter, and bright sugars and esters to cover pretty much the gamut of sugary notes possible in a beer. There are also bits of bread in here, including toast crust, floury baguette, and rich and yeasty wheat dough, adding a nice countering earthy base. As a whole, the nose is fantastically complex, very nicely balanced, and offers almost everything the nose could want in a Barleywine.

On the tongue, the beer is more tart than expected, with the grape notes veering sharply towards the Concord end of the scale, joined by apple, white grape, fig, and orange. There’s also an immediately-noticeable heavy alcohol content, the fruit esters joined by a vodka-like slam that gives the beer a fruity martini overtone. The alcohol quickly overtakes most of the flavors, adding some whiskey notes to the vodka ones, and this resting atop a slightly charred layer of toast crust and brown bread. Some Grape Nuts cereal and wet hay flavors add a bit more earthiness. Molasses, brown sugar, and vanilla try to add complexity and flavor, but have a hard time getting noticed. The hops do add a bit of bitter pine and grapefruit rind, which combines with the alcohol to create even more bitter, alcoholic fuzz. Towards the end of the mouthful, the beer moves even closer to a fruity martini, the alcoholic vapors filling up the mouth and nasal cavities. The aftertaste is a heavily alcoholic remnant of the main mouthful, with some sugars and breads clinging on for dear life. Mouthfeel is a viscous medium to medium-heavy, and carbonation is medium.

Overall, there was much in the aroma that promised a full, sugary, rounded Barleywine, but on the tongue the 11.1% ABV simply overpowered everything, giving the beer a heavy liqueur overtone. Were this actually a liqueur, it would be delicious—but for a Barleywine, it comes across as overly strong and not very finely nuanced. Admittedly, I'm drinking this fairly fresh off the bottling line, so I'm going to put the rest of the four-pack in the cellar for a year or so and hope that the beer calms down.

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2013 17:59:05 | More by jondeelee

themind

New Jersey

3.6/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

What can one say? if you drink a few of these you will become a Blithering Idiot. This stuff has gas! The Idiot has big character for those who seek out big barley wines. I would not place this in the must have list but if given the chance any new comer to Weyerbacher has to give this a go.

Bottom Line: Become an Idiot and down a few!

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2013 03:10:25 | More by themind

Bucciamarcia

Florida

3.81/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75

A: The head it light and creamy, it disappears in a matter of seconds, leaving only a thin white ring near the glass. Te color is dark with marked ruby reflex.

T: strong grapes that grow even more after you swallow, long aftertaste. Both sweet/fruity and sour ingredients are present.

M: full bodied, lightly carbonated.

O: A good barley wine. The taste of the graps is a bit too strong, which makes it harder to drink it after the first glass; but I don't expect anything else from a barley wine.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2013 04:18:53 | More by Bucciamarcia

brewsclues

Pennsylvania

2.71/5  rDev -26.2%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Bottle on 1-15-2013

Not going to spend a lot of time on this one. Way too much metallic, alcoholic, and ester-y feel on Blithering Idiot. They aren't even trying to hide the rubbing alcohol taste on this - and yes, I get it, it's a barley-wine style, but I've had 10 barley-wines that are rich, smooth, complex, and hide the booze well. It's also sour in a not-good way - like in the "has this meat gone bad?" way. The yeasts flavors are bitter and harsh. The mouthfeel is below average - the stinging, astringent flavor last for a long time after you're done. I have a headache from drinking this after 5 minutes.

Let's call a spade a spade: they named this beer well.

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2013 02:31:36 | More by brewsclues