Insanity - Weyerbacher Brewing Co.

Jason

Massachusetts

3.88/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

22 oz bomber with no freshness date.

A- Very nice lacing effect on the glass, hazed reddish amber.

S- Head aroma of bourbon, vanilla, wood, caramel, alcohol ... mildly solvent and fusel oil from the barrel.

T&M- 11.1% abv where? Oh ...wait a minute, here it comes. There it is, that warming alcohol laced with fusel oil from the barrel. Wood flavor is snappy with a richly dense maltiness underneath. Mellow hoppiness, lots of malt sweetness which is balanced by the slow but steady alcohol, bourbon, and wood.

D- I slapped this beer at some good funky Stilton cheese ... wow, what a pairing. A sipping beer for sure, if you love bourbon barrel laced beers then this one is a must.

Serving type: bottle

05-29-2006 01:52:10 | More by Jason

Todd

Massachusetts

4.22/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Hmm … a Barleywine aged in bourbon wood.

Slightly hazy brown with bright orange and ruby hues, crowned with a tan cream head that settles into a thin ringed lace.

Surprisingly subtle in the aroma, not as big as I expected. Raw hop leaf and wood aromas, some alcohol spice, and a soft fruity / malty sweetness. Light fruity esters and fusels hit the eyes, watering them slightly, and reminding you that this is not a beer to be underestimated.

Full and even in the body. Flavors are deeply complex, with plenty of bourbon nuances. Raw leaf, chocolate powder, aggressive spicy alcohol, burnt caramel, sugary sweet backbone, deep vanilla, oaky wood, dark juicy ripe fruits, slight vinous port-like character beneath, some chalkiness on the palate, and a touch of date sugar.

Recommendation: allow to warm to room temperature and enjoy in a wide-bowled snifter. This will allow all of the malt and wood complexities to really pull through, as well as enhance the alcohol presence.

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2005 02:34:01 | More by Todd

drgonzo2k2

California

4/5  rDev -4.5%

05-19-2013 16:52:52 | More by drgonzo2k2

Stalgondo

Georgia

4.75/5  rDev +13.4%

05-19-2013 16:30:53 | More by Stalgondo

Photekut

Azerbaijan

4.75/5  rDev +13.4%

05-18-2013 22:05:09 | More by Photekut

sierrahopdevil05

Pennsylvania

4.75/5  rDev +13.4%

05-18-2013 15:42:01 | More by sierrahopdevil05

robbrandes

Oregon

4.5/5  rDev +7.4%

05-17-2013 03:38:45 | More by robbrandes

KeyWestGator

Florida

4/5  rDev -4.5%

05-16-2013 11:38:50 | More by KeyWestGator

Casey3236

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +1.4%

05-16-2013 03:49:25 | More by Casey3236

bconsidine

Maryland

4.25/5  rDev +1.4%

05-14-2013 17:35:16 | More by bconsidine

jason_nwx

Oregon

5/5  rDev +19.3%

05-14-2013 14:53:30 | More by jason_nwx

azdback

Arizona

4.25/5  rDev +1.4%

05-14-2013 05:04:26 | More by azdback

larryi86

Delaware

4.41/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

12 oz bottle pouted into a snifter

A- A hazy ruby red with a two finger off-white head.

S- Toffee, bourbon, cherries, caramel malts, oak, some vanilla.

T- Raisins, toffee, bourbon, oak, vanilla, brown sugar, caramel malts, light hoppiness, well balanced.

M- Smooth, medium body, slightly chewy.

O- A great barrel aged barleywine. Between this and Sucaba I am changing how I feel about barleywines. This is not as good as Sucada, but it is a great easy to find and cheap replacement.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2013 01:43:16 | More by larryi86

MikeCactusGordon

Ohio

4.75/5  rDev +13.4%

05-13-2013 13:34:39 | More by MikeCactusGordon

Bonko_the_sane

North Carolina

4.25/5  rDev +1.4%

05-13-2013 06:32:56 | More by Bonko_the_sane

Hallertau

Wisconsin

4.5/5  rDev +7.4%

05-12-2013 00:51:24 | More by Hallertau

2beerdogs

California

4.5/5  rDev +7.4%

05-11-2013 05:42:14 | More by 2beerdogs

aslamm75

Indiana

4.25/5  rDev +1.4%

05-11-2013 00:24:15 | More by aslamm75

mikeburd1128

New Jersey

3.5/5  rDev -16.5%

05-10-2013 22:50:36 | More by mikeburd1128

Lynn

Ohio

4.5/5  rDev +7.4%

05-10-2013 22:41:34 | More by Lynn

krisbee

New Jersey

4.25/5  rDev +1.4%

05-10-2013 03:44:06 | More by krisbee

flyingPharmacist

New York

4/5  rDev -4.5%

05-09-2013 02:50:36 | More by flyingPharmacist

vicsju1991

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +1.4%

05-08-2013 19:29:08 | More by vicsju1991

BuckeyeSlim

Ohio

4.69/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.75

12 oz. bottle poured into a NB snifter.

A - Pours a rich golden brown into the glass. A one-finger head of really tight ecru foam dissipates rather quickly to leave a sheen of very fine lace across the surface. Held to a full-spectrum light, the beer is a rich rosewood, with shades of apricot at the edges, and moderately opaque. A generous column of tiny bubbles rises from the bottom through the center. The beer also shows lots of legs along the sides of the glass as I drink it from the rich malt sugars.

S - Big, luscious, rich caramels accented by booze and notes of toffee. Lightly toasted malts and brown sugar bourbon. As it warms in the glass, notes of vanilla and orange rind appear against hints of stacked firewood. I could spend an hour just smelling this beer trying to pull all the nuances out of it.

T - Lots of caramel malts surrounded by bourbon. There's just enough bittering hops to strike some balance, but this is a boozy caramel malt bomb. As it warms, dark fruits appear in the background, like raisins and dates, and the oakiness from the barrel aging creeps into the back end.

M - Pretty fizzy and mouth-filling carbonation to start, but smooth on the way down. Moderate body with a rich, almost extravagant structure. Finish is on the sugary side, but not cloying on the tongue, and thinned from the ABV. Mouthfeel is well constructed for savoring this beer.

O - Wow. Now this is a big, rich, luscious beer. Absolutely delicious. Would make an excellent after dinner drink paired with a lighter-bodied cigar. Phenomenal caramel malts really shine without being sugary sweet as a result of the barrel aging, and the ABV, while certainly a noticeable component, isn't at all hot or overbearing. What a really amped-up barrel aged Imperial Scotch Ale would be like, and somewhat similar to a couple of my other barrel-aged favorites. This beer is a blue-ribbon winner and a must have when released, both for enjoying right away and laying down to see what some aging will do.

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2013 08:23:34 | More by BuckeyeSlim

Jonada

New Jersey

4.21/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.25

12oz bottle. No freshness date. Served in a wine glass.

Appearance: Pours a rusty brown color with one finger of an off white cream colored head. Body is murky looking and when held up to light there is quite a bit of visible sediment.

Smell: Big coconut and vanilla aromas along with caramel, toffee, brown sugar and candied dark fruits

Taste: Toffee, coconut, sweet bourbon, vanilla, oak, figs and some light roasted malt.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with medium carbonation. Mouthfeel is a little thinner than I was expecting. Alcohol is hidden well for 11%.

Overall: It doesn't get the hype that some others receive, but this is an excellent beer and a perfect example of what barrel aging can add to a beer. Pick up a bottle if you can find it.

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2013 04:32:19 | More by Jonada