Alaskan Barley Wine (Pilot Series) - Alaskan Brewing Co.

phishsihq

Colorado

4.54/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

2008 Vintage

The beer pours a murky, reddish-brown with some great ruby highlights around the edges. A tight beige head is well retained and provides a curtain of lacing as the beer is consumed. Lush, rich malt aromas provide the senses with hints of cherries and plums. Piney hop aromas also join in with some caramel and a touch of booze to round out this wonderfully aromatic brew. This Barley Wine ages with beauty and grace! The malt complexity is much more defined, with the dark fruits taking the lead with caramel and toffee sweetness playing an important role as well. Generous hopping has helped to maintain some of the piney profile and cover a bit of the alcohol burn. Medium-full in body, this 5 year-old brew is lower in carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

06-06-2013 01:17:45 | More by phishsihq

nickfl

Florida

3.86/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

A - Pours with a small head of off white foam on top of a hazy, amber brown body. The head settles quickly and leaves little lace.

S - A complex combination of dark sugar, faded pine hops, and caramel malt.

T - Sweet caramel and molasses up front. Some pine and clove in the middle with a finish of mustardy hops and brown sugar.

M - Medium thick body, moderate carbonation, and a slightly sweet finish.

D - Not bad, it clearly has some age on it and smells quite nice. The flavor isn't quite as well developed with a sweetness that isn't quite balanced by what reminds of the hops.

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2013 02:46:50 | More by nickfl

kylehay2004

Florida

3.93/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

A: no head on a murky brown and maroon body. No lacing really.

S: red grapes, red apple, caramel malt, toasted malts

T: breads, oak, caramel, booze are not as strong as I expected but definitely noticeable. Some plum and raisin for dark fruits. Additional notes of milk chocolate, toffee and vanilla.

M: medium body, clean and light to moderate carbonation.

Overall: I like the drinkability, it's flavorful and definitely becomes more drinkable as it is enjoyed. Not too much in the way of hops, with only mild complexity.

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2013 02:44:11 | More by kylehay2004

zipper8650

New York

4.48/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

First ever review, time to start drinking down the cellar and figured Id start reviewing the bottles I was holding on to. This was a 2009-2011 vertical.

A - typical copper/amber color you'd expect on a barleywine. Side by side there was a definite graduation from orange/amber (09) to maple syrup (10) to a burgundy/brown (11). Little to no head on the 09/11, thin yellowish head on the 10 with a lot of carbonation throughout..uh oh...

S - for lack of better description the 09 smelled exactly like you'd expect a really good barley wine to smell, the smell I look forward to! 09 came through with the most citrus/orange and the 11 had more banana/sweet. The 10 was metallic, soapy, not much more going on...this is how my sink is going to smell very soon

T - the 09 was very smooth, it was a very consistent flavor straight through, not overly boozy and hot but par for what to expect. Not much complexity throughout but the consistent flavor is excellent . the 10 was oxidized crap, not much of anything going on, just flat through out. the 11 was the sweetest and most complex of the bunch. The boozy heat only came through on the end

M - all three were a nice heavy mouth feel, again, what you'd expect from a really good example

O - this is my second time with this beer, I loved it then and still do (despite 2010). Given the style I think it is spot on. My overall favorite was the 11.
Skol

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2013 22:31:58 | More by zipper8650

JamesQuaff

California

4.29/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

2011 batch. Poured from a bomber into two Sam Adams tulip glasses and a small wine glass and shared with my lady and my best beer geek buddy. We all stood around my kitchen and poked, prodded, inspected, inhaled, swished, and discussed the brew for a solid half hour. Good times.

Pours a beautiful deep copper-red with a taut light-mocha colored 1/2" head. Medium carbonation. It looks 'dense' when held up to the light.

The aroma is a constantly shifting palette of goodness as the temperature changes. It smells MASSIVE. The initial cold pour had a generous amount of hops with mild buttery notes, malts, dried fruits. As the beer warmed the hop aromas gave way to raisins, plums, dark berries, grains and lightly browned butter - at one point it smelled like a berry pastry. Then it started to veer well into port wine territory. The ABV is well masked at all points. I think we huffed our glasses a good 5 minutes before anyone took a sip.

Oooh, this beer is nice and big. At first the hop bitterness was rather prevalent, getting right up to the edge of "whoa, too bitter" before leveling off into rich malty sweetness. As the beer warmed the bitterness faded considerably and the flavors became much more balanced and complex. Reminiscent of a good port wine. Dark, rich sweetness with loads of plum and molasses, and a long malty finish with a little reminder kick of bitterness at the end. A bit of warmth from the high ABV but the alcohol is hidden very well in the flavors. A true sipper.

Mouthfeel was very agreeable. Medium-full body, a tad sharp on the carbonation at first but as the beer warmed the carbonation smoothed out and by the halfway point it was just about where my mind thinks "mmm, barleywine". Oily, sticky, tongue-coating goodness.

Overall we were very impressed with the Pilot Series barleywine and completely enjoyed it wire to wire. It was my lady's very first experience with the style and she was completely blown away. My beer geek pal and I are a tad jaded and weren't exactly blown away, but it was still an excellent representation of the style. He and I both recently had our tongues scraped raw by a fresh 2013 Bigfoot and were very pleased to be able to spend some time enjoying a really good barleywine with a bit of age on it. The rest of the 2013 Bigfoots (Bigfeet? Bigs Foot?) have been sequestered in deep storage to avoid any further unpleasantness and to hopefully achieve the blissful state that others report is possible. But this Pilot Series effectively wiped away the memory. Will definitely be seeking out another bottle or two for safe keeping.

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2013 17:31:02 | More by JamesQuaff

HuskyinPDX

Washington

3.96/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

2007 Vintage opened on 3.1.13

A - Pours a verk dark amber-brown with a pretty good dark tan soapy head with good retention.

S - Malty, raisin, carmel, old hops, a touch of alcohol.

T - Subtle toffee, carmel, soft malts, a touch oxidized.

D - Smooth and silky. Decent carbonation and a medium body.

O - Smooth and subdued. A touch oxidized, but still very pleasant.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2013 16:47:34 | More by HuskyinPDX

draheim

Washington

4.24/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

22oz (2010) into a snifter. Pours a crystal clear amber w/ a 1-finger beige head that settles to a nice layer of sea foam.

Aroma is nicely mellow; fruity malts and herbal hops. Caramel, brown sugar, toffee, maybe butterscotch. Smells exactly like a barleywine should.

Taste is warm and sweet, surprisingly hoppy and bitter for a 2+ year old barleywine.

Mouthfeel is medium-bodied with just enough carbonation to tickle the tongue. Finishes smooth and semi-dry.

Overall a really superb barleywine, but maybe lacking complexity. Still, a good one to introduce someone to the style. Very drinkable and approachable for such a traditionally big, heavy beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2013 05:47:21 | More by draheim

Alieniloquium

Florida

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

650 mL bottle poured into a snifter. 2011 bottle. Reviewed from notes.

Appearance - Deep amber with burgundy notes. Small white head.

Smell - Grapefruit hop. Toffee with a touch of oxidation. Weird for such a young barleywine.

Taste - Less intense on the hops. Much more intense caramel with accompanying sweetness. Light raisin fruitiness. Hardly bitter in the finish.

Mouthfeel - Medium heavy body. Medium carbonation. Sweet, but the hops balance it.

Overall - Very nice if unspectacular. Nice flavors that would probably get better with age.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2013 02:59:47 | More by Alieniloquium

tut2528

Illinois

3.88/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

2011 Vintage
thanks to fatbeats18 for this one! I greatly appreciate it man!

A: pours a deep ruby red with a nice fingers worth of thick bubbly, off-white head formation. lacing is very nice and when held up to the light the ruby color is pure beauty

S: toffee, brown sugar, dark fruits (raisins, some figs), wet hops, slight alcohol note, mild citrus.

T: sweet molasses and toffee, brown sugar, alcohol soaked dark fruits, with just a slight hint of hops to create some dryness. But this dryness is immediately blasted away by a huge creamy finish which fits with this brew. In fact, it saves this brew in regards to its balance. I even get a slight flat root beer taste that comes through right before the finish.

M: its medium bodied, but it also has a lightness too it and it goes down rather quick. Minimal carbonation. Unfortunately, it doesnt leave much on the palate as far as taste goes. There is a slight hop bitterness but I feel that I'm reaching for it.

O: I've been looking to try this one out for a while, and glad to finally have had it. Its a nice Barleywine, but it doesn't do much to differentiate itself from other Barleywines. In fact, as I keep drinking this, I find this one resembling Moylans (just not as hop forward, and just a bit more balanced)

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2013 02:57:50 | More by tut2528

sukwonee

Washington

4.08/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

2008 Vintage.

A: reddish dark brown body with half a finger head.

S: surprisingly I smell piney hops. Dark fruits, caramel, orange zest, alcohol.

T: It really follows the nose. Surprisingly hops are still there. also booziness as well. I had a chance to try this beer fresh last year and I didn't enjoy it much. so i would say it aged well. to add further, i think it could benefit from a few more years.

M: Carbonation is still good. Chewy syrupy thick. slight alcohol burn

O: It's quite good. Like most aged barley wines, this one was quite sweet but it still had some hop bite and heat from alcohol.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2013 02:42:49 | More by sukwonee

tobelerone

New Jersey

4.23/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

2010 vintage.

Nice English barleywine, maybe not the top of the heap in terms of complexity, but still quite enjoyable. Lightly hazed burnt orange color, modest cream colored head that settles slowly to a thin band on top and leaves decent lacing. Straightforward aroma of honey, caramel, toffee, faint booze, dark fruits, toasted bread.

Flavor follows nose; sweet but not cloying; honey and toffee, caramel, big bready malt character that’s highly satisfying; distant traces of faded citrus hops lending the slightest bitterness; light fruity notes, mellow but present alcohol. Medium-full body, medium carbonation, nicely smooth and somewhat sticky feel. Made for an excellent night-cap on a cold and rainy winter’s evening.

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2012 02:58:56 | More by tobelerone

OBeerMeGreatOne

California

4.3/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

I just got my hands on a 2010 Vintage bottle, yee, two years on this beast!

Pours out almost plum with some amber highlights. Started with a half inch of head, dots of lace hang on to the end.

The smell is fruity and full of boozy warmth. Some pine is there followed by a cherry finish. Not bad.

Caramel and fruit start the taste, mild pine and grassy hops follow. I taste a bit of vanilla and minerals as well. The boozy heat shows up around the finish and lingers in the aftertaste. Warm, but not overwhelming. It has a nice medium body, not too syrupy.

A great aged Barley Wine. I've had it fresh but certainly prefer a year or two in the cellar. Pick one up if you haven't.

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2012 03:51:48 | More by OBeerMeGreatOne

Treebs

Illinois

4.38/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22 oz. bottle served in a FW tulip. 2011 vintage. Big thanks to mfavoino for sending this to me a while back.

A: Pours a very dark ruby color with a light khaki head forming on the pour. It dissipates to thick ringing leaving behind tons of sticky lace. Beautiful looking beer.

S: There's a lot going on here. Some bitter green hops are still present up front with an underlying fig scent with some caramel malts. Brown sugar and raisins as well. Malty sweetness. There is a little alcohol present in the nose.

T: Some bitter hops and sweet caramel and biscuit malts. Raisins and toffee with a definite grilled fig fruitiness. As it warms there are some leathery notes that come out. A little booze as well. The finish is sweet.

M: Medium bodied with a little chew to it. Medium low carbonation with a slick and oily mouthfeel.

O: Very delicious barleywine that has aged nicely. Still a little hop bite to it from the dry hopping, but the dark fruit and malts really steal the show. Wish I had another to age...

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2012 00:58:42 | More by Treebs

Chris_Cali_2o9

4.5/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

2011 Vintage
Beer Release: January 2011

Poured from a bomber to a sam adams cup

A- Deep brown body (second glass was full of floaty goodness) 2" fluffy khaki head

S- Banana, bubblegum, grapes, raisins, leather, alchohol twang

T- Raisins, grapes, burnt sugar, apple cider, vanilla, toffee, booze, bitter after taste

M- Oily, low carbonation

O- This is my first vintage brew! The first thing that hit me as i poored it into my glass was banana/bubblegum. As i searched deeper, i found this beer to be complex and full of layers. A variety of awesome dark fruits, leather, vanilla, apple cider, and warming booze, that had me checking the bottle to make sure it's not BA (...it's not.) As it warms, sweet malts become more apparent and apple cider begins to take over for the dark fruits. Hop presence is really only apparent in burps, but you get a faint grapefruit bitterness only after the beer has warmed to almost room temp, I'm glad i waited to review this until after the second glass, it's full of glorious floaties and so much more complex flavors have shown themselves, allowing me to write a full review. My local liquor store still has about 8 bottles of this and i plan on grabbing atleast 2 more to see how this brew turns out 1-2 years from now.

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2012 01:25:39 | More by Chris_Cali_2o9

axeman9182

New Jersey

4.03/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

2011 vintage courtesy of mtrutlin. It was allowed to warm a bit before being poured into my Bruery tulip.

Alaskan Barleywine pours a very deep brown, with a decent amount of ruby highlights. Just under two fingers of light tan foam rise up and crown the beer. Head retention is decent, and there's just a little bit of lacing. The nose is nice, with aromas of caramel, fruity esters, and grapefruit all swimming out of the glass. The malt presence that first greets me with each sip is a well defined toffee flavor. Some dried figs and apricots swim through mid palate. The finish features a potent hop bite and a dank, grapefruit peel hoppiness. The hops are holding up fairly well so far, keeping this firmly on the American, rather than English half of the barleywine spectrum. The body, while sturdy, isn't as full and syrupy as some others. While part of me likes that in a barleywine, this does help a lot with drinkability. Carbonation is suitably understated. Alaskan Barleywine is drinking really nicely right now. I think it may be heading towards an awkward phase as it transitions from hop forward to malt forward, but I just find myself wishing I had another bottle to see what this brew's like after it has finished that transition.

Serving type: bottle

10-23-2012 05:51:36 | More by axeman9182

billab914

Virginia

4.33/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

2008 vintage poured from a 22oz bottle into my CBS snifter. It poured a darker brown color with a thin, sticky head to it. Decent amount of lacing on the glass for the small amount of head though. Nice looking color for the style as well.

The aroma shows some very nice and rich malty flavors to it. Dark fruits with some notes of cherry come out along with some rich caramel and toffee flavors. I get a touch of chocolate to it as well. I get some residual resiny hop bitterness, but most of the hop flavors have faded. Really nice aroma to it overall for the style.

The taste follows with more of the dark cherry fruits to it throughout. The finish is where more of the caramel and slight chocolate come out. Enough hop bitterness is there to help give it some balance but the hop flavors have pretty much faded at this point. It really comes together well and I think it aged wonderfully.

The mouthfeel is on the heavier side with carbonation being a little below average. Overall, it was a really good beer. It had a lot of rich and bold flavors to it but managed to stay pretty well balanced for the style. I really liked the way it aged as well. Great beer to sip on this evening.

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2012 00:09:38 | More by billab914

allouez86

Minnesota

4/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

2011 Vintage poured into my Duvel chalice.

Dark amber in color, as expected. Next to no head, just a very very small white ring around the top of my pour.

Smell is sweet caramel, definitely getting some strong aroma hops. Very slight hint of chocolate as well.

Being probably 3/4 of a year old, the hops are definitely present, though not quite as much as they were when this batch was fresh. Getting some brown sugar on the tongue, slightly less caramel and a good sweetness that comes with this style.

Mouthfeel is still a bit thick and the carbonation is there despite next to no head retention. This is one of my favorite American barley wines. Great beer for the price and relatively easy to find in abundance. Happy that I have three more 2011s to age for years to come.

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2012 00:26:25 | More by allouez86

yamar68

Minnesota

4/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a murky mahogany/copper with a brief finger of pale khaki head. Great lacing and some noticeable legs.

Lots of slightly bitter toffee, very clean - some leather and fresh wood, dark overripe fruits, just a touch of heat from the booze right at the tail end.

All kinds of sweet flavors that remain reserved and in balance with one another and the rest of the beer - spoiled vanilla, toffee, a faint suggestion of rye, a bit of brown sugar on the finish, some maple notes, great stuff.

Overall, what can I say? It's a great barley wine. I can't help but wonder about its potential in a barrel.

If you're on the fence, don't be. Give it a shot.

Serving type: bottle

09-11-2012 03:43:47 | More by yamar68

bamadog

Kentucky

4.6/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

I've been dying to crack into this one - review is from notes taken on 9/6/2012 and poured from the bottle (2010 vintage) to a snifter.

Appearance: Pour is a solid mahogany color with some deep caramel brown notes; starts with a fair 1/4 finger light tan head that fades quickly to a thick ring around the surface and a thin island of skim; body is dark, pretty murky so that it's fairly difficult too far into it; tiny strands of carbonation are present near the sides; a few spots and random swaths of lacing stick around.

Smell: Nice citric hop notes -- some grapefruit, perhaps orange peel; some nice big caramel maltiness is in there too bringing about a nice touch of sweetness -- reminiscent of a candied orange when it blends with those hops; touch of booziness but it seems pretty well blended.

Taste: Fantastic -- nice bitterness that's big and not entirely tamed by those big malts, but fairly well balanced by them; flavors match the scent profile to a T, but the only difference is the alcohol has a much more pronounced presence here, but at nearly 11%, that should expected, and welcome.

Mouthfeel: Between medium and heavy in terms of weight; a nice, thick and sticky coating is left all over the palate; carbonation is still plenty strong and brings life to the body but allows it to be smooth; tingling on the roof of the mouth from the vaporous alcohol, and it also leaves the belly a little warm.

Overall: I would be happy to have this in my fridge every damn night. Great hop presence keeps this one on the American side of the pond when it comes to the Barleywines, but it's not too over the top and has a pretty good overall balance. Bit of a sipper with the big body and ABV, but I'm not going to have any problem polishing it off on my own, and I might be hesitant to share such an awesome offering.

Serving type: bottle

09-07-2012 01:17:57 | More by bamadog

sommersb

Tennessee

4.68/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Tasted On: 08-27-2012
Freshness: 2011 Vintage
Packaging: 22 oz. brown bottle, pry-cap
Glassware: Snifter
Purchased: Single from Colorado Liquor Mart, Denver

Pours a deep mahogany brown, with a tan head of a finger or so. Features an OK amount of lacing and retention. Fantastic, rich aromas are both malty and hoppy, with pine, oak and sweet dark fruits.

Tastes strong and flavorful, well-balanced between the malty sweetness and bitterness of the hops. Seems less hoppy than other American barley-wines I've had, which is a plus in my book. This might be due to the fact it was bottled in January of 2011 according to the Alaskan website. Nice alcohol warming is present as well.

Body is thick and full, with medium to high carbonation levels. Smooth mouthfeel, with a rich finish that's both sweet and bitter. Seems to improve as it comes up to room temps.

Overall an exceptional barleywine -- one of my favorites in the style and highly recommended in my book.

Serving type: bottle

08-28-2012 03:33:35 | More by sommersb

51mmz0rz

New Jersey

4.45/5  rDev +7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 22oz bottle into a generic tulip. 2011 edition, no specific date, but I don't care for this style.

A: Dense light tan head atop an opaque (very) dark brown body. Retention is pretty good and lacing is also very nice.

S: Immediately hit with the wafting smells of syrup aromas from the malt. Down closer I get some hop aroma along with darker crystal malts.

T: Sweetness hits up front followed by dark fruit flavors. Hot alcohol sweeps in with bitterness to clear it out. Finish is somewhat yeast maybe. Packs a punch.

M: Impressed with the mouthfeel for the style. Medium carbonation, thick body, finish is pretty dry all things considered.

O: Overall a very good barelywine, drinkable right when I bought it. Not over hopped, well balanced, done right.

Serving type: bottle

07-26-2012 04:07:40 | More by 51mmz0rz

hardy008

Minnesota

4.63/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Clear dark brown with a 3 finger beige head with good retention and lacing. Looks sensational. Smells very nice with caramel, raisins, and dates.

Tastes much the same as it smells. Caramel, raisins, dates, cherries, and a little citrus hop bitterness, which adds nice balance to the sweet flavor.

Medium to full bodied with soft carbonation. The alcohol is well hidden, especially for 10.70 % abv. This is a very underrated Barleywine in my opinion. One of the best I have had.

Serving type: bottle

07-13-2012 22:22:22 | More by hardy008

mactrail

California

3.3/5  rDev -20.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Not much of a head but quite spritzy on the tongue to start. Dark ruby brown color in the Duvel tulip. Caramel in the nose with some spicy hops.

Big flavor and richness. Full and heavy mouthfeel. Lots of sweet malt. Fruity with a range of plums and burnt raisin toast. Plenty of roasted malt with a dark caramel taste. Hoppy notes assert with a moderately bitter aftertaste. Warming and hot after some sipping.

Overall, the flavor is a little flat and dull, but it's quite a mouthful. Label says it's the 2011 vintage in the 22 oz bottle.

Serving type: bottle

07-05-2012 07:19:04 | More by mactrail

OWSLEY069

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle dated 2009

Pours a hazy amber to reddish color, with a light tan head. In the aroma, small fruit presence of dark fruits, raisins, and figs. In the taste, dry dark fruitiness of raisin, with a note of like tobacco in the end. A smooth and medium to bigger bodied mouthfeel with a dry raisin and small alcohol in the aftertaste. Quite smooth, dark fruits, and a small alcohol presence.

Serving type: bottle

06-01-2012 19:22:23 | More by OWSLEY069

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

4.48/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Alaskan Barleywine, 10.7% ABV. Alaskan Brewing, Juneau, Alaska.

Dense, opaque, dark plum/ magenta hue, off-white cappucino-like head, leaving lace.

Aroma: Beautiful. Perfect. Lush, rich malt, overtones of dark fruit, cherries, blackberries, ripe plum. Cognac and port wine. Dark and dense, sweet and strong. Right on.

Taste: more of that and then some. Bursting at the seams and spilling over with malty goodness, oozing rich fruit and a tidy hop buzz. Plenty of alcohol phenols brimming over. There's some balance, but plenty of bombast, which is just want I look for in a barley-wine. Starts out big and burly, plump with deep dark fruit, then mellows out, but never without a fierce alcoholic kick. Boom, boom, boom, it comes a knocking'.

This one I call yum. One of the better put-together barleywines I've had in a while. Color me impressed.

Serving type: on-tap

05-22-2012 03:14:52 | More by feloniousmonk