Old Godfather - Speakeasy Ales & Lagers

ATLbeerDog

Georgia

4.25/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a gorgeous red that is a pleasure just to look at. A frothy yellow head crowns the beer. Smells as hoppy as any high IBU DIPA with a ton of C-hops in the nose. First sip is sweet malts that quickly shift to a long powerful lip puckering bitterness. Thick clingy lacing heavily coats the glass. The 10.2% ABV is "in your face" and says hello with every sip. A very hoppy American Barley Wine that has the malt to support this hop bomb. I would love to have this on tap.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2008 15:37:37 | More by ATLbeerDog

magictrokini

California

3.9/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Clear mahogany pour with no head. Aroma is sweet with some hops. Thick mouthfeel. Taste is sweet with a lot of hops. The bleeds over into the Imperial IPA style, but with a lot of malt. Alcohol bite kind of hits you in the end, but is well masked. Nice beer, no matter what category its in.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2008 18:12:35 | More by magictrokini

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

4.35/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 12oz. bottle into a US tumbler pint glass.

A: The beer is a light reddish brown color, with a thin off-white head that fades quickly and leaves a thin lace on the glass.

S: The aroma is of brown sugar, caramelized malts, floral hops and some fruit.

T: The taste is nicely balanced with sweet flavors of caramel, brown sugar and citrus, a strong but not over-powering hops bitterness and a hearty malt character. There's a mild alcohol sting, which is expected for a beer this strong in ABV. The after-taste is slightly hoppy and slightly sweet.

M: Crisp and very smooth, medium body, medium carbonation, finish is clean.

D: Very tasty, goes down very easily, not too filling, strong kick, very good representation of style, this is a great ABW that is worth drinking for a whole evening and seems a bit more poundable than most other beers of its kind.

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2008 03:57:46 | More by TheManiacalOne

BigMcLargeHuge

Arizona

3.88/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12oz bottle. Clear copper color with fluffy tan head. Early the aroma is light with sweet sugary malts and pine hops. Really nice west coast style Barleywine flavor. Caramel malts are big and then pine hops hit. Just beyond midway a faint dark fruitiness emerges to add interest. Really nice drinkable flavor in this 10.2% ABV brew.

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2008 21:28:36 | More by BigMcLargeHuge

SFLpunk

Vermont

3.8/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Brown 12 oz bottle acquired in a recent trip to Wine Gallery in Brookline, MA. No freshness date.

Appearance: Not so clear as I expected. A rich mahogany, reddish brown with a thin cream-colored head that fades quickly, leaving a small lace.

Nose: Super-candy-sweet malt, dark wood, caramelized raw sugar, dark German rye, and a slight, whispering note of flowers.

Palate: A great big smack of sugar followed by a rich bitter chocolate wave, which gives way to dark caramel, and is usurped by lots and lots of hoppy bitterness (without the hop flavors though). I also think of sweet tea made with brown sugar, and that floral note is there, but I can't put my finger on it, and it's not a usual "hop floral" thing either. Carnations? And there's a plug of deep tobacco there, too.

Notes: A big, sweet, and rich barley wine. It's aggressive and a little clumsy in that the individual flavors seem distinctly defined and not blurring into one another. A good beer in the interesting manner, unique even, and I'd definitely recommend it. A pipe-smoker's barley wine, I'd say. And better than I was expecting (I'd never had contact with this brewery before...got a bottle of the IPA to review too!)

Serving type: bottle

11-14-2008 03:16:39 | More by SFLpunk

t0rin0

California

4/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Enjoyed this in bottles on a number of occasions and have had some different experiences. Noteworthy: this is not bottle conditioned and there is no sediment.

Pours dark brown, crystal clear, some tan head but not much retention, mild lacing.

Aroma is very malty, deliciously malty. Lots of pale, maybe some brown malts. Now that I think about it, there might be some parallels to a brown ale here. Some hops present in the aroma but I really enjoy these (properly aged of course) after a year or so.

Flavor is sweet, malty, biscuity, moderately bitter, and a touch nutty. Some hot alcohols distract from the taste when fresh or warm but pleasantly mellow and smooth when cold or aged. Not a real complex flavor but so very enjoyable.

Heavy body, maybe a tad undercarbonated but thats up for debate as this is a barleywine. Great on tap but be careful of skunked bottles. Bevmo leaves them on the shelves for ever.

This used to be my favorite barleywine, but then I tried 50-something barleywines. Still a great beer though.

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2008 05:48:17 | More by t0rin0

SurlyDuff

Oregon

3.43/5  rDev -10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

"Some day, and that day may never come, I will call upon you to do a service for me."

What's that Don? You want me to drink this beer? Well, my pleasure!

A thick dark amber, pours almost like syrup it seems. Tan head, with sticky glass-grabbing lacing on the sides.

Huge aroma of caramel, overripe fruit, honey, and hot alcohol.

Alcohol is jsut to big in the taste, overpowering bite and medicinal hot spice. Some menthol and spice. It finishes up bitter despite a sweet honey and malt begining and middle. I liked it, but its a slow drinker and even a whole bottle was a bit much. Felt like i wasted more of my sobriety on this one than I would have liked.

Serving type: bottle

10-26-2008 02:15:08 | More by SurlyDuff

johnnieoz

California

3.43/5  rDev -10.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3

UPDATE: Vintage confirmed: Nov 2007 on the box.

Kiss the Ring 002 written on the 12 oz bottle - is this the second 2nd bottled batch?
2007 vintage I suspect. I recall seeing another bottle with a prominent 2006 vintage sign as part of the labeling. Not so with this one.

A: Shades of crystal clear dark orange and crimson when held up to the light. The fluffier than usual for the style head is white and stays a finger thick throughout this one bottle session.

S: Fruit, fruit and then some. Mainly ripe, darker ones like plums or raisins. But there are also notes of crisp pear and apple.

T: This is definitely a sweeter, resinous barleywine though there are some hops present. In other words, not as "balanced" as ol' Bigfoot or ye Old(e) Foghorn. Still tasty, but this could be one reason why the alcohol shines through as much as it does.

M: Very chewy, very warming bordering on burning. Carbonation is excellent.

D: The sweetness and noticeable alcohol made this less drinkable than the Godfather's West Coast counterparts.

Cellaring this will be very interesting (have a couple in the beer closet)...the hops are already toned down, but if it mellows out a bit this could be quite the treat.

Pairing notes: Had this with Purple Haze goat cheese, 2 year-old cheddar and (triple cream) Brillat Savarin...Nice, but a sweet dessert or a blue cheese would likely have been even better.

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2008 18:54:50 | More by johnnieoz

PerzentRizen

Mississippi

4.15/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Old Godfather is an excellent barelywine if you are an IPA lover. This ale skirts the line between barely wine and a strong Double IPA. It has a robust hop character. I poured mine into a German tulip snifter. The deep mahogany color and thick frothy head are nicely highlighted by this barely wine's clarity. The head does tend to receed, but it does maintain a prominent lace to the finish.

The Aroma is full of hop character. I can tell this is a heavily dry hopped beer. It somewhat reminds me of Old Foghorn only much less malty.

The initial taste has high acidity, some light sourness, heavy hop bitter finish. The malt, alcohol, and hops all vie for attention and the end result is a beer that is a little out of balance. I am sure that six to eighteen months down would blend these flavors into an insanely complex barelywine.

The mouthfeel is great. It has a thick blood warming heaviness in the mouth. I can definately see this as a winter warmer for those who actually have a winter to speak of (there are some good things about Mississippi).

The drinkability is only hampered by the 10.2% alcohol content. I could easily drink a few of these in an evening before bed. This is the hophead's barelywine. If you love IPA's you will love this.

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2008 01:25:37 | More by PerzentRizen

toweringpoo

Japan

4.35/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - light opaque brown color, with about a finger of custard colored head which leaves quite a bit of lacing. very appealing.

S - Sweet malty fruitiness up front with a definite piney hop background. very unique aroma. me like.

T - This beer is getting better and better. Very complex flavors here. First thing that hits is the fruitiness, grape and citrus and pine from this well hopped barleywine. Then comes the malt, roasted chocolatey notes. The finish is bitter hops with a nice coating on the back of the tongue.

M+D - The mouthfeel is a bit thin, probably thanks to the high alcohol content, but I really enjoyed sipping this beer. Certainly not a session beer but it goes down wonderfully.

This beer feels like an IPA or double IPA-Barleywine hybrid. It's quite hoppy in comparison to other barleywines I've tried. Speakeasy has been going up and up in my book. Glad they broke into Japan.

Recommended

Serving type: bottle

09-09-2008 14:40:05 | More by toweringpoo

BeerManDan

California

4.6/5  rDev +20.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

The Best tasting barley-wine style ale this year and last. When poured, it poured a thick amber brown with a reddish hue. No foam or lace at all which is common on more of these ales as you know. The smell was of a sweet fruity nature, but the taste was just fantastic for me. Sweet, not bitter or sour. Just loads of fruit and hint of caramel. Just a great balance of malts, hops and whatever they put together to make this jewel of an ale. My favorite style for now and years to come!

Serving type: bottle

08-16-2008 23:32:11 | More by BeerManDan

usmittymc

Mississippi

3.15/5  rDev -17.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Poured from a bottle into a glass.

A: Hazy rosy amber in color. A reasonable off white head forms and gradually fades away to a respectable lacing.

S: Alcohol and grain. Subtle fruit aromas (plum) are present as well.

T: Smooth malt on the front tries to mask the alcohol that kicks in on the back, but doesn't do that great of a job. The alcohol is really present on the palate.

M: Good carbonation, sturdy on the palate. Slight burn from the alcohol.

D: Not a whole hell of a lot, but then again it is a barleywine. High alcohol content and flavor makes for one at most in a session. Not bad, but my curiosity of this beer is now satisfied. Won't be looking for it in the future.

Serving type: bottle

08-16-2008 04:08:28 | More by usmittymc

weeare138

Pennsylvania

3.98/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appears a semi-transparent amber with a small white head that quickly fades into a thin cap and collar. Spotty bits of lacing are left around the glass.
Smell is of heavy malt, caramel, flowers, and citrus.
Taste echoes the aromas with a sweet, caramel, maltiness with a light hop presence.
Mouthfeel is full bodied, hot with alcohol, chewy, and fruity.

Serving type: bottle

08-14-2008 15:16:26 | More by weeare138

rye726

Colorado

4.18/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This barleywine pours a rich amber and has a nice silky tan head. The nose has a good malt profile followed by a floral and fruity hop variety. Some young alcohols in there as well. The flavor is also a nice mixture of sweet malts, fruit, candy and bitter hops. Medium body feels a little light. This is a great brew that will improve in complexity with age.

Serving type: bottle

07-28-2008 03:21:43 | More by rye726

BEERchitect

Kentucky

3.95/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A lazy Thursday night before the 4th of July. I finished off a few Pale Ales with a steak dinner and now for the nightcap. This beer pours with a viscous plop into the glass. Impressive, firm head rises to about an inch and remains. Retention of the tanned froath is very good as well as the lacing. Mixed aromas of caramel and malt swirl around pine and citrus hops that promise power and complexity. Flavors of caramel, malt, toffee, and maple syrup have a moment before the agressive, piney hops dominate. The flavors round together well deep into the finish not allowing either to dominate. The textures are a bit harsh with fusal alcohols, hop dryness, and a lightly syrupy sweetness. Finishes with a blend of hops and malt that linger deep into the throat. A pretty good American Barleywine, but could use a better attenuated malt character and age could round out the harsh alcohols. Otherwise, it's on par with a Horn Dog, Old Crustacian, or Double Bastard.

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2008 03:00:07 | More by BEERchitect

RixBeer

Massachusetts

4.3/5  rDev +12.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a nice light chestnut color with 2 fingers of creamy tan colored head. A bit light looking for the style IMHO.

Wow that's an awesome smell of Barley and Chocolate malt intermingled with a mellow floral hop and some deep caramel. A really good smell is pouring off the head of this one!

Very smooth and rich up front but extremely balanced. Lots of up front barley, chocolate and caramel leading up to that smooth mellow floral hop finishing up the rear. Great taste! Subtle hints of alcohol throughout make this beer incredible!

This beer feels like it fits better than it looks like it would. It's smooth and rides the tongue to the throat without choking in alcohol or overwhelming in any one flavor. Fills without over-filling.

This is drinkable in a 4pk but even then I wonder how many I could have. This is a sipper. A good sipper though! So far my fave from this brewery! Good job!

Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

06-24-2008 03:16:13 | More by RixBeer

mrasskicktastic

New Jersey

4.28/5  rDev +12%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Deep caramel color to this viscous brew. A small head with isolated flecks of lacing.

S - Thick sweet caramel malty aroma with a lot hops - peppery and general citrus pith aromas - with some hints of vanilla.

T - A hint of vanilla, high malt profile (carmel with hints of biscuits), abv very detectable, hops - peppery and grapefruit pith. In the after taste there is mostly alcohol and peppery hops, but also some lingering caramel malt.

M - Smooth, thin, the alcohol burns a slight bit, but in a pleasant way. Very refreshing.

D - Pretty damn good. I do like barley wines a lot in general, but this one went down so fast that I had to work to get the review finished before the last drop.

Serving type: bottle

06-22-2008 02:50:10 | More by mrasskicktastic

mattster

Texas

4.22/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Opened 12 fluid ounce bottle and poured into snifter.

Poured a nice tea brown brew with very little/no head.

Smell is sweet/malty with hints of fruit and pine. Palate picks up mostly citrus notes, with a hint of earthiness. Bubbles are a bit more active than other beers I've had in this style, but as I let it come to temp, the carbonation dies down just a bit. It does burn a bit on the back palate, but what more can I expect from a 10.2% ABV? Mouth feel is full and coating.

A decent Barley Wine, although I've had a few I'd chose over this one.

Serving type: bottle

06-03-2008 10:57:51 | More by mattster

Wasatch

Utah

3.98/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a nice amber color, nice carbonation, very nice creamy one-finger off-white head, which leaves some nice thick creamy sticky lacing. The nose is malty, hoppy, nice touch of caramel. The taste is sweet, malty, with some hoppiness, and caramel. Medium body, the alcohol is hidden very well. Drinkable, I have liked the brew's from Speakeasy, recommended.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2008 00:19:44 | More by Wasatch

russpowell

Oklahoma

3.88/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Can't remember if I picked this up from Liquid Solutions or Bottletrek

Pours an effervescent caramel/orange with 1+ finger of sand colored head. Superior head retention & above average lacing

S: Cakey & piney & bit of booze as this warms

T: Cakeyness, earthy & piney hop, plus a some orangey & grapefruitty hops up front. Leafy hops, a bit of fruittyness, then pine & grapefruit dominate once this brute warms up. Finishes dry, with some peaty notes, plus other whisky notes to include some booze burn

MF: Medium bodied to chewy with a nice creamyness; balanced good for the style. Very warming

Drank a bit slowish, due to the style & ABV. A good, not great American Barley Wine, more malt needs to show up to this party!

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2008 03:35:45 | More by russpowell

brentk56

North Carolina

3.85/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Version 002, which I believe is the 2007

Appearance: Pours a hazy amber color with a modest head that drops to an archipelago very quickly, while leaving a few strands of lace

Smell: Caramel dominates but covers up some odd off tones that are primarily soapy

Taste: Opens with a caramel flavor that adds a peppery and minty dimension by mid-palate; the pepper flavors start to burn after a while, too; after the swallow, the flavors mellow and fade faster than I would have liked

Mouthfeel: Medium to full bodied with low carbonation; slightly watery for a barleywine; warmth on the finish

Drinkability: Despite its flaws, the beer is easy to drink and is pleasant enough; lots of hops for a barleywine but they don't dominate

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2008 01:23:54 | More by brentk56

canucklehead

British Columbia (Canada)

3.95/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

pretty colour with the dark deep brown tones and the big for B Wine head. The nose is hops with the trad B wine nose in the background. The beer is hoppy alright and quite drinkable fot the style. In fact the only quibble is that the beer is not big enough. The finish is quite bitter and in some circles this might be a double IPA. ( There Double IPA is way more citrus and straight hops.). The drinkability is what make this a very nice beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2008 04:17:13 | More by canucklehead

jdoncbus

Ohio

3.98/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours an amber-brown. Low carbonation with a few big bubbles appearing. Moderate to low lacing leaving an oily film on glassware.

Nose is raisin, plum, and walnuts; toasted malt as well. Sweet alcohol goes along with hazelnut coffee notes. Piney and citrus hops appear.

Bittersweet malt on the palate is rounded out with a nutty and fruity hopiness. Oily mouthfeel accompanied with a very tart alcohol presence that leaves the throat and stomach warm. Mouth is left dry.

An interesting and enjoyable barleywine. It certainly packs a serious punch with the 10.2% and would recommend.

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2008 03:28:40 | More by jdoncbus

barleywinefiend

Washington

4.53/5  rDev +18.6%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured a nice deep amber color with a decent head to it. Was it me or did the malt profile have a nutty smell and taste to it. I did not notice to much citrus in this brew but a bigger pine. taste like the nose people and the taste is good. Big caramel and unique!! Easy drinking bwine and one of my favs to sip.

Serving type: bottle

03-22-2008 04:00:45 | More by barleywinefiend

naproxen

Connecticut

3.83/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

fresh squeezed oranges. I must say this is the one defining factor of both aroma and taste for me with this beer. I almost didn't review it, but I had to comment on this taste. It poured a hazy red with a big frothy head which retained for about a minute before subsiding. The nose on this bottle is all orange and alcohol. As for taste, as it comes to warn a little from the fridge the alcohol really became much more prominent. Interesting take on the barley wine.

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2008 02:08:33 | More by naproxen