El Toro Yo - El Toro Brewing Co.

DIM

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev +3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

a: This was a ruby tinted copper color. It poured with a thick, clumpy head.

s: I found cherries, toffee, molasses, raisins, pine, lemon rind, and a little heat. Plenty of layers here, but this still manages to be on the mild, subtle side.

t: Not quite as complex as the nose would suggest, but this was quite satisfying. Toffee flavors dominated from start to finish, blanketing everything. There was a bitter tingle in the middle and some cherry and vanilla lingering at the finish.

m: Medium bodied with gentle, creamy carbonation.

d: Full flavored yet restrained. Really nice barleywine, glad I got to try this one.

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2010 11:33:20 | More by DIM

ThreeWiseMen

California

3.43/5  rDev -13.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Purchased at the brewpub in Morgan Hill. Batch 1399 (bottled in December 2009).

Poured into a Cigar City snifter.

Appearance: A gentle pour yields a thin, tan, bubbly crown. (A more vicious pour produced a quarter inch of foam.) Light carbonation keeps the head up for a bit, but after several minutes only a hair-thin halo remains. Body is hazy and ruby with caramel-colored edges. Thin, sticky lacing follows the beer all the way down.

Smell: Doughy malts, brown sugar, juniper, and lots of floral esters. Really mild for a barleywine / winter warmer / strong ale. Alcohol plays a pretty strong role, too.

Taste: Taste follows the smell almost exactly. Toasted malt and woody hops are the only extra flavors I detect. Decent. Easy.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied, oily, and nicely carbonated with lots of tiny bubbles. Finishes warm and dry, but all in all this is a pretty smooth barleywine. Aftertaste is very light; leaves a fuzzy/prickly feel on the palate.

Drinkability: This was a ho hum barleywine. I don't wanna call it bland, but it definitely needs some more flavor. I can't imagine this improving a whole lot with age either. Still, this is an easy-drinker. Probably a good introductory barleywine.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2010 23:36:10 | More by ThreeWiseMen

hopdog

Pennsylvania

3.58/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottles shared courtesy of Josh. We did 2 vintages.

Poured a medium and cloudy amber color with a smaller sized off white head. Aromas of dark fruits, some nuttines, and caramel. Tastes of dark fruits, caramel, and nutty. Lighter hops too.

This one had less character than the batch 1220 we had side x side.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2009 18:16:04 | More by hopdog

barleywinefiend

Washington

3.63/5  rDev -8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Yo 2007! On tap at Toronado Bwine Fest
Poured a nice mahoganey with a ncie little white head. Nose was fruity, tangy even and sweet.
Taste is unique. A cherry blast even. Nice and malty. The alcohol is not to apparent until you guzzle it down. Eventhought a strong ale it was presented as barleywine and comlex enough

Serving type: on-tap

02-23-2008 23:34:15 | More by barleywinefiend

GClarkage

California

4.15/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

12/30/05- Had on tap at the Toronado in San Francisco, CA.

Presentation- Via the tap into a tulip style glass.

Appearance- Mahoganey colored pour, maybe a bit brandy-esque in color. Slight 1/5 inch creamy and smooth looking head. Nice thin sheet of lacing along the sides.

Smell- Light whiff of fusel alcohol, bit of a nutty malt scent as well as an oaky and spicy cherry scent.

Taste- Very mellow. Just a tad of alcohol detection at first (it hits you later). Nice bready malt with a black currant or really dark cherry taste. Almost like a cherry cough syrup flavor. Decent amount of hop bitterness as well.

Mouthfeel- Smooth, creamy with a low carbonation level. Cherry hop burps afterwards. Nice and warming.

Drinkability- I sensed this to be more of a lower abv barleywine than a strong ale. Very smooth though and super drinkable.

Serving type: on-tap

12-31-2005 19:25:19 | More by GClarkage