Olde Bluehair Barley Wine - Big Sky Brewing Company

Crosling

Colorado

4.08/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

The appearance on this naturally carbonated beauty is great. Large, frothy long lasting head that forms fun shapes. Deep amber color. Nose is light, but shows trace amounts of whiskey, wood and malt. Flavor is heavily sweet, rich, deeply malty, with notes of caramel and toffee. A touch of vanilla and graham from the wood. A lot to like here. Could have more depth and concentration, but is nicely balanced for the style, rich and even has a nice finish. The bottle conditioning makes the difference.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2009 05:23:35 | More by Crosling

hopswap1

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev +5.7%

06-15-2013 20:31:41 | More by hopswap1

DrunkinYogi

Connecticut

4.25/5  rDev +5.7%

06-14-2013 14:45:57 | More by DrunkinYogi

brewdog444

Illinois

4/5  rDev -0.5%

06-12-2013 02:39:56 | More by brewdog444

striker2160

Minnesota

4/5  rDev -0.5%

06-04-2013 23:39:04 | More by striker2160

yamar68

Minnesota

4.31/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Bottle 2900 of 3240

2012 vintage:

Tobacco brown body capped with a frothy finger of sticky lace. Plenty of alcohol is apparent in the appearance.

Semisweet toffee and caramel dominate the nose. Vanilla and oak suggest some kind of bourbon characteristic. The alcohol is apparent but appropriate. Not too hot but also not too tame. Some mushy cherry or cranberry surfaces as the beer warms.

Vanilla, mellow bourbon, tobacco leaf, papery dessert sweetness. It's a bit hollow on the palate but it goes down smooth. The beer warms and evolves in a big way - cherry cobbler, root beer float, red wine... really interesting.

Serving type: bottle

06-03-2013 22:54:45 | More by yamar68

ajzy

Wisconsin

3.5/5  rDev -12.9%

06-03-2013 21:48:41 | More by ajzy

jimmah120

Minnesota

3.91/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 4.5

750ml corked and caged bottle. 2012 bottle marked 2856 of 3240. also says it's 12.0% ABV.

Great cloudy ruby look, silky off-white head. Smell is very wooden and reeks of rubbing alcohol. Also lots of dark fruits; raisins, prunes, fermented grapes. Taste is much better thankfully: sweet woody malts, the dark fruit, hint of cheap bourbon. High amount of carbonation for the style, and the bourbon sticks around on the tongue.

I'd love to have another for aging.

Serving type: bottle

06-03-2013 05:55:10 | More by jimmah120

bird22

California

3.75/5  rDev -6.7%

06-03-2013 04:11:11 | More by bird22

Zachtheporter

Wisconsin

4/5  rDev -0.5%

05-26-2013 21:02:50 | More by Zachtheporter

thegerm87

Connecticut

3.5/5  rDev -12.9%

05-26-2013 01:55:29 | More by thegerm87

mikeincharleston

South Carolina

4/5  rDev -0.5%

05-22-2013 01:29:47 | More by mikeincharleston

InspectorBob

New Jersey

4/5  rDev -0.5%

05-20-2013 19:59:32 | More by InspectorBob

drummermattie02

Texas

3.75/5  rDev -6.7%

05-20-2013 14:36:46 | More by drummermattie02

Whiskeydeez

Kansas

4.5/5  rDev +11.9%

05-19-2013 16:57:37 | More by Whiskeydeez

CommanderOfAwesome

California

4.51/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

2012 bottle, #3101 of 3240. Poured into a snifter.

A: Pours a wonderful copper caramel color. with a nice 2.5 finger head. Head dissipates pretty quickly with minimal lacking on the glass. Very slight alcoholic legs present.

S: WOW, huge smack of the barrel right away. Smells like "fresh wood" (I'll leave that one alone). Huge barrel on the aroma though. Caramel malts, slight toffee coming in the backdrop.

T: Creamy toffee/caramel, some dark red cherries, with a nice sweet malt build.

M: Slight over carbonation, red cherry sweetness tingles and lingers on the tongue. Caramel candy sweetness coats the mouth with the spicy-ness (that right?) staying on the palate.

O: A fantastic BA Barleywine. One that I would put on the same playing field as sucaba. It's that good. Highly underrated brewery/BA program. ITs a highly limited brew, but if you come across it buy it. Its fantastic.

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2013 02:21:06 | More by CommanderOfAwesome

RangnaR

California

3.75/5  rDev -6.7%

05-13-2013 17:07:11 | More by RangnaR

Jwale73

Rhode Island

3.98/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 4

750ml corked and caged bottle. 2011 vintage served in a tasting glass. Bottle opened with a pop. Pours a hazy amber-mahogany hue with a fluffy, 1/2 inch, cream-colored head that settles into a consistent, frothy skim. Nose expresses citrus, cotton candy and some vanilla notes. Taste consistent with nose with the addition of some toffee flavors as well as some ethanol. Unfortunately, the mouthfeel on this beer kills it for me - way too much carbonation first off; however, once you get past that, it comes off somewhat thin and slightly oily. Overall, a very good example of the style - I have a second bottle, so I'll have to see what 3-5 years does for this beer. Hopefully it will dissipate the carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2013 22:57:59 | More by Jwale73

MarkyMOD

Colorado

4/5  rDev -0.5%

05-09-2013 12:06:26 | More by MarkyMOD

cadaugherty

Illinois

4/5  rDev -0.5%

05-08-2013 00:24:20 | More by cadaugherty

Graviz

Colorado

4.5/5  rDev +11.9%

04-28-2013 21:14:52 | More by Graviz

mrunseen

Washington

4.25/5  rDev +5.7%

04-14-2013 04:01:40 | More by mrunseen

twelveinches

Washington

4.25/5  rDev +5.7%

04-13-2013 05:46:16 | More by twelveinches

Beerontwowheels

Maryland

3.5/5  rDev -12.9%

04-04-2013 18:51:59 | More by Beerontwowheels

fivetime

Idaho

3.75/5  rDev -6.7%

03-26-2013 00:06:06 | More by fivetime