Olde Bluehair Barley Wine - Big Sky Brewing Company

Olde Bluehair Barley WineOlde Bluehair Barley Wine

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BA SCORE
90
exceptional
-
179 Ratings
THE BROS
N/A

-
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rAvg: 4.03
pDev: 11.66%
Reviews: 102
Hads: 77

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Brewed by:
Big Sky Brewing Company visit their website
Montana, United States

Style | ABV
American Barleywine |  10.50% ABV

Availability: Rotating. bottle (97), on-tap (5)

Notes:
75 IBU
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Reviews

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Photo of Allpe45
Allpe45

Arizona

4.35/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

2010 edition
Bottle #2609

Appears reddish brown with a creamy tan cap, recedes quickly but leaves plenty of lacing. Just a bit hazy. Smells predominantly of bourbon, sweet fruits, caramel malt, toffee and wood. Despite the powerful bourbon aroma, it does not seem hot. Taste matches the smell but there is much more balance. Caramel and toffee maltiness up front, alcohol soaked dark fruits in the middle, and barrel in the finish. The bourbon is very well integrated, adding flavor throughout and a subtle warmth to the finish. Medium-full body, low carbonation, very smooth texture at first but leaves a sticky residual feeling. Easy to drink but the strength is noticeable after a few sips.

Serving type: bottle

07-24-2011 23:49:47 | More by Allpe45
Photo of ferrari29
ferrari29

Illinois

4.45/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Beer poured from bottle into a Stone stemless 4 oz. tasting glass - 2010 Limited Edition

A - Brown maroon colored body; cloudy; two finger creme colored foam formed with a rocky head; thick poured looking body; floating sediment; no lacing formed on the side the glass

S - Bourbon, oatmeal; caramel malt back-end; some celery; subtle hints of anise; high ABV content; fig and dark fruit

T - Bourbon oak aged barrel taste; caramel; fantastic brown sugary blast; toffee; dry oak rinse finish; touch of fig, raisin and dark fruit at the end to finish off a great blend of flavors

M - Smooth; slightly chewy; effervescent and leaves a somewhat dry aftertaste

D - Awesome drink; great taste and smell; I love this stuff; don't pass it up if you have a chance to try a sip or two; goes down nice and smooth, I'll definitely have to try more beers from Big Sky, they impressed me with this batch

Serving type: bottle

07-11-2011 01:21:53 | More by ferrari29
Photo of womencantsail
womencantsail

California

4.1/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Forgot to write down who shared this beer at Sour Fest. Think it was Jake or Alex.

A: The pour is amber in color with a two finger khaki head.

S: A solid aroma which really shows a lot of balance between the barrel and the beer. Bourbon, vanilla, and oak come through initially and the nice caramel, brown sugar, and molasses notes follow.

T: Much the same story on the palate. The brown sugar, caramel, and toffee flavors dominate. Just a touch of dark fruit in there, too. There is still plenty of barrel contribution here with a moderate bourbon flavor and a bit of oak and vanilla.

M: Medium in body with a medium level of carbonation.

O: I have really enjoyed the barrel aged Big Sky beers I've had and this was no exception.

Serving type: bottle

06-28-2011 14:07:49 | More by womencantsail
Photo of loren01
loren01

Oregon

4.25/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: Pours a reddish/brown color, decent sized head with good lacing down the glass
S: Smells very strong of oak, bourbon and dark fruits.
T: Strond oak and bourbon flavors. Sweet fig flavors as well
M: Full bodied, thick and chewy beer
O: Interesting flavor in this barleywine, not like anything i've had before. I would buy this again but probably special occasions, its a spendy one.

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2011 04:08:07 | More by loren01
Photo of Spider889
Spider889

Ohio

3.15/5  rDev -21.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Review from notes.

Pours with a super tall head of an off-white linen color. Decent lace.

Smells very sweet for a barleywine. Brown sugar and sweet oaky tannins.

The taste has a mild char flavor to it, oak, cherry and vanilla flavors.

Overall this is just a little 'off' for a typical barleywine.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2011 06:58:52 | More by Spider889
Photo of ktrillionaire
ktrillionaire

Florida

2.35/5  rDev -41.7%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Thanks to AgentZero for sharing this unusual brew.

A - It pours a sappy golden hue, and has a big foamy tan head that looks like pancake batter.

S - The nose is strange; it initially led me to suspect that the brew is possibly infected, but as I taste it, and smell it some more, I am convinced that it is just strange. Apricots, dark corn syrup, citric hops and vanilla come together in Olde Bluehair for an unholy communion of unfortunate proportions. Well, its not quite on the 'unholy' level, I just wanted to use the phrase, really.

T - The taste is more bizarre than the aroma; there is something 'off' here, though I cannot exactly put my finger on it. The taste is generally comprised of dried medium fruit, especially apricot and papaya, dry grassiness and rotten oak, grainy corn syrup notes, some weird chalky note and general disagreement between the incongruous elements of the flavor.

M - The feel is unspecial. It is sticky and soft, not tremendously enhancing.

O - Ha! This beer was on my 'wants' for a long time, along with Ivan; glad I didn't trade for this one in particular.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2011 06:30:05 | More by ktrillionaire
Photo of cpmichael
cpmichael

Indiana

4.13/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Shared at Dark Lord Day. Bottle 1875

A: Pours a dark amber color, with a little white foam, poor retention.

S: Caramel, toffee, sugar, hints of booze, oak and vanilla.

T: Caramel, raisins, sweet malts, hints of oak and bourbon. On the sweet side.

M/D: medium body, medium carbonation. Not hoppy, as barleywines go, on the sweeter side too. It's good, not syrupy like some, but nothing amazing. and at $16 a bottle, it's a one-time deal.

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2011 01:32:54 | More by cpmichael
Photo of DovaliHops
DovaliHops

California

4.22/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

2010 Vintage. Bottle 598/3000. Pours a cloudy, dark red color with brown hues. Has a large almost-tan colored head. Scent is initially whiskey with a lot of dark fruit, honey, and toffee. Strong malt aroma and hints of booze. Taste is initially sweet malt, quickly followed by toffee and delicious whiskey! Very nice dark fruit and caramel flavors mix well with vanilla and honey. Very nice tasting beer. Alcohol burn comes in at the end. Mouthfeel is full bodied and nicely carbonated. Drinkability is fairly high, as this is a delicious beer. Overall, I'm very impressed by this. I've been fortunate enough to score a bottle of Ivan and this all in a month's time.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2011 06:03:52 | More by DovaliHops
Photo of JohnQVegas
JohnQVegas

Tennessee

3.95/5  rDev -2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

750 ml bottle into The Bruery tulip, from Jeff (Alewatcher). I've run out ofways to say thank, you so now I'm going with thank you in a new language every time. This week, Russian! Spasiba, my friend - spasiba.

Pours a murky brown with a towering, fluffy khaki head that lasts for awhile before settling into a thinnish cap. Nice lacing as it stars to recede.

Nose comes through with dense notes of bourbon, maple, brown sugar, rum soaked pit fruit. Rich, boozy alcohol and a bit of walnut round out the experience.

Taste matches step for step, perhaps a bit more dull. Bourbon, walnut, maple, and rum-soaked plum cake. There's a bit of an earthiness that dulls the whole experience, perhaps a wee bit of oxidation. Fruity, boozy on the finish with a prominent alcohol heat and a heaping helping of oak.

Sticky, thick, decadent, though a bit tannic, leaving the tongue a bit tingly. Soft carbonation, perhaps a wee bit heavy and dense.

Overall, a nice beer - dense and appropriately rich. The barrel aging is nicely done, though the base beer may fall a hair short overall. Still, well-executed.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2011 01:34:41 | More by JohnQVegas
Photo of russpowell
russpowell

Oklahoma

4.35/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This was a lucky pick up at Goebbels in Wichita.

Bottle #1319 of 3000 opens with a major pop! Pours caramel with a pinky of khaki lacing. Nice viscious look to this, good head retention & some lacing

S: Toffee, dark fruit & slight boozeyness

T: Rich dark fruit, Bourbon, leafy hops, a touch boozey vanilla. Honey, figgyness, a bit of smokey toffee as this warms, along with some booze-soaked cherries. Finishes oaky dry with nice Bourbon notes, figs& sweet toffee. Slight deduction for lack of American BW hop profile, would've maxed this out as an English BW. Wish I had some more bottles...

MF: Chewy, smooth carbonation, great balance, nice warming sensation

Drinks too easy for the ABV & style

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2011 00:13:20 | More by russpowell
Photo of feloniousmonk
feloniousmonk

Minnesota

4.22/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Limited Edition Olde Bluehair...Big Sky Brewing, Barrel-aged & Bottle Conditioned. Ale Aged in American Oak Bourbon Barrels. 10.5% abv.

Number 1307 of 3000. "Imagine a tango: a man and a woman dancing, their eyes locked upon one another, then take your first bite of Olde Bluehair, Big Sky Brewing Company's Barley Wine. A taste of apricots, honey flavors, a sliver of vanilla, and a hint of caramel round out this barley wine. Like so many things in life, Olde Bluehair just gets better with time."

Thoroughly hazed, magenta hued, thick, wonderful, rocky, lacy, off-white head. Big, lasting, very impressive. So far, so good.

Aroma: whiskey hits first, leather, vanilla, dark fruits, cherries, sweet, bold, rich, huge. I'm getting it, both parts of this beer are working well, in full effect. I'm getting the barleywine, I'm getting the bourbon barrel.

Now, what's it taste like?

Boom, boom, here comes hops, next bourbon, then alcohol. Bam! Immenseness and richosity. A flash of hops, then a blitz of bourbon, then the caramel malt, and, yeah, I can detect apricot, sure....honey, yeah, a little. Getting drier now, not so juicy, well rounded, not too over the top. I'm kind of loving it. Big plum, date, raisin-y, dark fruits aplenty, sweet a bit, then dry, and, yeah, rounded. Good balance, for such a big one.

Hey, now, this is several varieties of yum, yes, it is. Now, it's getting woody oaky, that part is coming into play. The thicker parts of the bourbon character have given way for other pleasures.

This works. This is good. This is Mmm + yum, plus, oh, yeah.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2011 05:08:00 | More by feloniousmonk
Photo of prototypic
prototypic

Ohio

3.95/5  rDev -2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bottle 285 of 1800 - vintage year unknown

Olde Bluehair pours a nice copper color. It has a distinct crimson look when held to light. Not bad at all. Carbonation looks very active. A gentle pour yielded a light tan head that stands easily over three fingers tall. It's very slow to dissipate. Lacing is sticky and moderate in volume.

The nose is good. It's sweet and full of caramel up front. Bourbon is appreciated, but it's a rather light and restrained scent. It works. There are some fruity notes of apple, apricot, and pear. There are no dark fruits in the house (as far as I can smell). Secondary notes of oak and vanilla are noted, and add nice depth. Alcohol is blended surprisingly well. The label indicates the abv in this vintage is 8.75%.

The flavor is very consistent with the nose. It's sweet and fruity initially. Caramel malts give it a nice base and blend well with the apple, pear, and apricot flavors. I'm not getting any dark fruit here, but the golden variety works nicely. Barrel aging imparted a nice, subtle bourbon flavor that complements the Barleywine flavors very well. Oak and vanilla are definitely secondary, but are flavorful. Alcohol has integrated nicely over time. It's not very noticeable in flavor. Finishes sweet and fruity with a touch of bourbon.

Olde Bluehair has a medium body. Carbonation is active and a little buzzy. It's not quite smooth, but it's not bad either. Fewer bubbles might be the ticket. Drinkability is good. I'm enjoying this one. It doesn't taste or feel like a huge, barrel-aged Barleywine and goes down rather easily.

This is my first experience with Big Sky Brewing Company, and it's been a good one. Olde Bluehair is a pretty impressive barrel-aged Barleywine. The flavor delivers and the subtle bourbon presence works extremely well. A little less carbonation would improve things a little. Maybe a bit of hops would too. I'm curious as to whether they're present in a fresh bottle. Perhaps another day. Easily recommended.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2011 03:44:26 | More by prototypic
Photo of zeff80
zeff80

Missouri

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

A - Poured out a clear, golden-orange color with a one-finger, off-white head of foam. It left thin rings of sticky lace.

S - It smelled of sweet caramel, vanilla and mild bourbon notes.

T - Good caramel sweetness with some spicy hop bite. There is a nice vanilla presence.

M - It was crisp, sharp and smooth. A medium bodied ale with some alcohol heat.

D - This is a really good barleywine. Great balance and taste. My new favorite Big Sky brew....gotta find some Ivan now.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2011 17:07:00 | More by zeff80
Photo of sulldaddy
sulldaddy

Connecticut

4.65/5  rDev +15.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bottle 91 out of 1800. Not sure of vintage.

Cellar temp bottle poured into a snifter. The beer pours arich mahogany hue, with just a hint of cloudiness in the beer. Minimal beige head foams up a cm or two and fades to an edge layer. Aroma is all malt with brownsugar and dark fruit (raisins and plums), I also get a bit of oak and a little booze. Maybe just a little grassy hop note.
First sip reveals an average body with minmal carbonation and smooth texture. The beer goes down very easy on each swallow.
Flavor is similar to the nose, with brown sugar and some fruit, a little toffee and some vanilla and oak on each swallow. There is a little warm booze mixed in but not enough to require sipping.
This seems to be more english style b-wine with the lack of hops and general sweetness, but the higher booze and some showing through make it American. A bit of a mix of some of the finer points of the style IMO.
I really like this brew and wish I had another one. Good stuff!

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2011 04:16:14 | More by sulldaddy
Photo of snaotheus
snaotheus

Washington

2.55/5  rDev -36.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

750ml bottle poured into an oversized snifter

I'm a little concerned about this bottle, there was almost no hiss when I popped the top. Don't know if it's normally pretty still, or if something happened.

Basically no head. Basically no carbonation. This detracts from the appearance. I know that barleywines are not usually that active, but there's nothing going on here. Color is a nice rich deep bronzey brown, maybe slightly cloudy. Smell is alcohol with a background of smoke and wood.

Taste is sweet and sour and smokey, alcohol comes out quite a bit. A little astringent.

Mouthfeel is flat, a little watery. Due to too much alcohol in the flavor and unpleasant flatness, I have not enjoyed this much.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2011 02:56:52 | More by snaotheus
Photo of brentk56
brentk56

North Carolina

4.35/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bottle #0007 out of 3000 (2010 bottling)

Appearance: This is a beautiful barleywine, pouring an ice tea brown color with a two finder head that leaves a smattering of lace around the chalice

Smell: Toffee, apricot, oak and some fusel alcohol

Taste: Toffee and apricots, up front, with an earthy hop balance developing by mid-palate, when the fusel alcohol arrives; after the swallow, the oak and vanilla add a complex dimension that lingers, after the swallow, along with the apricot malt

Mouthfeel: Full bodied with moderate carbonation; perhaps a little too thick

Drinkability: This is an extraordinary barleywine that is only going to improve with a year or two of age; while some complain that it is too sweet or lacks hops, I would point out that this is much more in the English style and is a superb example

Thanks, sholle, for the opportunity

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2011 02:38:08 | More by brentk56
Photo of mdfb79
mdfb79

New York

3.78/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From 1/22/11 notes. Thanks to Lunch for sharing this one; thanks Paul, been wanting to try it.

a - Pours a mahogany brown color with two inches of frothy white head and moderate carbonation evident.

s - Smells of caramel malts, fruit, oak, bourbon.

t - Tastes of strong bourbon, roasted malts, oak, and caramel malts. Little bit too much alcohol in the taste; a bit harsh.

m - Medium to full body and moderate carbonation.

d - A nice barleywine but a little harsh in the taste. Probably would be better with some age on it. Would like to have again with some time on it.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2011 02:56:19 | More by mdfb79
Photo of shir0043
shir0043

Minnesota

3.98/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

2010 vintage poured into a standard pint glass.

The beer pours the color of maple syrup with a medium sized off-white head. The beer was slightly over-carbonated but when left in the glass for 10 min was perfect.

Smell is sweet malt, caramel, honey, alcohol, and oak. Oak dominates the smell.

Tastes is malty sweet, just the way I like it. Alcohol presence is sharp at the end. Oak also stands out a little sharp.

Mouthfeel is great for a barley wine. Not too thick, not too thin, and very smooth.

Drinkability is not high due to the sweetness which is OK because I don't plan on this being a session beer.

If your looking for a hoppy barleywine (bigfoot) then this is not your beer. However, if your like me and appreciate a nice malty BW, this is a great example. I'm glad I bought a couple bottles because I think this beer will be an A+ in 1-2 years. I'll update this review when I open another bottle.

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2011 03:44:49 | More by shir0043
Photo of trbergman
trbergman

Illinois

3.7/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

2010 bottling, poured into a cervoise.

A - Hazy auburn body with a tall, pillowy taupe head.

S - Rich caramel and toffee malts, fig, tobacco, vanilla, bourbon.

T - Sweet and malty, with toffee, fig and raisin, tobacco, and bourbon. Not very intense.

M - Starts off overcarbonated, but a little swirling and waiting take care of that. Slick, smooth, and surprisingly light. In the finish there's a gentle prickle of bourbon heat.

D - Very quaffable, but not terribly exciting.

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2011 04:40:24 | More by trbergman
Photo of cmannes
cmannes

Minnesota

4/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

1pt 9oz Bottle poured into a New Belgium Tulip

Appearance: It honestly looks like maple syrup. Dark amber color, little hazy. Thick persistant white head. Good lacing.

Aroma: Malty, yet a little sour. Some toffee & carmel.

Taste: Toffee, Malt, hint of the sour. The ABV is definitely there.

Mouthfeel: Syrupy, still reminds me of maple syrup.

Overall: I'm actually not a huge fan of Barleywines. But this one is good.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2011 22:41:40 | More by cmannes
Photo of kbutler1
kbutler1

Minnesota

3.18/5  rDev -21.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Bottle. #2062 of 3000. Poured into a tulip glass a murky orange, apricot color with a light tan head. Sweet aroma in the nose of fruit and slight citrus hops. Very subtle aroma for a Barley Wine. Sweet start wtih some latent hops. Pretty smooth but not extremely flavorful. Nice head retention though.

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2011 14:07:50 | More by kbutler1
Photo of caskstrength
caskstrength

Minnesota

3.9/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Another bourbon barleywine, a style I generally like. . 2010 bottle. 2000 something out of 3000.

Holy carbonation! Too much, but an aggressive pour and lots of swirling gets it normalized. Bottle conditioned, not sure if that ultimately helps this beer or not.

Nice dark orange appearance. Head all over the place. Smells boozy, spicy, fruity. Hops if you're looking. Young, I think.

Tastes fruity (apricots, yellow raisins) and boozy. Hops at the end. Some oak. More "in your face" booze, less of the vanilla/wood complexity that's in the best barrel aged brews. But it's still there, a little.

This beer needs some time alone.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2011 00:00:30 | More by caskstrength
Photo of oberon
oberon

North Carolina

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

2010 bottle number #1976 of 3000.
10.5% ABV.
Poured a fizzy brass tinged medium brown,again a rather fizzy one finger off white head atop.Toasty oak and vanilla aromas with a bit of caramel,mainly all barrel aged aromas here,flavors are toasty with heavy vanilla and caramel,just a slight drying earthiness in the finish.As the beer warmed more malt nuances came into play like dark fruit and some cakiness.Its a bit sharp in the mouth but not to annoying,its pretty good but a little one dimensional with the barrel aging really taking over the beer.I dont think its worth the big price paid.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2010 23:18:54 | More by oberon
Photo of zhanson88
zhanson88

Montana

4.4/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Note: 2010 version is 10.5% ABV.

Appearance: Olde Bluehair pours out a dark ruby color with a full 3 fingers of beige colored head. I can see a lot of carbonation rising to the top. Retention is pretty good, though the head seems to give way very easily. Resulting lacing is more of a film.

Smell: Caramel, malts, oak, vanilla, and some dark fruits (fig, raisin, maybe apricot). There is a lot going on in here, very nice.

Taste: Caramel maltiness right off the bat, with barrel flavor in the middle -- oak and vanilla. Finish is fig and apricot, with just a hint of booziness from the bourbon barrels. This really is a phenomenal example of the barleywine style.

Mouthfeel: Body is right on medium, with quite a bit of carbonation. As it warms the carbonation mellows out a little and it gets smoother drinking. It is very easy drinking for the style, even though ABV is 10.5% it seems like less. This is hands down my favorite example of a barleywine that I've had to date. I definitely want to have a couple of these on hand for a while to see what age does.

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2010 04:41:40 | More by zhanson88
Photo of BuckeyeNation
BuckeyeNation

Iowa

4.1/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bottle 1497/1800. Dark caramel brown with apple red and Sunkist accents when the glass is backlit with the rising October sun. The khaki colored crown is more a loose collection of unsticky bubbles than a creamy slice of foam, which is a fairly common occurence when it comes to higher-ABV, barrel-aged beer. In all fairness, the head becomes melty-creamy in the end and stays at the thick disk stage for a prolonged period of time.

The nose is classic caramel malt barleywine (pale, crystal, and chocolate), with wonderful whiskey notes from the American oak bourbon barrels. More hoppiness would be nice, but this Limited Edition ale has been chilling out my cellar for the past year or so. Maybe the hops will make an appearance on the palate.

Barrel Aged Olde Bluehair Barley Wine tastes exactly like it smells... which is a very good thing. It's on the gentle side for the style, thanks to the original 75 IBUs being countered by mucho malt, and the ABV being 8.75% rather than double digits. That doesn't mean that this little old lady lacks punch. On the contrary.

Pale malt offsets chocolate malt, and caramel-crystal emerges as the winner. Having said that, pleasant hints of cocoa nibness are easily identified, more so than in most American barleywines. There's a ton of medium-dark fruitiness and the bourbon influence is right on the money. Caramelized sugar, oak and vanilla bean tantalize the buds with each sip. Thankfully, the beer isn't the least bit boozy.

The next highest taste score is tempting, but Bluehair doesn't have that extra gear, that extra certain something to get it over the hump. No qualms, though, about bumping the drinkability score. This stuff is disappearing more quickly than is advisable if I want to remain coherent enough to finish this review and still make sense.

With respect to mouthfeel, think aged English barleywine or old ale. In other words, it isn't thick and chewy and it isn't as creamily carbonated as your typical Belgian ale. No matter, because the beer's size and laid back bubbles work fine in combination, which increases (ease of) drinkability even more.

In my humble opinion, Big Sky is one of America's most underappreciated breweries. They have gotten more of my money (thanks to their outstanding IPA) than anyone else in this country over the past several years. Barrel Aged Olde Bluehair Barley Wine may not be transcent beer, but it's a delicous and drinkable effort that is well worth the purchase price.

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2010 13:10:59 | More by BuckeyeNation
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Olde Bluehair Barley Wine from Big Sky Brewing Company
90 out of 100 based on 179 user ratings.