Irish Walker - Olde Hickory Brewery

BeerAdvocate

Massachusetts

4.22/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Review from BeerAdvocate Magazine Issue #33 (Oct 2009):

Hazy amber glow with a short-stacked head on top. Rum raisins, Christmas pudding and brown bread in the nose. Actually, the aroma screams RAISINS!! Carbonation comes in low- key and smooth but fluffy enough to flaunt the creamy body. Not incredibly warming, a bit mellow for a Barleywine, but a few sips and the alcohol does settle in. Hops take a backseat to the let the malt work its magic as it dances from toasted bread to slightly roasted to grassy. Some timid esters--no doubt they are the way they are after a year's maturation. Speaking of age, there is a slight edge of oxidation that compliments more than anything else, though the chance to cellar this beer might be in question.

While on the shorter end of the spectrum with its less than domineering level of alcohol, it is a damn good English Barleywine.

Serving type: bottle

11-15-2010 21:51:27 | More by BeerAdvocate

Daktah

North Carolina

4/5  rDev +1.3%

06-14-2013 13:58:42 | More by Daktah

RedneckBeerz

North Carolina

4/5  rDev +1.3%

06-10-2013 20:15:03 | More by RedneckBeerz

bcp5296d

North Carolina

4.75/5  rDev +20.3%

06-05-2013 22:39:42 | More by bcp5296d

xnicknj

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev -5.1%

05-28-2013 14:42:35 | More by xnicknj

johnnyboy76

Oregon

4/5  rDev +1.3%

05-24-2013 03:29:06 | More by johnnyboy76

baybassboy

California

3.5/5  rDev -11.4%

05-14-2013 04:27:03 | More by baybassboy

davey101

Connecticut

3.89/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

2011 vintage into a Founders 15'th glass. Really digging the wax job with the stamp on top of the cap.

A - Pours a very dark brown body. Look more like a stout than a barleywine. Two fingers of light mocha foam sticks around for a long time. Excellent lacing and retention.

S - Now I know why its so dark. Lots of roasted malts, char, and chocolate combined with the traditional toffee, brown sugar, and raisins. A bit of faded piney hops and some booze

T - Toffee, heavily roasted malts, brown sugar, molasses, raisins, and a metallic aftertaste alongside light oxidation. Its pretty tasty but rather lackluster. The mouth feel is great though, rich and creamy.

O - A very roasty barleywine with a lot of good attributes but none that shine too bright. The metallic aftertaste takes its toll and oxidation is starting to creep in. I'm happy to have tried it but it wasn't exactly memorable.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2013 03:13:23 | More by davey101

DaPan

Ontario (Canada)

4.5/5  rDev +13.9%

05-05-2013 13:50:13 | More by DaPan

leftstagebrew

North Carolina

4.5/5  rDev +13.9%

05-04-2013 19:03:01 | More by leftstagebrew

tsauce2

Indiana

3.25/5  rDev -17.7%

04-26-2013 21:39:35 | More by tsauce2

juliusseizure

New York

3.75/5  rDev -5.1%

04-15-2013 01:11:22 | More by juliusseizure

mikeincharleston

South Carolina

4.25/5  rDev +7.6%

04-13-2013 21:43:48 | More by mikeincharleston

BAsbill

California

3.75/5  rDev -5.1%

03-30-2013 08:25:03 | More by BAsbill

stakem

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev -5.1%

03-28-2013 00:05:25 | More by stakem

imperiallibations

California

3.75/5  rDev -5.1%

03-27-2013 21:44:05 | More by imperiallibations

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +1.3%

03-24-2013 21:36:33 | More by Rifugium

laxer8811

New York

4/5  rDev +1.3%

03-23-2013 04:05:48 | More by laxer8811

Brewsed

North Carolina

4/5  rDev +1.3%

03-20-2013 22:57:50 | More by Brewsed

DruRho

Maryland

4.5/5  rDev +13.9%

03-19-2013 00:42:57 | More by DruRho

Teleweizen2

New Jersey

4.09/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

A - pours a deep murky mixture of mahogany and burgundy. A thin tan foam rises as the liquid is poured but quickly settles and recedes to a film. leaves a touch of lacing spots on the glass.

S - classic rich fruity, malty sweet barleywine nose. Notes of rich juicy dark and dried fruit like dates, plums and raisins. all that draped on top of grain notes such as bread pudding, rye bread. along with notes of sweet cream, burnt sugar and almond liquor.

T - spicy, doughy, rye-bread like flavor. there is also a nutty toasty grainy character along with a burnt sugar sweetness. hints of dried fruit like dates and raisins are present in the center along with a classic English herbal hop character. more notes of burnt sugar and brown sugar on the backend along with toasty notes of almonds and a subtle alcohol heat. finish is sweet yet smooth.

M - full bodied. thick viscous almost syrupy texture. medium carbonation.

O - very good barleywine. hits all the classic notes of the style. something i would definitely like to have again and see how it develops overtime.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2013 02:23:55 | More by Teleweizen2

kell50

North Carolina

4/5  rDev +1.3%

03-16-2013 14:07:20 | More by kell50

bcostner1

Tennessee

4.5/5  rDev +13.9%

02-26-2013 01:40:28 | More by bcostner1

Morockm

North Carolina

4/5  rDev +1.3%

02-22-2013 00:45:41 | More by Morockm

bgramels

Indiana

3.75/5  rDev -5.1%

02-06-2013 02:43:39 | More by bgramels