Irish Walker - Olde Hickory Brewery

Onenote81

North Carolina

4.28/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Coming down the 40, and I always make a point to stop by this brewpub for a bite and pint (or 2). I see this one on the shelf all the time at my local haunt, but for some reason I always avoid it. I'm just not a huge Barleywine guy I guess. This time though, I was in the mood so I finished my meal with this one.

Came out in a stemmed goblet. As with most "imperialized" brews, this was not a full pint, unfortunately. A ripe plum color with faint ruby edges. The cap of froth was short in size but not short-lived, as each sip left a perfect ring clinging to the glass. Rich aromas of dark fruits, booze, and some light earthy notes. Clean mouthfeel, rich and deep, envelopes the palate. Subtle carbonation lightens this one up just a smidge.

Great decadent fruity flavors of fig, plum, and raisin. The alcohol add just enough heat to this, but in no way overpowers. Sweet candy-like flavors on the back end keep this balanced, and tone down the richness of it a bit. Bitterness is present, but again, subtlety is king. Definitely sets itself apart from the Americanized versions of this style. This was rich, tasty, and ever so easy to drink. I think I need to pull the trigger on some bottles now.

Serving type: on-tap

10-30-2012 14:32:27 | More by Onenote81

lanamj

North Carolina

3.45/5  rDev -12.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

On tap at Duckworths park road. Poured into a pilsner glass.

A- Poured with about 1/2 inch white soapy head the dissipate to a thin layer of bubbles that hold nicely. Copper in color and very translucent.

S- Light aromas of toffee, brown sugar, vanilla, molasses, dark fruit and booze. Not to heavy on the nose kinda light.

T- Follows the nose but with the strength the nose was lacking.There is also a hop profile that I didn't pick up on the nose. Very nice.

M- Smooth but thin. I like the carbonation but being a fan of the, chewy, kinda flat barleywines this might be a wee aggressive. In saying that its true to the style of an english barleywine.

O- A great beer I find myself ordering again and again. Good job OHB. I have yet to enjoy aged I bet it will improve 10 fold.

Serving type: on-tap

02-09-2012 00:39:20 | More by lanamj

thagr81us

South Carolina

4.05/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

2011 Vintage! Served from tap into a flared pilsner. Poured a deep red-orange with a half finger off-white (slight light brown hue) that subsided to a minimal amount slowly. Maintained phenomenal lacing throughout the glass. The aroma was comprised of sweet malt, bitter hop, sweet alcohol, and caramel. The flavor was of sweet malt, dark chocolate, sweet alcohol, caramel, and bitter hop. It had a medium feel on the palate with medium carbonation. Overall this was a pretty good brew. The flavor profile on this one was quite nice and complex. With this being a barleywine, it had all of the flavors one would expect to find in one without a doubt. The aroma was quite nice as well for the style. Definitely worth trying if you have the chance!

Serving type: on-tap

07-22-2011 19:25:01 | More by thagr81us

craytonic

District of Columbia

3.85/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On-tap at Duckworth's

Appearance: Rich vibrant ruby-amber with decent head and lacing.

Smell: Fruits (raisins, figs), brown sugar, honey, caramel, toffee

Taste: Loads of caramel and toffee with raisins, figs, brown sugar, cinnamon and honey. A bit nutty with some maple syrup in the background. Made me think of fruitcake for some reason

Mouthfeel: Creamy, could use a tad more carbonation.

Drinkability: Goes down easy enough, this is a good one that is headed in the right direction.

Serving type: on-tap

01-07-2011 02:49:19 | More by craytonic

GehenHerzog

North Carolina

4.05/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Had this on tap at Vintner Wine Market (Charlotte, NC) poured into a Tulip glass

A- Pour a dark amber with a khaki head.

S- Dark fruits, spice and hops. Mainly dark fruits. dark fruits, rum, spice, slightly aged hops, spicy malt

T- Tastes of cherries and raisins . A little bit of hops in the backend.

M- Good carbonation and very smooth almost silky.

D- Not too boozy tasting at all for an almost 10%abv beer.

This is a solid beer that I would like to find a bottle of. I think it would be very good with some age on it. So if I can find another bottle I will cellar it and see how it is in a couple of years.

Another good beer from Olde Hickory, which is becoming one of my favorite "local" breweries.

Serving type: on-tap

01-04-2011 02:53:43 | More by GehenHerzog

dirtylou

Washington

3.78/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

on-tap, Vintner's charlotte

appearance: served in an unbranded tulip, hazy dark amber body, moderate beige froth

smell; dark fruits, rum, spice, slightly aged hops, spicy malt

taste: This english barlewine is of considerably less bulk than many others of the style - the hops tasted a bit faded, caramel and orange peel, bready, rum, cinnamon. The pieces are there, but it doesnt come together in the end

mouthfeel: medium, sticky, boozier than the abv

drinkability: good

Serving type: on-tap

12-24-2010 23:29:12 | More by dirtylou

mondegreen

Georgia

3.55/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

On tap at Thirsty Monk South in Asheville.

Pours a cloudy brown with a thin off white head. Aroma of molasses sweetness and slight dark fruits. Taste follows with a light sweetness and moderate spice. Pretty true to style in the taste department, but the mouth is way thin. Finishes fairlyclean for a Barleywine. Overall, a good interpretation of an English Barleywine, but a little too light to be called great.

Serving type: on-tap

07-06-2010 23:34:53 | More by mondegreen

davey101

Connecticut

3.89/5  rDev -1.3%
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

Teleweizen2

New Jersey

4.09/5  rDev +3.8%
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

barleywinefiend

Washington

3.74/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

A: Poured a cola brown color with a tan cap which fades leaving whispy bubbles and light lacing clinging to the edge of the glass

S: Sweet caramel meets toffee meets dark fruits. Rather straightforward and simplistic,l common for the style.

T: Initial but subtle booze sting coupled with toffee, caramel and underlying dark fruits plus residual sugary sweetness. A bit high on carbonation upfront. It finishes smooth, sweet, near decadence and lightly sticky

M: Medium to big bodied but I felt it need a bit more in the middle to make it fuller, well rounded and decadent

O: Good example of the style.

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2013 16:42:44 | More by barleywinefiend

Wolfpack2005

North Carolina

3.63/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A-Poured a deep mahogany into my tulip glass with about a half finger head that fades quickly.

S-Toasted malts, dark fruit (especially raisins), and a little bit of rye and hops.

T-Follows the nose with the toasted malts and raisins. Strong caramel sweetness. There is also faint notes of hops and a little bit of warmth from the alcohol.

M-Low carbonation creamy medium body.

O-This is a very mellow barley wine not overpowering with either the malts or the hops which is nice but nothing that really stands out and makes this beer unique.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2012 00:43:36 | More by Wolfpack2005

ChadQuest

Illinois

3.23/5  rDev -18%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Looks solid in that there is a small shortly sustained head and a rich color. Not much else to say.
I like the aroma, richness with a faint alcohol, light dark fruits and toffees.
The flavors are less rich, partially cut down by a hint of alcohol but it isn't hot by any means, there is just less richness and sweet density on the palate, still caramel and toasted toffee, just less of it, the dark fruits come out more, a bit of a pomegranate like note that has a faint itty bitty tannin aspect.
mouth feel is medium bodied.

Nice, solid, enjoyable Barleywine, not phenomenal, but a nice beer to drink solo in an evening.

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2012 02:30:46 | More by ChadQuest

tewaris

Minnesota

3.5/5  rDev -11.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Thanks J man!

Hazy amber-raisin hued without much of a head or retention. The taste leans more towards hops than malty sweetness. Somewhat dark character, possibly derived from specialty malt. High carbonation, medium body.

Overall it does remind me of caramel but slightly burnt/too toasted at that. So it is good but not outstanding.

Serving type: bottle

11-07-2012 09:07:06 | More by tewaris

Chaney

District of Columbia

4.28/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

I picked this up in NC many months ago. It will meet its fate today.

A: Burnt sienna brown, with a slight 1/3 finger head that clung to the glass and then some.

S: Moderate in aroma, but I got some melted "Jolly Rancher." Certainly hoppy, but restrained in an English kinda way. A good bit of fresh caramel as well.

T: Excellent taste of wood, caramel (very prevalent), bitter hops (subtle, yet effective), and candi sugar. I personally thought all of this came to life and I was totally in awe of my first sip of this, especially considering my "down the middle" view of the scent.

M: Ridiculous lacing, and pretty drinkable (I find good English BWs usually are), The carbonation was great for this style, and this wasn't too sweet for my taste at all.

O: I don't care what many others have said on here at all. I personally thought this was one of the best English BW's I've had in a long time.

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2012 00:26:17 | More by Chaney

Dope

Massachusetts

3.58/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

2011 bottle

A: Pours a dark brown with a good sized tan head. Fades at a decent pace, lacing moderate lacing on the glass.

S: Heavy caramel and raisins. Decent toffee and molasses.

T: Loads of toffee up front and throughout. A bit of caramel sweetens up the middle with a little raisin. Ends very dry with a strong and bitter herbal, earthy and almost tobacco-like character. Maybe even a hint of smoke. Get a bit of leather in the lingering aftertaste.

M: Medium-heavy bodied. Super drying and decently bitter on the back end.

O: Starts out well but the aftertaste is kind of odd for a beer like this. Tasty enough but nothing earth-shattering. Lots of leather between sips become annoying, especially strong once it warms up.

Serving type: bottle

08-14-2012 02:39:57 | More by Dope

kawilliams81

Illinois

3.78/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

2012 blue wax bottle. Poured from a 22 oz bottle into a 8 oz snifter.

A- pours a dark brown with a 2 finger ran head. Head and lacing reside immediately.

S- caramel, toffee, tobacco, raisins

T- sweet toffee, roasted malts, dark fruits, hint of vanilla

M- medium body, high carbonation. Bottle gushed after opening.

O- good Barleywine but nothing spectacular. After Saw this was a gusher I was worried about infection, but seems ok to me.

Serving type: bottle

08-06-2012 00:45:14 | More by kawilliams81

brystmar

New York

3.8/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

2011 bottle shared by Brendan.

Beautiful pour! So much head and lace, absolutely gorgeous for the style. Malty aroma, hints of bourbon and spice.

Malty sweetness fades into booze and bourbon. More spice than I expected, spikes of alcohol keep things interesting. Unfortunately it doesn't all piece together as well as its competition. Slightly above average, but nothing special.

Serving type: bottle

07-19-2012 02:22:52 | More by brystmar

Bung

North Carolina

3.6/5  rDev -8.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

2009 version, which matches with the 7.7 version from the Amos & Howard brewpub.
Semi-cloudy dark amber pour, just a thin layer of light cream head.

Aroma, Brown sugary sweet malt. Toffee. Smells English to me.

Taste, very subdued from the aroma. Much more herbal, light citrus to go with the brown sugar and toffee. Not too much breadiness, not quite enough body here. Faint toast in the finish.

Medium body, low carbonation. Drinks pretty easy with its thinness. Alcohol hidden.

I almost wonder if this was just not quite "big" enough for cellering much more than a year or so.

Serving type: bottle

07-18-2012 02:09:59 | More by Bung

maximum12

Minnesota

3.93/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Thanks to nc41 for a box overflowing with Olde Hickory goodness, a brewery I've grown rather fond of. 22 oz. bottle with 2012 stamped into the green wax.

Before I get to the pour, I had to get out the flamethrower; another brewery that waxes like it's sealing a bank vault. The brew is very dark for a barleywine, only a few strokes of red shy of black. Nose is sweet malts & drip-thick molasses. I swear I smell a sidebar of scotch, too. Repeatedly. Huh. Whatever, it's awful nice.

Irish Walker might be trying to invent a new style, 'cause this ain't my great-grandmother's barleywine. All sorts of things through the grater: right off the bat is a figginess that's pleasantly sprinkled with sugar, no bite, with an echo of darker fruits. More pleasant molasses, & another swig of scotch-like taste - which really sticks to the teeth. Herbs on the backside, pounded with everything else, help give this a unique profile. Stupid drinkable.

Mucho points for the weirding, I've never had a barleywine like this before, & it's felony drinkable with that 10% ABV. Another winner from Olde Hickory, this is a very good beer.

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2012 03:26:59 | More by maximum12

tdm168

North Carolina

4.43/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bomber poured into a snifter

A - very dark brownish amber with a thin lacing of off white head that fades quickly

S - figs, dates, plums, candy sugar, caramel

T - caramel, bread, candy sugar, figs, dates, raisins, plums, faint chocolate, alcohol, mild hop bitterness in the finish

M - full bodied, smooth, warm, well carbonated

This is a solid barleywine. It has good flavor and very good balance. I really enjoyed this beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2012 21:06:52 | More by tdm168

NCBeernut

North Carolina

4.2/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

2011 vintage poured into a New Belgium globe.

Dark mahogany. Very impressive creamy-looking khaki head that never goes away despite the double-digit ABV.

Sweet scents of dark fruit (like raisins) and tobacco. This nose is all about the malt - no hint of hops. Definite fruity alcohol aromatics. Warm sugary caramel rounds out the aroma.

It hits with a bang. The first thing my tongue was able to sort out was a solid dose of bitterness that locks into every tastebud well into the finish. A heavy dose of dark fruit complement the bitterness nicely. Definitely more balanced than the nose would suggest. Clean alcohols contribute to complexity. I also get some toffee notes as things settle down. This one defines a sipper. Really full, viscous mouthfeel, but even after a year, that bitterness is pretty upfront. Solid barleywine that will really develop well over the years. I have a 2012 that I think I will hold onto for much longer.

Serving type: bottle

05-28-2012 22:31:22 | More by NCBeernut

UCLABrewN84

California

3.63/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

I brought this one to share at jmgrub’s tasting.

Thanks to Jzmhector for sending me this one!

Pours a clear brown with a foamy tan head that settles to an oily film on top of the beer. Small dots of lace drip into the remaining beer on the drink down. Smell is of malt, brown sugar, molasses, and citrus zest. Taste is of malt, citrus zest, and slight brown sugar and molasses flavors. There is a medium sort of medicinal bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good barleywine but the bitterness is a bit weird on this one.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2012 05:23:00 | More by UCLABrewN84

akorsak

Pennsylvania

3.78/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to BillyRoss for this wax-covered bomber bottle. A big barleywine from Olde Hickory.

A: The ale is a tawny brown color, deeper and darker, with a thin off-white head. That head doesn't last long.

S: Big big big. The barleywine brings the thick, murky caramel malt aromas, concentrated with molasses in the undertow. Toffee comes along with the caramel, a chewy fullness.

T: The maltiness runs the show, practically no hop bitterness to get in the way of things. The caramel and toffee are there from sip one, full and dense with intensity. Rather sweet at times, the last few sips were a little too toffee-like. A good barleywine, albeit a little too sweet at times.

M: The mouthfeel is a malt assault, syrupy and rich. I recommend splitting it with someone (or two).

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2012 15:59:14 | More by akorsak

jmarsh123

Indiana

4.03/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours deep brown with a off-white head with good retention and decent lacing.

Smells of rich toffee with a little bit of molasses and brown sugar. Very malt forward.

Toffee and caramel are again featured in the flavor. A good earthy hop bitterness cuts through and keeps the sweetness somewhat in check.

Mouthfeel is on the light side of medium. Just enough for the style. Carbonation levels are medium.

A very enjoyable barleywine that I had no expectations of going into. A little too sweet once it warmed, but still enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2012 20:52:30 | More by jmarsh123

gford217

Georgia

3.7/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

22oz bottle, 2012 vintage.

Pours deep mahnogany in the glass that shows through as a cleat copper when held up to light. There's a small fizzy tan head that doesn't stick around long.

Aroma is sugary sweet with caramalized sugar, toffee, and some overripe dark fruits.

Taste has a slight bitterness up front with at least a hint of hops which is more than I got in the nose. It's still mostly about the caramelized sugars and malt sweetness with light vanilla and toffee notes.

Mouthfeel is slick and smooth with low carbonation and little bitterness. It's probably a tad lighter bodied than most in the style.

A solid if unspectacular barleywine with little complexity but a nice sweet body with some fruity notes.

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2012 03:35:13 | More by gford217