Old No. 23 - Bristol Brewing Company

ddarden

Alabama

4.22/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Picked this up at the brewery back in October. I poured this into a pint glass and it was deep reddish brow with a thin white head that fell very quickly. It had nice lacing and low carbonation. Old #23 smelled great with floral hop smell and very nice malt aroma. The taste had a good hop flavor on the front end that quickly balanced out with malt. The aftertaste had good bitterness with a pleasant alcohol warming. The hops linger on the tongue for a while, but this is on the thinner side of barley wines as far as mouthfeel. The overall drinkability of this beer in very good...maybe too good for a barley wine at 11%. Would definitely recommend trying this if you get a chance.

PS: I guess Uncle Flip and I had the same impression due to our scores.

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2006 01:20:06 | More by ddarden

stampfler07

Georgia

4.5/5  rDev +14.2%

04-02-2013 01:39:36 | More by stampfler07

eawolff99

Minnesota

4.25/5  rDev +7.9%

02-16-2013 01:09:49 | More by eawolff99

MarkyMOD

Colorado

4/5  rDev +1.5%

09-03-2012 06:17:41 | More by MarkyMOD

macktbone

California

4.13/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A- looks thin and comes across as brown and murky with very little head and minimal lacing.

S- I want to wear a super hero costume with a big M on it. Super Malt. Whoppers anyone?

T- Wow! This is by far Bristol's best in my opinion. I like the body of malts on this beer. Tons of stuff going on. Ever have that urge to get another sit....try this and you will. A little metallic on the end but nothing that another swig wont fix. Very well masked ABV %.

M- Good for the style. Not too syrupy.

D- Great drinkability for such a high ABV. No worries about finishing this one.

Serving type: bottle

07-24-2012 22:31:23 | More by macktbone

beergoot

Colorado

4.25/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A somewhat cloudy, mahogany-colored body. Head comes across thin, weak, and bone-colored.

Dates, prunes, and currants along with rich, roasted grains dominate the smell. Rich and enticing.

Dark bread and black licorice hit you right off with hints of chocolate and cocoa following with regards to the taste. The alcohol is hinted at, but remains well-subdued behind the malt flavors. A little spicy.

Medium-heavy mouthfeel. Sweet and smooth on the tongue.

A really nice barleywine, complex, smooth, and relatively easy drinking. A well-made big beer...

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2012 21:25:06 | More by beergoot

potbeercollege

Colorado

4.5/5  rDev +14.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottled. Amber and headless. Aroma is sweet caramel and sticky hop sweetness. Flavor is similar with richer malt presence and booze awesome and everywhere with also great sticky bitter hop presence. Lay this down for a year and you'd be a fool to tell me it isn't awesome

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2012 17:14:29 | More by potbeercollege

StonedTrippin

Colorado

3.98/5  rDev +1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

a monster barleywine, actually pouring lighter jack daniels color in the glass, with almost no head, just a dab of white foamies. smells like charcoaled whiskey, vanilla, and grapenut cereal. alcohol nose too. taste matches, very potent but mellow, like an old ass glass of scotch. this has all the same vibes. mouthfeel is nice and smooth, but only a tiny bit of carbonated spunk. overall is nice barleywine, and it wouldnt take many to be wallaby ted's brother either. not bristol's best, but this would be outstanding in any other state

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2012 06:58:05 | More by StonedTrippin

RuckusDu

Colorado

2.93/5  rDev -25.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

A - Poured a solid 1.5 finger head. More off-white in color than tan. Some very nice lacing

S - Not a big fan of this. Sweet hops, but the sweet dominates and I almost didn't recognize the hops. It is medicinal scented.

T - Yes, the flavor matches the scent for the most part. Ends with an interesting pez flavor that takes a second or two to come around. Nice hop flavors but still tastes artificial or medicinal as I said before.

M - Well done as it is highly carbonated even though 11% and a BW. Body is solid all around.

O - The flavors match the aroma which is bad in this case. A little disappointed but will still age the other 3 in the 4-pack. No sense in drinking them now.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2012 02:29:20 | More by RuckusDu

ohtheguilt

Georgia

4/5  rDev +1.5%

01-11-2012 05:00:32 | More by ohtheguilt

mactrail

California

3.28/5  rDev -16.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Sharp, grainy, alcohol bomb. Murky is the word. Sweetness touches the lips but departs with a raspy edge. Best feature is the aroma of hot roasted malt, like barley popcorn. Thin and sharp with a harsh alcoholic flavor. Rather bitter, accentuated by the dry mouthfeel, like the malt evaporated.

Bristol is my one of my least favorite Colorado breweries and this doesn't do much to improve my opinion. Still it has some interest and

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2011 05:45:28 | More by mactrail

rawfish

California

3.98/5  rDev +1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

2009 vintage, aggressive pour nets a thin finger high head of khaki coloration over a nearly opaque dark brown body with slightly reddish highlights. Head was gone within the minute with slight lacing.

Toffee, caramel and honey grain on the nose, very sweet and rich with slight amounts of dark fruit. Very little hop character, balanced with some vanilla and leafy herbal notes.

Drinks fairly big with a huge focus on toffee malts, deep and roasted with a good amount of sweetness. Awfully straight forward with some honey and vanilla, herbal hops have been covered up some but noticeable with some tobacco flavor in the aftertaste. Sticky sweet on the finish.

Heavy to medium bodied with low carbonation. Alcohol has mellowed out well, sticky aftertaste, a slow sipper for sure.

Heavy and syrupy with a one dimensional malt quality that is like toffee and hard candy. Sweet and enjoyable with just enough pine and herbal hops to bring it back into balance when strayed too far.

Serving type: bottle

07-18-2011 00:38:38 | More by rawfish

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

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

I have no idea how I acquired this bottle, but I know that it has been hanging around for a while and even made the move to my new digs a couple of years ago. The notch on the label indicates a 2006 vintage! Holy Old, Batman.

From the bottle: "Hearty, warming, slightly eccentric. Enjoy!"

I went with a nice, gentle pour so as not to disturb the mound of lees at the bottom of the bottle. This resulted in mere wisps as far as head was concerned. Color was a deep ruby/garnet red with NE-quality clarity, reinforcing the importance of leaving the lees for the end. Nose was extremely malty sweet, like caramel. It is quite warm in the mouth, although not outright hot as it may have been in its youth. It starts out with a caramel sweetness, but gives 'way to a dark fruitiness, like black cherries and plums. Wow! Say, it seems to have some sort of hypnotic effect also as I am getting sleepy, very sleepy. Finish was warm, sweet, narcotizing. Man, I don't know that I was ready for this. It was very pleasant with the age on it, but I wonder what it would be like young. I may not want to find out.

Serving type: bottle

06-03-2011 01:04:50 | More by woodychandler

claytong

Vermont

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

oak, malt beings and alcohol finishes it off though not offensively. opaque dark amber, not much carbonation.

this beer is a classic example of what has great potential to age well. im throwing the other 3 of this 4 pack in the cellar. its very complex right now, but nothing really comes through strongly. I think with some aging the complexity will mature and become bolder. its pretty tasty as is though, but just a bit light overall, would make an interesting beer to pair.

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2011 20:41:45 | More by claytong

htomsirveaux

Texas

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

12 oz. bottle tried 7 Sep 2010. Served in the 0.3 L Unibroue snifter. 2009 vintage.

Small brown head, medium carbonation. CLoudy reddish brown with a lot of floaties. Boozy, sugary, rum and caramel aroma. Fairly sweet. Lots of dark fruit, brown sugar, molasses and ethanol. Silky mouthfeel. Medium to heavy body. Lots of legs. Nutty and toasty. Aftertaste is a lingering sweetness, vanilla and warm rum, light bitterness and a touch of candied orange peel.

Seems to lean a little more towards a British barelywine.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2011 03:44:03 | More by htomsirveaux

artcurtis

Colorado

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

Had in a Great Divide snifter
Pours an odd, murky deep brown color, with a head to match. The head disappears almost instantly. There is already lacing.
The nose is nice. Very malty, very boozy. Not very complex, but smells good.
Taste, unfortunately, is very like the nose. Good, but not very complex. But, that's not really a bad thing. Very malty, followed very quickly by a nice booze punch, with a nice smattering of hop bitterness at the end. Basic, but good.
The mouthfeel is wonderful. The best part of this beer. it is so thick and heavy, yet smooth and easy. Just coats your mouth.
Overall, this is a good beer. I'm not a huge fan of super hoppy barley wines, so it's nice to find a malty one for a change. Not the most complex beer in the world, but very easy drinking for a barley wine.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2011 04:53:40 | More by artcurtis

SkeeterHawk

Texas

4.35/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I have had this beer for about a year now, so it seems like a good time to try it. It has been in the fridge for the last month or so, so it should be good and ready. Let's give it a go:

Appearance: Pours a pretty cloudy dark caramel brown color with a very small head of small tan bubbles after a pretty aggressive pour. The head was gone within about 20 seconds to leave a pretty still looking liquid.

Aroma: The beer is pretty cold for the style right now, so all I am getting is a bit of dry chalkines from the hops along with a decent contribution from the alcohol adding peppery spice and some pricking on the nose. As you get deeper into the aroma there is some dark caramel in there with a bit of toffee. There is even an evident Chocolate making an appearance as more of a bitter-sweet chocolate than cocoa or anything.

Taste: The flavor is actually much more balanced than I thought it was going to be from the aroma. There is a substantial malty backbone to this beer to accentuate the hops, but it doesn't let the hops just run all over your palate. There is no carbonation noticeable, but the beer is pretty well attenuated and the alcohol is high, so all of this gives the impression of a lighter beer...somewhat dangerous with a beer this big. The hops are a big player in the beginning of the flavor profile adding a pretty significant grassy note that is slightly accentuated by some floral. There is a pretty healthy amount of hops in the bittering, but dare I say?...it finishes just slightly toward the malt! This is a good thing for me, but a bit unusual for the style.

Opinion: Well, I am really enjoying drinking this beer and wish that I had it available to me more as it is probably one of my more favorite American Barley Wines now...but that is due to the fact that it strays from the pack with the finish. This is good for me as I am a Malt-Head anyway, but is unusual for the style, so this may turn a lot of you off. I personally respect the craftsmanship that went into this beer. Though this beer has some age on it, the hops are still fresh in the flavor and yet the bittering hops aren't overpowering...which wouldn't change with age. This tells me that the beer was stupid hoppy when it was made, which would be nice to get a Barley Wine with accentuation in the later additions of hops for a change. This is a good beer with no flaws at all. The balance is a bit non-traditional, but I would recommend it nonetheless.

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2011 04:15:45 | More by SkeeterHawk

7ways

Georgia

4.08/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

2009 vintage thanks to codewarrior.

A - Very dark, like the color black ate red and brown. Thin lace and almost no head.

S - Honey, grain, fruit, and very fresh bread. It smells like it's still being brewed.

T - Sweet, rich, elaborate malt. Juicy, with fruit flavored tobacco on the finish. About as hoppy as 2 year old Hop Slam. I can taste the afterthought of hops, though I think it may have still leaned toward an English style even when young.

M - Thick and rich, but enough CO2 and acidity to bring it all together.

What's most striking is that I can barely smell or taste alcohol. Not as complex as a JW Lees, but on the right track.

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2010 01:30:25 | More by 7ways

codewarrior

New York

4.3/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12oz from a 4-pack (2009) poured into a snifter

Was unable to find this bad-boy at Bristol itself, apparently after it medalled at GABF, they sold out pretty quickly. A regular there was kind enough to point me to the one liquor store in town with a few 4-packs lingering on the shelves, and boy am I ever glad he did.

L: Deep-deep reddish brown, creamy, bubbly head, 1 finger.

S: Caramel and hops competing for attention in the frontal-nose-assault. Relaxes into boozy sweetness in the back.

T: Rich, deep, deep mahogany sweetness, like great caramel. For as diverse as the nose is, there are relatively few hops in the mouth. Lingering sweet caramely-ness in the finish.

F: Thick and syrupy. Wonderful.

D: Supremely drinkable barley wine.

Serving type: bottle

10-25-2010 15:07:27 | More by codewarrior

allforbetterbeer

Colorado

4.33/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

2009 vintage poured into a stange glass.

Pours with two fingers of creamy tan head which slowly recedes down to a very thin layer of the course of five minutes. This process leaves a wonderful crust of lace on the glass. Body is clear and dark crimson.

The nose is formed primarily of faded hops and strong sweet malts. Subtle yet vibrant. Vanilla (smells oak aged) and wood are present on the side. A touch of leafy hops and some caramel show up with some swirling.

A wonderful melding of roasted malts and sweet caramel blend to make the bulk of this flavor interesting and complex. The flavor is well rounded and formed, presenting in more of a singular fashion than in a way that takes the palate through twists and turns. The beginning of the flavor is similar to the middle and end, and it is all good. Whatever hops there were have faded some and yielded the typical juicy sweetness, wich pairs alongside the roasted malts in a pleasing way. Caramel and a little vanilla is present as well. The aftertaste is a little lacking, and amounts to a slightly bitter malty feel.

Full bodied and carbonated to smoothness, the mouthfeel of this beer is very close to spot on. Drinkability is excellent considering the high ABV. Very well hidden alcohol, I am truly impressed. I have had beers with almost half this ABV that tasted and felt more alcoholic.

Conclusion: My favorite beer from Bristol, and I like some of their beers quite a bit. I was really hoping this would be good and it is better than I expected. I can see many people on this site not being impressed because it doesn't smack you in the face the way so many American beer drinkers desire. This beer takes slightly more appreciation to enjoy than that...

Serving type: bottle

10-22-2010 05:48:50 | More by allforbetterbeer

alcstradamus

Illinois

3.68/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Reviewed from notes

Dark copper/amber pour with a finger of bubbly head. The aroma is biscuity malts with some caramel sweetness and a huge dose of floral hops. There is some waxiness present. The flavor is surprisingly low on the sweetness, and turns into more of an earthy hop and biscuit mix. The wax is still present. The mouthfeel is on the full side of medium and carbonation is normal for the style. This one was decent, probably not a standout but I would drink it again if offered.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2010 21:53:53 | More by alcstradamus

mothman

Saskatchewan (Canada)

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

2009 Vintage

Poured this one into my Old Guardian glass.

As I pour it, it seems as if it is flat, but after a few seconds the carbonation kicks in and a half finger of head of khaki head forms. It then settles pretty fast. Not a lot of lace left. Color is a dark copper brown with a slight ruby hue to it.

Aroma: Big and malty with a nice layer of hops as well. Lots of caramel and toffee flavors mixed with some pine hops. It also has some dark dried fruits in the background. Maybe some raisins and dried cherries. The aroma is very good, but not that big.

Taste: Again, big malt flavor. This is a pretty big beer. The toffee sticks out a lot more than the caramel here. Also the malt seems to have covered up more of the pine hops, but they are there to balance it out a bit. This beer packs a little heat to it. It is sweet with the cherries a little more present here. Also has some molasses and raisin flavors.

Mouthfeel: Sweet, creamy, and a little hot. Full bodied with a lower amount of carbonation. Ends a little dry and very sweet.

Overall, not a bad barleywine at all. I think this is a local and a solid local at that. I am very glad I got to try this one. I hadn't had a barleywine in awhile and Bigfoot hasn't shown up yet, so this will hold me over. It did remind me of Bigfoot with a year or two on it. Not as many hops as bigfoot fresh, but once the hops fade a bit, then these two are comparable. Fairly drinkable as well.

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2010 05:03:35 | More by mothman

Oxymoron

Colorado

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

I always thought 23 was pretty young. Pours a darker chestnut brown color with more of a chocolate brown hue through out. A bit darker for an American Barleywine. A fizzy white head that later settled and left good retention and lacing through the tasting.

The nose has a stronger alcohol heat presence. Some fusels but after some time, you can pick out the complex malt and limited hop aroma. Some oxidation almost cardboard, but I could see this change in time. A good plum ester note that is a bit much but some minor fig and candy aromas as well. There is a slight chlorine almost plastic in a sense that is boarder line phenol that is off setting.

The taste is similar. A strong alcohol note but not as bad as the nose. The malt come out more with a mostly caramel and bready flavor. Some nice complexity out of the malt. The esters are more noticeable as is the phenolic plastic note. Really a deterrent overall. The hops are balance towards the finish. Some bitterness but a light citrus and earthy finish.

The body is full with a slightly sweet finish. The carbonation is light and could use a bit more to balance the sweetness. Overall a beer that could age well. But currently the heat and the slight plastic thing is a bit off setting.

Serving type: bottle

09-16-2009 21:30:47 | More by Oxymoron

barleywinefiend

Washington

3.8/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

2008version
Poured a hazy deep red-orangey color like with a small dirty white head. Nose is very sweet with a little honey, toffee, very sugary. Taste was a little bit skunky to me. It smells better than it taste. Very syrupy mouthfeel with a slight hop bitterness in the aftertaste. Not exactly one of the best barleywines I've had but pretty good nevertheless///

///
2007version
Noticed a unique cherry flavor, caramel and sweetness. Poured thin but tasted better w/ 2 years on it.

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2009 04:16:45 | More by barleywinefiend

Traquairlover

Virginia

3.43/5  rDev -12.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to Bitterbill for this brew.

12-oz bottle poured into a tulip.

A = Deep red brown with pretty good clarity, forms a firm creamy-buttermilk yellow head with decent retention, light lacing as it recedes to a thin layer of foam over entire surface.

S = Not as much to this as what I would like. Some underlying pine and earthy hops notes, up front smells of biscuits and sugar cookie dough, a slight herbal, vegetal smell that is not quite to my tastes.

T = Tastes make up for the smells somewhat. This is a pretty simple example of the style. Fair balance slightly peppery, spicy hops mixed with syrup flavors. Decent balance for the style.

M = Medium to medium-heavy body, good mouthcoating, not overly carbonated though the alcohol is noticeable on the tongue.

D = Decent, I really do not want more than one, but I can finish it easily enough and would certainly happily have one on another ocasion.

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2009 20:23:48 | More by Traquairlover