Heavy Seas - Below Decks (Barley Wine Style Ale) - Heavy Seas Beer

hdofu

Maryland

4.15/5  rDev +14.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Split a bottle with a friend last week, is supprisingly smooth, we split it while having sushi. It poured dark brown with little foam. Taste was smokey bitter sweet. It reminded me of wood in the finish. It was pretty good at hiding alcohol burn for a high octane beer. It was very sudsy. It was fairly good drinkability. I'd recomend it if you want something darker.

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2011 06:43:13 | More by hdofu

BarrelAgedBrian

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +10.5%

05-17-2013 21:02:18 | More by BarrelAgedBrian

harpus

Alabama

3.5/5  rDev -3.3%

05-14-2013 16:06:09 | More by harpus

DrinkSlurm

Connecticut

4.19/5  rDev +15.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Poured 2012 year from 22oz bottle into crooked stave snifter. $4.99 at total wine in Norwalk, CT. Pours a deep maple syrup looking brown with red hue. Super sweet toffee and dried fruity buiscuity malt aroma. Some alcohol stings the nose...
taste is sweet biscuit malt with lots of sweet dried fruit, caramel, and molasses with a hint of tobacco bitterness. this is very very sweet...but still pleasant and the (assuming) noble hops really balance the sweetness with a nice bitter finish without an overpowering hop flavor or aroma. Its a big beer for sure...and just what I was in the mood for on this chilly rainy day.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2013 01:34:41 | More by DrinkSlurm

jabo134

Illinois

4/5  rDev +10.5%

05-05-2013 18:57:40 | More by jabo134

ThisWangsChung

Maryland

3.26/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

22 oz bomber (2012 vintage) into a tulip. From notes.

A: Pours a clear dark burgundy color. The head is a one finger light mocha shade. Nothing too noteworthy here, aside from the clarity.

S: Sweet. It's about as sweet as I expected, with many of the expected notes - caramel, raisins, figs, currants, and even a touch of bourbon. Aromatically, it should seem generic, but I find its sugary nature to be very enjoyable here.

T: There is a ton of dark fruit sweetness to start, later supplanted by a chocolaty, caramelly sweet finish. It's fairly uneventful with no real complexity - and no real flaws either. Just an average barleywine designed for dessert purposes.

M: The palate doesn't carry the sweetness that well; it only has decent viscosity and lacks the soft creaminess that would have given it a decadent feel otherwise. The gentle carbonation actually gives it reasonable drinkability.

O: Aside from the aroma, this one is average. I can't complain about it being overly sweet, as it's a pure dessert beer...I can complain about its lack of depth and middling feel, though. In addendum, the one I drank this with REALLY enjoyed it - then again, he isn't a fan of barleywines. Take that however you like.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2013 17:31:29 | More by ThisWangsChung

Kelp

New Hampshire

3.5/5  rDev -3.3%

04-23-2013 04:43:48 | More by Kelp

jsteele

North Carolina

4/5  rDev +10.5%

04-14-2013 19:58:15 | More by jsteele

Hophead420

Maryland

3.5/5  rDev -3.3%

04-11-2013 05:54:06 | More by Hophead420

stephenjmoore

Maryland

3.83/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

2011 Vintage

A- Very dark amber body with virtually no head, just a ring of white bubbles around the edges of the glass. Light comes through the body slightly.

S- Big sweet toasted caramel malt. Some sweetness comes through along with big bready malt aromas. Pretty much on par for an English barleywine.

T- Huge malt presence, mainly caramel malt flavor all the way through. The sweetness comes in towards the middle and leaves a pleasant sweet bread flavor. Finish is somewhat boozy, which is surprising for a beer that has been aged for about a year and a half.

M- Somewhat syrupy, but overall pretty good as a sipper. Drinks better as it warms up.

O- Pretty good barleywine. Nothing spectacular, but I enjoyed this one as much, if not more than the variants.

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2013 01:40:12 | More by stephenjmoore

fafa50

North Carolina

4.25/5  rDev +17.4%

04-02-2013 22:16:06 | More by fafa50

TheBeerAlmanac

Kentucky

3.5/5  rDev -3.3%

04-01-2013 13:21:54 | More by TheBeerAlmanac

GoGators

New Jersey

4.5/5  rDev +24.3%

03-29-2013 15:01:21 | More by GoGators

davey101

Connecticut

3.89/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

2011 vintage, 22 oz bomber into a DFH signature glass.

A - Pours a clear burnt red/brown color with a finger of light tan foam which fades away quickly. Average lacing.

S - Toffee, caramel, raisins, and some brown sugar. Light alcohol heat.

T - Similar to the nose with some toffee and caramel drenched raisins. Very much an English style BW. A bit boring and plain but still pretty tasty. Chewy and a bit slick, abv is well hidden.

O - For a $6 bomber of a very traditional English BW this is pretty solid stuff. Its also held up very well to two years of age (unlike their stout...)

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2013 03:43:49 | More by davey101

BKArmstrong

District of Columbia

4/5  rDev +10.5%

03-12-2013 02:23:25 | More by BKArmstrong

e30todamax

Virginia

3.5/5  rDev -3.3%

03-10-2013 11:29:12 | More by e30todamax

MSandahl23

Indiana

4/5  rDev +10.5%

03-08-2013 13:40:38 | More by MSandahl23

orangesol

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev +3.6%

03-07-2013 18:59:32 | More by orangesol

DovaliHops

California

3.61/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

2012 vintage. Interesting beer I have on my hands here. The nose is nothing to point a stick at... very normal. Malty with some hops. You would think you were sniffing Alaskan Amber at first. Surprisingly, the nose on this beer doesn't grow. After it warms, it still smells malty and grainy. Taste is much different. Sweet vanilla and bourbon. Lovely oak flavors. This beer tastes delicious, just really lacks in the nose. Overall, not much complexity to this one. It has depth... but only when you're searching for it. No puns with the "sea theme"... just not a great beer. A tasty beer at best.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2013 08:10:21 | More by DovaliHops

huysmans

New Jersey

3.75/5  rDev +3.6%

03-02-2013 22:55:08 | More by huysmans

ObiWanKushnobi

Minnesota

4/5  rDev +10.5%

02-21-2013 02:42:15 | More by ObiWanKushnobi

AndrewMichael

Virginia

3.5/5  rDev -3.3%

02-20-2013 00:38:39 | More by AndrewMichael

pquijal

West Virginia

4/5  rDev +10.5%

02-19-2013 21:35:48 | More by pquijal

Hockey_Fan

Maryland

4/5  rDev +10.5%

02-18-2013 02:54:37 | More by Hockey_Fan

soupieman

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -3.3%

02-17-2013 20:31:12 | More by soupieman