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

nick76

Florida

3/5  rDev -17.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

The aroma is dusty with caramel malt, hops, and a strange off element. The appearance is brown with a large head. The taste is like the aroma. The palate is smooth. The beer is overall not bad but there are problems with it that make it hard to drink at times. I am not really a fan.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2011 01:37:19 | More by nick76

lilnicky068

Kentucky

4/5  rDev +10.5%

06-10-2013 12:34:43 | More by lilnicky068

liamt07

Ontario (Canada)

3.5/5  rDev -3.3%

06-09-2013 20:29:15 | More by liamt07

BlurryVisi0n

New York

3.98/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Served in a 17oz. snifter glass. (2012 Batch, served 06/09/2013)

Appearance: A deep mahogany body that comes off semi-cloudy. After a vigorous pour the head rises to roughly 1/3" looking an off white with a slight tan to light orange head. Settles quick with even lacing.

Smell:Has a strong whiskey like scent, but goes in and out in a few seconds. Smells good but definitely lacking potency.

Taste: Has a heavy caramel feel, with a deep wooden barrel finish. It feels sweet, almost like butterscotch meets rum with a huge dose of malts.

Mouth: Medium carbonation at best, feels a sticky as gum with a nice sweet finish feeling like melted toffee.

Overrall: Honestly i don't see the knock on this beer, I feel like this is one of Heavy Seas best brews delivering incredible flavor and a huge punch. Too bad this is a seasonal, I picked this up a few months ago and honestly would love to have it again. Grab a glas and drink up....Salud!

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2013 19:46:30 | More by BlurryVisi0n

DruRho

Maryland

3.5/5  rDev -3.3%

06-08-2013 23:36:20 | More by DruRho

megamass

New Jersey

3.75/5  rDev +3.6%

06-07-2013 05:09:42 | More by megamass

DRBiser

Maryland

3.75/5  rDev +3.6%

06-04-2013 21:55:52 | More by DRBiser

Brenden

Ohio

4/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A red-hued medium-dark brown with some thickness to it but still somewhat opaque, this beer manages a thick cap of head that reaches just over one finger. It shows good retention, only fading slowly to a thick foam that offers good stick and quantity as it lays down a ring followed by patching.
Malty and sweet, this is definitely an English version of the style. Sweet breads make up the bulk with hints of ripe plum and raisin alongside caramel and toffee sweetness, but a floral hops note offers enough for good balance. Alcohol is warming and certainly noticeable at 10%, but never gets to be too much.
A thick and rich full-medium body isn't too filling but offers the support needed for a big brew. It's got enough crispness to be lively without biting too hard for a malt-heavy beer and enough smoothness to make for good drinking.

Serving type: bottle

05-27-2013 14:37:22 | More by Brenden

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