Heavy Seas Bourbon Barrel Aged Below Decks - Heavy Seas Beer

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

4.23/5  rDev +6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

A - A nice deep amber brown with a 1/4 inch of foamy mocha head.
S - Not very bourbon heavy but still pleasant with caramel, toffee, melon rind, and some sweet sweet vanilla.
T - Far from the most bourbon based beer I had from these guys (damn greater Pumpkin was like straight up booze) this beer taste of balanced boozey awesomeness mixed with syrup like caramel, vanilla highlight, and some more bourbon.
M - Heavy for sure but not as heavy as Backwoods Bastard. Very tasty.

Overall after having two bombers for 8 bucks a pop I am convinced this is the best bourbon barrel beer ever made! Even at 10 bucks its a steal.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2013 02:16:59 | More by DrDemento456

Jeffo

Netherlands

3.88/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Bomber of this stuff from SliverX. Cheers man!

From a bomber into a snifter

APPEARANCE: Pours a small, medium looking, light tan or off-white head with decent retention. Mahogany or rust in color, transparent with medium levels of carbonation. Head fades to a splotchy wisp and ring. A ring remains until the end and leaves some dots of lacing down the glass.

SMELL: Nice bourbon, vanilla, oak, with some caramel and toffee notes as well. Light melon notes as well. Well integrated barrel and bold enough as well.

TASTE: Caramel and toffee up front with bourbon and oak flavors through the middle into the finish. Bold and lingering aftertaste fo bourbon, oak, vanilla, leather notes and some toffee, nutty sweetness. Melon flavors from the hops as well. Pretty well integrated, much like the nose.

PALATE: Medium body and medium levels of carbonation. A little light perhaps and only semi-creamy on the palate, goes down okay and finishes a touch sticky. A bit of a burn lingers on the palate. Too light, unfortunately, but creamy and smooth enough.

OVERALL: Pretty solid for sure. This one is certainly enjoyable, complex, and very well balanced with a good blend of barrel flavors and base beer. A thicker, heavier feel would make this outstanding. Still, it's very nice as it is and I would definitely drink this again. Thanks again SliverX. Recommended.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2013 12:44:35 | More by Jeffo

CaptDavyJones

New York

4.31/5  rDev +8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Poured from a 22 oz bomber (2012) in to an oversized snifter.
Amber colored with ruby red hues and a thin film of a head that dissipates fairly quickly.
Aroma is extremely bourbony; with notes of vanilla, coconut and some alcohol sweetness. The aroma is pleasant, not overwhelming.
Taste is similar to the aroma, very bourbon forward. Slight sweetness upfront, giving way to subtle bitterness all the way from the middle to the finish. Some char notes towards the finish. Alcohol is very well hidden and its surprisingly easy to drink.
A very good barrel aged beer, one of Heavy Seas better servings. Definitely worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2013 03:35:22 | More by CaptDavyJones

brewdlyhooked13

Ohio

4.64/5  rDev +16.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance - pours a dark amber/caramel. A thin but sticky head goes patchy pretty fast.

Aroma - lots of toasted coconut and caramel and toffee.

Taste - biscuity, chewy malts are quickly covered by sweet caramel and coconut. Some balancing hops at mid-palate. Plenty of abv warmth here, but this is not hot at all. Amazing how the coconut is so forward without an excess of wood or whiskey flavor. A late bourbony bit to the finish. Nicely warm in the belly during tonight's winter storm warning.

Mouthfeel - very smooth, average carbonation, and a plenty big body.

Overall - very unique. I can see this being niche-like to barreling fans, but I like the uniqueness in flavor. This would cellar well provided I could keep it in storage.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2013 02:29:45 | More by brewdlyhooked13

Mongrel

District of Columbia

4.25/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Very boozy, both in taste and in fact. Needs to mellow out for a little while in the glass, otherwise the first several sips taste like a Jack and coke. Starts out thin, but develops a nice full mouthfeel. Tasty, complex and warming. A must-try for bourbon fans.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2013 18:15:53 | More by Mongrel

Gmann

New York

3.75/5  rDev -6%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Pours a clear light brown color, similar to iced tea. The head is quite small and settles into a light ring. Kind of flat looking.

The aroma is sweet with a big caramel and toffee scent. Some golden raisin and honey. The bourbon is subtle, comes through in the end and provides some vanilla and oak.

The taste is quite smooth. Velvety caramel mixes nicely with the vanilla from the bourbon. The bourbon flavor is more noticable than in the aroma but is not overly strong. Golden raisins provide a fruitiness to the brew. A bit of a solvent flavor in the finish and ends a little thin.

Light to moderate body with tingly carbonation. Not slick at all on the palate which is surprising for such a sweet beer. It does feel a little thin for the style. Sweet on the palate but has some hoppy bitterness to offset.

The beer started off really well but towards the finish it felt a tad thin and simple (for a BA Barleywine). Its enjoyable though.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2013 02:52:47 | More by Gmann

facundoCNB

New Jersey

4.36/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

a beautiful clean deep amber pour with 2 fingers of fluffy creme colored head which left behind excellent lacing. scents of oak, vanilla, caramel, bourbon. the flavor is very sweet thanks to the malt profile, which also enhances the bourbon, oak, and vanilla flavors properly. holy hell this is like carbonated bourbon!

medium/full body, moderate carbonation, nice warmth. an excellent bba beer. i do wish it had a bit more of a hop profile since it's still a barley wine, but to hell with it.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2013 01:58:47 | More by facundoCNB

Kendo

New York

4.04/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Poured from the bomber into a Piraat tulip/snifter-type glass. I figured the Piraat glass was appropriate given the skull and crossbones pirate theme on the bottle. . . . Anyhoo. . . Body is brownish (more reddish-brown when backlit) with a small off-white head.

S: Toffee, brown sugar and bourbon. Pleasant. The bourbon is the primary scent, but it doesn't overwhelm in an "ohmigod this is SOOO boozy" sort of way.

T: First impression: sweet. Lots of butterscotch and toffee. I don't think I've ever had a beer that tastes this much like butterscotch - and that's quite a feat given the bourbon. Which brings me to the second impression: bourbon. It adds a nice flavor, offsetting the sweetness nicely. There's also some dried fruits present (figs come to mind - I'd love to pair this with the blue-cheese-stuffed, prosciutto-wrapped appetizers that I made for barleyine night at BA pboegel's house last year). Finishes a tad bit hot, with that 10% ABV felt on the way down and into the belly.

M: Thick, slightly syrupy. This one is full bodied.

O: Solid. A sweeter barleywine - appropriate for the "English" moniker (this is no SN Bigfoot or other hop-forward American Barleywine), with the bourbon adding a nice flavor to the overall experience. Thanks to my brother-in-law for bringing this one north from Baltimore. . . .

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2013 22:25:29 | More by Kendo

JohnnyBarman

Ontario (Canada)

3.83/5  rDev -4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

750mL bottle from Premier Gourmet in Buffalo. Enjoyed shortly after the Ravens' first touchdown at the Super Bowl.

Poured into a red wine glass. Dark caramel copper, little bit of head to this, recedes into a fine ring.

Sweet, pleasant nose - really can get the bourbon barrel on this. Sweet malt, lightly burned sugar, mild hops.

Nice barleywine, sweet bourbon entry, finishes with a dry, slightly rough puckery hop character.

Carbonation a bit sharp, medium bodied.

Might be nice to hold on to for cellaring. Enjoyable barleywine.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2013 00:22:38 | More by JohnnyBarman

Michael_D

3.28/5  rDev -17.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

Smells sweet like a barley wine, but also has the bourbon nose. Nice red pour with a small white head that doesn't do much of sticking around. Has the barley wine sweetness without any hops really to balance it, which is strange. The bourbon is thrown on top. Not sure it works, but it’s good enough.

Serving type: on-tap

01-31-2013 02:49:33 | More by Michael_D

tdm168

North Carolina

4.5/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A - dark amber with a thin brown head that has great retention

S - caramel, candy sugar, big malt presence

T - baked apples, caramel, candy sugar, bourbon, vanilla, alcohol

M - full bodied, well carbonated, warm

This is another delicious version of the Below Decks. The beer is fantastic on its own, but the bourbon adds depth and mellows the alcohol. The barrels impart not only bourbon, but also some vanilla notes. The maltiness of the beer is balanced, fruity, and sugary - just the way I wanted it to be. This is definitely a beer worth trying.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2013 20:13:52 | More by tdm168

Greywulfken

New York

3.88/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

A: into a snifter, deep amber ruby brown, little-to-no head or lace

S: faint malty toffee and bourbon, some oak and wood aromas

T: I let the beer warm for a good 20 minutes out of the fridge before drinking... rough, unpolished flavor lent the beer a certain rugged character; medicinal toffee, semi-sweet, barley grain comes through nicely, whiskey aftertaste

M: slick, thin, slight alcohol taste, imperceptible carbonation, drying finish

O: Good for a try, but for me, a one-and-done.

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2013 23:21:29 | More by Greywulfken

BEERchitect

Kentucky

3.95/5  rDev -1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Rarely do American breweries really attempt the malt-focused taste, texture, and refined attitude of English barley wine. Coupled with the effects of bourbon barrel aging, the ever-steady Winter Storm takes on new armatures to achived greater strength, complexity, and taste...

Pouring a hazy chestnut-brown hue, the beer's reluctant release of foam yields a dainty creme of swirled foam that comprises the beer's head character. With no real lace to mention, the beer seems more of brandy or cognac with its legging than it does beer- especially after the midpoint of the session.

Bold sweetness emerges immediately from the snifter in the form of maple, brown sugar, and molasses. Its sweet scent is complex with barrel-derived caramels, vanillans, oak, and modest cherry esters that blend into the sweeter and more savory notes with ease. Herbal hops take on soft tobacco notes that add accents and further evoke the notion of savory and succulence as the scent carries on.

In similar fashion, the syrupy malts rise first and coat the mouth with dessert-like maltiness that's lead with caramel and toffee. As the taste of bourbon sets in with boozy oak, pepper, and vanilla- so do the taste of dehydrated cherries, dates, figs, and raisins, A slow recede of estery fruits and malt sweetness allows the balance from spicy alcohol and vinous fruit to signal closure.

Full bodied throughout, the beer's oily viscosity stimulates the early palate, but the cleaner,malty-richness caresses the tongue and lulls the mind into a trance of sweetness that's sure to appease the sweet tooth in all of us. Finishing rich, sweet, and malty-warm, the extended aftertaste begs for stilton and maytag blue cheeses.

The beer showcases malt balance in vivid display- with little rebuttal from hops, yeasty fruit or spice or from water chemistries, the beer is ripe and pungent with all of the glory of English hops. Though done in America, the brewery really shows great command of the style.

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2013 07:26:36 | More by BEERchitect

streetcommander

Virginia

4.06/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

First off, reviewers that leave a 1000 word essay as a review for this beer are confused about more than just beer. They are in reality, closet scrotum vacuums, who lack decor. Or certainly, at the least, lack exposure to the most glorious of all Gods creations, the honeys! (so what. I love titties, sue me).

Beer is very good, however I get the Macro Swill roots from the flavor profile, and delivery. Flavor is wet and soggy, but still manages to deliver an impressive flavor profile. Only bad news is the sweetness, and lack of total depth.

Still. For the price, very nicely done. An American treasure in development. Keep at it Heavy Seas, you're almost there!

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2013 00:47:30 | More by streetcommander

StoutHunter

Michigan

4.05/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

I picked up a bottle of Heavy Seas Bourbon Barrel Aged Below Decks last month for $8.99 at The Lager Mill. I've been waiting for a good time to open this one and since today is my birthday it seems as goof as excuse as any, I haven't had this before nor the base Barleywine, Below Decks, but I'm ready to see what it's all about, so lets see how it goes. 2012 Vintage. Poured from a brown 22oz bottle into a snifter.

A- The label is pretty typical for Heavy Seas, it looks ok and it's a little eye catching. It poured a dark amber almost brown color that took on a great ruby color when held to the light with a fingers worth of light tan colored head that faded to a thin ring that eventually faded and it left behind some sticky lacing. This is a good looking beer, I have no complaints.

S- The aroma starts off with loads of sweet caramel malts that have a higher amount of sweetness to them and impart some nice caramel and toffee aromas followed by a nice and bright dark fruit aromas with raisin seeming to stick out the most. After that comes the barrel which imparts some nice bourbon, oak, and vanilla aromas. This beer had a good aroma that was very balanced, the sweet malts showed up, the dark fruits show up and the bourbon comes through towards the end to round things off.

T- The taste seems to be pretty similar to the aroma and it starts off with a good amount of sweet malts that have a medium amount of high sweetness and imparts some nice caramel and toffee flavors followed by some nice dark fruits with raisins still sticking out the most. Towards the end comes the barrel which shows up just the right amount and imparts some nice oak, bourbon, and vanilla flavors with a really light amount of alcohol. There's a lighter amount of medium bitterness with a sweet toffee and bourbon aftertaste. This is a good tasting beer, that was very well balanced, I have no complaints.

M- Very smooth, sticky, a little chewy, on the lighter side of being full bodied and it had a lighter amount of medium bitterness. This beer had a good mouthfeel that was pretty true to style.

Overall I thought this was a good beer and a good example of the style, it had everything that I look for in the style, it just all came together just the way it should. This beer had great drinkability, it was very smooth with hardly any alcohol showing up in the taste and it had lots of flavors that held my attention nicely, one bomber is the perfect amount for me, but it would also be nice to share with someone. What I like the most about this beer was how balanced it was, nothing was too overpowering and the flavors went really well with each other. What I liked the least about this beer was nothing, I can't find a single thing wrong with it. I would for sure buy this beer again next time it is released and I wish I would have picked up another bottle to throw in the cellar and see how it ages, it was worth the $9 and I would recommend it to anyone that likes Barleywines and barrel aged beers. All in All i was really happy with this beer and it made for a great brew to celebrate my birthday with. I haven't had the best of luck with Heavy Seas, but all the bombers I have tried from them have been above average at worst, I'm liking what this brewery does with bigger beers, good job guys, you can be sure I will be trying more of your beers and I would love to try the original Below Decks Barleywine, nice work guys.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2013 04:36:51 | More by StoutHunter

FosterJM

California

4/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

1671st Review on BA
Bottle to Snifter
22oz

2011 Release

Split with my brother in law

Side by side by side with Base/Cabernet

App- This was the deeper color of a barleywine. A a good bit darker than the other 2. A good and deep mahogany and tinged with red/browns. A bit of a cordial looking beer. A lighter center. More bubbles towards a 1/2" to 3/4" of the base beer. More cling as well.

Smell- A bit of a deeper barleywine to me. A large amount of sweetness to it. A bit citrusy with some large bourbon and vanilla and oak notes. This was more integrated and layered after a year in the cellar.

Taste- This was a pretty good barleywine. This was fairly sweet from the bourbon. A bit of sugars and booze. A good amount of malts on this one with a good amount of bourbon

Mouth- A stronger medium body with a slightly less bubbly medium carbonation. A bit of a sweet, citrusy and hoppy residual flavors. The bourbon remains nicely integrated throughout.

Drink- I think this one was the best of the 3. A good amount of vanilla and oak and a good malty flavor was pretty balanced. Would like a fresh bottle of this. Seeing as this was a 2011.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2012 17:48:24 | More by FosterJM

CloudStrife

New York

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

22oz bottle poured into a snifter. 2012.

A: Pours a clear ruby with a 1 finger off white head. Some visible carbonation in the body. Just a few spots of lacing.

S: Sweet malts and fermented dark fruits blend gracefully with the bourbon. Certainly get the alcohol kick. Plenty of oak, vanilla and toffee to this. Very nice.

T: Am impressed with this malt forward barleywine take on a bourbon barrel aged beer. Kicks with some bourbon on the front, then the malt makes and appearance leaving you with a bourbon aftertaste.

M: Very smooth body with low carbonation. Is really not too hot considering the ABV. Nice sipper here.

Overall Heavy Seas keeps knocking their barrel aged beers out of the park. Give this one a go, or set it down for a few years. Would easily get again.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2012 23:59:22 | More by CloudStrife

TheBrewo

Michigan

3.9/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

We pour a brew of dark ruby red coloring. It holds an easily reproducible one and a half finger tall head of fatty light tan bubbles. This shows decent retention, receding into a ghostly film across the top of the liquid. Spots and sheets of lacing are left as it goes. A chill haze exists, but no sediment is noted. Carbonation appears moderate. The aroma gives the bouquet of a veritable malt bomb. There are huge caramel and lighter coffee malts, with syrupy toffee sweetness, and cooked brown sugars. The bourbon barreling is apparent off the bat, with warm woodiness and authentic, spicy bourbon. This also gives some buttery diacetyls, and a sweeter hint of bubblegum esters. Light citric hops, fusel booze, and biting phenolic plastics come out more with warmth. Our first impression is that the flavoring is buttery and strong with woodiness and bourbon, but as in the nose, the background base flavoring is a bit milder. The flavoring does, however, strengthen quite a bit with warmth. As we sip, toffee sweetness mixes with caramel malts, buttery bourbon, and warming woodiness. The booze is fusel and fiery, stinging for the remainder of the sip. The peak comes with more soured, puckered oak dryness, strong phenolic bite, chalky grain, cloying brown sugar sweetness, and smooth caramel malts. We finish on notes of overripe strawberry fruitiness, light and nectary citric hops, big bourbon warmth, those faint aromatic esters, smooth woody oak, and more of those malty undertones. The aftertaste breathes of warmed bourbon, soured oak, green plant freshness, ripe strawberry and fig fruitiness, fusel booze, buttery diacetyls, and chalky mineral. The body is full, and the carbonation is medium. There is great slurp, froth, cream, and smack to each sip, with a sticky, warming coating travelling all the way to the belly. With this coating comes little dryness, except for light astringency on the far back of the hard palate. The abv is big, but appropriate, and the beer sips easily.

Overall, what we enjoyed most about this beer was the flavoring, and the thick and syrupy feel. The flavoring started a bit mild, but once it came to temperature all of the notes and glorious aromatics within blossomed. This full flavored thickness was added to by the physical stickiness and warmth of the beer and the abv. This made for a pleasant feel on each aspect of the sip and follow-through. As with the flavoring, the aroma was also a bit mild in the beginning. This improved only marginally, however, and while all of the expected notes were there, we were wishing for a bit more pop by the end, to fully round this guy out.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2012 22:08:02 | More by TheBrewo

brentk56

North Carolina

3.55/5  rDev -11%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

2010 bottling

Appearance: Pours a tawny color with a rather small head that fritters away rather quickly without leaving much of a trace

Smell: Toasted oak aromatics joined with toffee and vanilla

Taste: Nutty caramel, up front, with the bourbon and vanilla flavors building into the middle; toasted oak and booze wraps up the finish

Mouthfeel: Full bodied with low carbonation

Overall: Nothing particularly wrong with this beer but it lacks the overall depth and power I would expect from a barrel-aged barleywine; the lack of a hop presence is also a detractor

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2012 23:25:33 | More by brentk56

lordofthewiens

Maine

3.13/5  rDev -21.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

In a tulip this beer was a dark amber color, a little on the red side. There was no head.

The aroma was that of some sweet fruit and vanilla.

Average taste. A little bit of everything, but just a little bit. Some dark fruit, some caramel, some vanilla, some alcohol.

I expected this to be a little more assertive than it was. It wasn't bad, it just wasn't that much of a barleywine.

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2012 21:12:40 | More by lordofthewiens

cindyjeffsmith

Georgia

3.63/5  rDev -9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: mahogany. Strong ruby highlights. Off white head, about the size you'd expect from a 10%'er.
Smell: pleasant but quite meek for a big barly, especially a bourbon barrel aged one. Bourbon is present but barely. Some vanilla and pleasant bready hints. Nice enough but frankly weak for a big barrel aged barley.
Taste: different from the nose in that the booze is more present. Similar to the nose in flavor profile. On the plus side it's quite mellow other that a little booze sting.
Overall: a tasty beer but honestly a pipsqueak in the barrel aged barley field.
Edit: had to go in an up the overall a bit. This got better as it warmed.

Serving type: bottle

12-09-2012 21:22:20 | More by cindyjeffsmith

Prince_Casual

Virginia

3.23/5  rDev -19%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

A- I cringe looking at all Heavy Seas labels, and this one is no different, looks like a highschooler made it in M.S. Paint after watching Pirates of the Caribbean + few too many...sorry, let's get to the point:

Once into a tulip this beer looks exactly as it should. Half inch head, nice dark color. Not much to improve on in this department.

S- A lot like smelling a dropper of vanilla extract. Not "bad" but not very beer'ish at all. I've had the non-aged HS barley-wine and this doesn't really remind me of how that one smelled, at all. For me, absolutely no alcohol vapor to speak of, which is more than can be said for a lot of barley wines.

T- Quite sweet. Of course more alcohol is often countered with sweetness, but here the sugars have really taken over, and not very "bourbon-y" at all, more reminiscent of a (melted, quality, Breyers?) vanilla ice cream. No hops to speak of, which I detected in the non-barreled version (and kind of miss). Not perfect but I appreciate what they were going for. It feels "finished" which barley wine doesn't always, for me. ZERO inclination to hang onto this one and "see how it ages." This is ready to drink.

M- Really excels here. While I love a BB-Stout, the way they stick to the back of your teeth, I know it comes with the territory, but it's not something I cherish. Here the added carbonation "keeps it moving" and while I know there's booze there, it doesn't really burn in one spot and it's quite pleasant. The barreling is much more apparent here than in taste, and I remember something like markers mark here. I like that. Barley wines usually "hang out in my mouth" too long and I feel like I just took a shot of rail whiskey... not here, cleans up nicely.

O- I'd easily take this over the Heavy Seas non-aged brethren, by a long shot. This is my first BB barley-wine, although I've had nondescript ales, stouts, porters, etc. from that ilk. Without something to (personally) directly compare this to, I'd say its worth a sip or two. Interested to track down and try the Cab barreled one and compare.

I feel the same way about Heavy Seas as I did before this beer, they're not "world class" but you know what you're getting anytime you order/open one: slightly sweet, minimal hops, low-key (but high-ish) alcohol content.

Would recommend to a discerning friend. If it sounds good to you, worth a shot, not over retail though.

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2012 22:40:59 | More by Prince_Casual

RuckusDu

Colorado

4.43/5  rDev +11%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5

Says 2010 version. I wasn't going to review it, but tasted pretty good so I thought I would give it a full write-up. Head was pretty minimal and on the light tan side. Body is mostly clear and a deep red amber. Looks good. Aroma is sweet caramel and vanilla. I would put this up against the best English BW's out there. Flavor drops off a bit (maybe a fault of weak body?). Bourbon, vanilla, and marshmallow. Just a hint of bitter as the start. Really quite good. Mouth is wonderful carbonation but weak body. Just leaves the mouth too quickly.

To be honest, I would like a lot more of this. Maybe a trade is in order? Nice bourbon and vanilla and the smell of it is simply amazing. Doesn't substitute for the big guys, but on a value side, this gets the job done.

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2012 22:22:12 | More by RuckusDu

deadonhisfeet

Kentucky

4/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

2012 bottling. Poured into a Great Lakes snifter. It pours out a clear, fairly dark reddish-mahogany color with one finger of head that quickly dissipates. On the nose, I get sweet toasty malt, vanilla, and bourbon.

Full body and nice slick, creamy feel. The barleywine and bourbon flavors work together nicely here, and the bourbon is very noticeable without being too hot. On the front of the palate, I get the sweet, deep, bready malt and toffee notes of a good English barleywine along with a hint of fruity esters and vanilla. At mid-palate, the bourbon starts to kick in along with a pleasant booziness that brings everything together. There is a slight hop kick right at the finish, but it's nearly lost in the malt, bourbon, and alcohol. The finish is boozy, warming, mildly bitter, and slightly peppery and herbal.

Bourbon-barrel aged barlewines are a style I have really developed a taste for over the past 12 months. I don't drink them very often, but I just cannot pass them up at the store. This one is an exceptional value at only $8.99 per bomber. It's no King Henry, but it's better than you might think. I plan to pick up an extra bottle or two for the cellar to see how it ages. If the sweetness develops and the alcohol dies down, this could be a beautiful beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2012 10:45:54 | More by deadonhisfeet

TheJollyHop

California

3.88/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Draft at Duckworth's in NC.
Opaque chestnut brown hue, steady cascade small bubbles, light tan head.
Heavy sweetness at first sip, malted milk balls, vanilla, bourbon, then it turns into anise, butter cookies and ends oaky. Fantastic taste, if it were not for a slightly soapy hint in the mid palate. Nose is burnt sugar, caramel, bourbon soaked raisins, and vanilla. Not nearly as expressive as the taste.
Medium full body with medium carbonation. This is a tasty sipper. While a bit too sweet it works for my present mood.

Serving type: on-tap

10-23-2012 18:51:40 | More by TheJollyHop