Heavy Seas Cabernet Barrel Aged Below Decks - Heavy Seas Beer

Cylinsier

Pennsylvania

4.2/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a dark reddish brown, mostly opaque.

Smells of caramel and brown sugar malts, hints of dark fruit.

Taste is stout-like in ways, but the wine barrel flavor comes through adding a fruitiness. Buttery malt flavors round out the taste.

Full mouth, minimal carbonation.

A real treat, powerful but decadent. Not something to have a lot of, should be treated like a scotch or a bourbon. But very enjoyable.

Serving type: on-tap

01-09-2011 00:52:03 | More by Cylinsier

jrallen34

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5

2010 batch, from the bottle poured into my Narke glass...A medium brown with lots of dark amber in the light, unique. A watery light tan head, not much there...Sweet aroma, distinct english barleywine backbone, but lots of wine comes through. Toffee, red wine, caramel, mild hops....The taste is pretty mild shows off the barrel more than anything, vanilla with lots of red wine. This barleywine was too light to hold up, but its qualities, but tastes good none the less.

I can't recommend this, but I drank the bottle pretty easily.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2011 03:47:42 | More by jrallen34

Pencible

Virginia

4/5  rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: This poured a hazy mahogany with a bit of tan head.
S: It smelled like copper hops and toffee, with oxidized sourness and oak and red grapes.
T: It tasted like mellow toffee and brown sugar and orange, with notable red grape and oak. It had a super smooth bittersweet aftertaste.
M: It was somewhat thick with subtle carbonation. Not heavy, but not too light.
D: This was an interesting and enjoyable beer, but it didn't have too bold of a difference from the standard Below Decks (maybe aged 1-2 years). Cabernet was more apparent in taste than scent, which was nice. And the alcohol was decently hidden, so it was pretty easy to drink. Probably not a candidate for aging.

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2010 18:40:49 | More by Pencible

jnn4v

Virginia

3.9/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

2010 bottling.

A: Copper / chestnut color with a hint of orange. Slightly ruddy as well.

S: Sweet caramel / toffee malt backbone with a grape and oak undertone. Smells more grape juice than wine.

T: Good cabernet grape / wine taste that both comes before and after the strong toffee flavors from the barleywine. Tastes great at cellar temperature. Oak comes out more and more as it warms.

M: Good viscosity but is lacking some of the carbonation that it could have had.

D: Decent drinkability overall. The alcohol isn't too forward in the flavor.

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2010 19:31:34 | More by jnn4v

TheHoppiest

Ohio

3.85/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 22 oz bomber into an oversized snifter. Pours a cloudy, ruby-mahogany with a persistent thin tan head.

Smell is weak; slight sweet grape and darker fruits; faint yeast; and sweet malt.

Taste is tannic, yet it quickly smooths out. The grapes are quite prominent, tart and sweet. Some slight bitterness on the back of the tongue as it goes down, but overall not that bitter. As much a wine as it is a beer, this is by far the best Heavy Seas offering I've had to date. Plums, concord grapes, and raspberries are present, with an earthy, leafy finish.

Mouthfeel is thin to medium, with a bit of sharpness as it enters the mouth.

Rather drinkable, I'm looking forward to sipping this through the evening.

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2010 02:01:42 | More by TheHoppiest

Thorpe429

Illinois

4.28/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Reviewed from notes.

Poured into a tulip. Initial pour brings a pretty good off white head plus some legs. Color is copper, tending a bit toward brown. Nose brings some nice cabernet and oak notes. The taste brings some more complexity with cabernet, oak, grape, hints of dark fruit, and a bit of light roast and general fruit. Really nice feel with a bit of a tannic character. Drinks well and is a solid offering.

Serving type: bottle

11-09-2010 02:57:42 | More by Thorpe429

womencantsail

California

4/5  rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to Jason for this one.

A: The pour is a dark amber color with a thin layer of khaki colored head.

S: A very wine forward nose. Lots of red fruits, vinous notes, and plenty of oak (sort of tannic). There is a mild alcohol presence and a decent amount of chocolatey oxidation.

T: Sweet caramel and chocolate (oxidation) start things of. The wood and wine provide a spicy, peppery, note and some sweet red fruit. The alcohol comes through a bit strong at moments, but for the most part it's mellow.

M: The body is medium with a low to medium level of carbonation. Overall, a pretty smooth mouthfeel.

D: The alcohol can be slightly on the harsh side at times, but overall it's pretty enjoyable. I'm not usually the biggest fan of non-sour wine barrel aged beers, but this was good.

Serving type: bottle

11-07-2010 02:48:53 | More by womencantsail

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4.1/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

part of the epicness that was the halloween weekend of beer. the last few nights have kicked my ass in every way, but i got to try a bunch of goodies that have long haunted me. served chilled and poured into a 8 ounce taster, this one was consumed on 10/30/2010.

pours a nice ruddy brown color with a small head of off white that came to a climax at about an inch before settling down with a moderate amount of lacing down the sides of the glass.

aroma is interesting. little notes of barrel at first start to come through but then some alcohol an hints of muted hops start to cloud it. warming though brings it through nicely as hints of earthy malts, light touches of dark fruit, an hints of caramel start to take shape. nice clean flavor from the cab barrels gives it just a touch of depth, again very well done here. nothing over the top and takes the heat off the 10% very nicely. smooth finish hit the spot with just the right amount of flavor.

overall a really solid offering and a good treatment on this classic. i would not mind aging a couple.

Serving type: bottle

10-31-2010 21:25:43 | More by mikesgroove

Daniellobo

District of Columbia

4/5  rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Nice Cabernet aged barleywine, a great step for the regular Below Decks, and one of the better big offerings from the Heavy Seas series.

Presentation: 22 oz brown bottle. Perfunctory pirate skull themed label on this occasion with a predictable badly designed barrel and a bottle of wine. Side narrative goes over the intent of the brewing series, pirated themed inspiration, main description of the brew, and succinct cellaring notes. Notes vintage date (2010) Shows Alc. by Vol. (10%) Served in a snifter.

A - Clear amber brown pour, with a fair bubbly head, average retention with a nice surface memory and persistent touches of lace.

S - Caramel notes over sweet malts with a fruity vinous hit. Rather pleasing.

T - Caramel and malt with a nice fruity touch, light woody vanilla hint in the distance, woven back with a light vinous sense.

M - Medium-full body with a nice smoothness over medium to low carbonation.

D - Actually the flow with the cabernet barrels works very well, it is evident and yet subtle, providing a nice range.

Notes: Surprise, surprise, better than any of the other Below Decks offerings, either the regular, or even the Bourbon one, which was good but this is the one I would go for if I had another chance.

Serving type: bottle

10-27-2010 03:27:12 | More by Daniellobo

mattcrill

Ohio

3.98/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Aroma: Moderate fruity esters up front. Dried cherries, burnt sugars, carmel aromatics all appear as the beer warms. No hop aroma noted.

Appearance: Cloudy deep amber pour with a thin off white cap. Foam doesn't last long but rings the glass nicely.

Flavor: More fruity esters. Lots of plum, raisin, and cherry notes. Some caramel sweetness noted but balanced well with some earthy hop bittrness and alcohol flavors that are well knit. Just a hint of woodiness but the esters dominate. Balance is towards the malt.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with medium high carbonation. Definite alcohol warming on the back of the palate. I do get a bit of astringency that I attribute to the barrel aging.

Overall impression: Not sure I get much of the barrel-aged presence about this beer but that's fine with me. A little too bitter to be an English barelywine but a nice American spin.

Serving type: bottle

10-24-2010 20:58:21 | More by mattcrill

Mora2000

Texas

4/5  rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to thirdeye11 for sharing this bottle.

The beer pours an amber color with a white head. The aroma is very nice. I get some caramel malt, along with some chocolate, dark fruit and alcohol. I also get a little bit of grape and red wine notes. The flavor is heavy on the caramel, toffee, brown sugar and dark fruit. I also get a little bit of citrus fruit and some alcohol. Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2010 06:16:15 | More by Mora2000

geryeb624

Maryland

4.13/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

22 oz. bomber poured into my DFH Signature Glass.

A- Dark brown with not much head, just a film of off-white foam. Pours fairly opaque, but with lots of bubbles around the sides of the glass. Head eventually dissipates into a ring of foam.

S- Malty, but some some dark fruit and some acidity. It would appear that the Cabernet is definitely present in the nose.

T- Dark, roasty, somewhat bready malts in the beginning, with a bit of bitterness. Finishes with some nice dark fruit and a bit of acidity from the barrels. Not over-bearing in the fruit department either. Nice balance here. Also some warming alcohol towards the very end.

M- A bit thinner than I would expect for this ABV, but nicely carbonated, which goes well with the fruit component.

D- Pretty intense stuff, so drinkability suffers a bit. Not overly harsh though.

I'm impressed with this stuff. The fruit is overdone, nor is the alcohol or woodiness from barrel aging. A nice barleywine with an interesting twist from the wine notes.

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2010 04:23:50 | More by geryeb624

ThaBobfather

Ohio

4.43/5  rDev +13%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Pours a great brown and ruby hue with a nice tan thick bodied head.
Smell is deep syrup and malts with a light wine.
Taste hits malts and strong syrup that mellows with cabernet esters.
Finish is long lasting and the flavor of dark fruit pits.
Drinks amazingly at 10% with too sweet and smooth taste to hang up anyone.

Serving type: bottle

09-11-2010 02:13:24 | More by ThaBobfather

LordAdmNelson

Ohio

2.75/5  rDev -29.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2

Pours a dark muddy brown color that raises a bit of taupe head. Smell is a bit odd, the cabernet comes through with some vinous qualities to it, but the underlying sweet barleywine seems to fight with the cabernet. Caramel, toffee, and a bit of booze is there.

Taste just continues the problems for me, I feel like these flavor combos make for a hot mess. The cabernet struggles to peek out from under the sweet barleywine, and when it does, the wine tends to assert itself as an off-flavor rather than an integral part of the beer. I just don't really like the flavor profile here.

Mouthfeel is thick and sticky, making this already difficult process more difficult. I can't really fault that too much, however, as thick is typically the name of the game with English barleywines. Drinkability is dramatically hampered due to the flavor on this one. They just don't seem to meld together. It's got some promise to it, but largely I thought this beer was a mess. I would not buy it again.

Serving type: bottle

08-30-2010 02:54:46 | More by LordAdmNelson

jgasparine

Maryland

4.08/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A- Poured from the bomber with a 1/2" light tan colored head, which was proteinaceous with little bits of lacing, nicely retained, over an optically clear garnet colored body. No visible carbonation.

S- The aroma is quite vinous with some faint dark fruit esters. A little boozy. Any particular malt or hop aroma is unidentifiable at this point. Overall, I would have expected a bigger, richer nose from a 10% ABV brew such as this.

T- Wow- that's big flavor (unlike the nose). Up front you get a fleeting glimpse of crystal malt, and that's quickly overtaken by a moderate flash of dark fruit esters, and then a tannic bitterness emerges and builds in intensity through the finish. Impressions of oak lactones, tannin, a little bit of vanillin, and some vinous notes that linger in a substantially long finish... a little booziness at the end too. Overall a powerful and dynamic flavor. Note: as the beer warmed up, a note of leather emerged in the flavor as well.

M- Body overall is thin. The carbonation is somewhat soft, a good bit of astringency, and some EtOH heat felt retronasally.

D- Very drinkable, especially for the ABV... a slow sipper, but consumable is mass quantity... like a bottle of [barley] wine!

Serving type: bottle

08-07-2010 15:21:17 | More by jgasparine

glid02

Georgia

3.9/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bottle purchased from Green's on Ponce in Atlanta.

Pours a slightly hazy dark copper color with a half-finger off-white head. The head recedes into a patchy layer on top leaving decent lacing.

Smells of sweet caramel malts with equal amounts of mild toffee and tannins from the wine barrels.

Tastes similar to how it smells. Sticky caramel malt flavors kick things off with good amounts of toffee and lighter amounts of butterscotch. Midway through the sip mild amounts of booze-soaked pears and other muddled fruit flavors from the cab barrels make their way into things. The fruit flavors gradually fade out into an ending that's neither sweet nor bitter.

Mouthfeel is good. It's got a nice thickness with moderate carbonation.

Drinkability is OK. I finished my glass without any problems however I'm not sure about another.

Overall I thought the bourbon version of this was much better as the flavors from the cab barrel weren't very crisp and didn't work as well with the flavors of the base beer. Still, it's worth a shot.

Serving type: bottle

07-28-2010 01:03:32 | More by glid02

csmiley

Ohio

3.85/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Pours thick, murky and brown. Some amber shows in the light. The tan head is minimal and only comes to a medium cop on the brew. Retention of that cap is nice however. It eventually recedes to a thin ring around the edges. Lacing is light and spotty.

S - Starts with a crisp fruit aroma made up of apple and grape. Wood has a very nice presence throughout. Kind of gives it a earthy tone that is actually quite appealing. Alcohol is present but that is expected at 10%. It doesn't detract from the beer overall. Finishes with a thick sweetness - caramel and sweet bread.

T - Taste is actually a nice blend of most everything that shows in the aroma. It's more a wall of flavor that hits the palate with everything at once. Other brews have done this and been disasters but I like this one. Nice mix of heat with sweet flavors of butterscotch and caramel. Wood / oak also stand out. If any of the flavors could be considered ancillary it's the fruit. Leans more toward a white grape than anything else.

M - Moderately full bodied with mild carbonation. Finish is sweet and warm. More complex than expected. Something at the tail end just seems off though. Can't put my finger on it but it's there. Maybe some tea-like notes. Maybe.

D - Drirnkability is decent. At 10%, one bomber is enough. This really is an interesting brew that surprised me in the aroma. Cabernet barrel aging added a nice layer to an already good brew. This beer really opens up as it warms so try to shoot for an appropriate temp. Would I have another? Maybe one for the cellar. Good job, Clipper City Crew.

Serving type: bottle

07-19-2010 02:17:24 | More by csmiley

mcallister

Ohio

3.38/5  rDev -13.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Slightly hazed ruby red with a nice off white half inch head with suprisingly good retention.

Muted aromas of date, caramel, currant, black cherry, hints of wood and a slight funky aroma?

Nice barley wine. Toasty oak with thick biscuity dark malts. Not overly sweet but the way I like a barley wine....english. Cab doesn't show through only slight notes of currant, black cherry, and bits of leather. A plum character on the finish. Finish is short and the beer lacks pop and resonation. Yet a nice drinker.

Serving type: bottle

06-30-2010 22:41:19 | More by mcallister

TMoney2591

Illinois

4.13/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served in a Dogfish Head snifter.

Y'know, I'm startin' to really enjoy this line. This one pours a lightly translucent ruby brown topped by a quickly-dissipating head of light ecru bubbles. The nose comprises red grapes, rye bread, caramel, oak, and that fake watermelon you find in candy and gum. This would be quite the tasty aroma...if it weren't so damn faint. Na ja. The taste holds notes of rye bread, yeast, light oak, toffee, deep red fruits, a very mild bitterness, and a slight red wine in the back...and on the sides. It's just that subtle. This is some damn tasty barleywine action, baby. The body is a heavy medium, with a lightly moderate carbonation and some light oral coating. I really enjoyed this beer. Period. Get some!

Serving type: bottle

06-23-2010 21:05:15 | More by TMoney2591

jampics2

Ohio

3.95/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

22oz bottle into a snifter.

Pours a brown with cherry touches. Nice white ring surrounds and coats the glass.

Smell is all pleasant but just subdued. Nice caramel and some vanilla, plus some cherry and ripe dark fruit. The wine barrel is represented with some nice red grapes. Would be great if more expressive.

This tasted nice too. Wine bookends layers of caramel, vanilla, and brown sugar. Really rich and luscious. Wine is well integrated. Nice blend of flavors.

Mouthfeel is velvety but just a touch too slick. Medium body and very drinkable. Just would prefer a touch more heft in the body, a bit less slickness, and a more expressive nose.

Serving type: bottle

06-23-2010 17:42:28 | More by jampics2

prototypic

Ohio

3.88/5  rDev -1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This BA release of Below Decks pours a very dark copper color. Backlighting gives it very attractive crimson highlights. It's capped with a modest, off-white head that stands about a finger tall. It's quick to recede and leaves a moderate amount of sticky lace behind.

The nose is a little weak and rather uninspiring. It'd benefit greatly from more strength. Having said that, there's definitely a vinous character to it. The barrel-aging certainly left its mark. Oak is also rather strong in the mix. Honestly, I like both of those elements here. What's missing is any evidence that it's a Barleywine. If you really sticky with it, there's a sugary sweet and light malty scent, but not much else. Alcohol is masked fairly well for 10%. Overall, it smells pretty good. I'm probably being a little generous here.

The flavor is interesting. It tracks the nose closely. The first sip features a big dose of red grapes and oak. Actually, so does every other sip. The barrel aging process works well here. I really like the flavors the process imparted. There's a bit of apple and pear here. Perhaps this is one of THOSE Barleywines. I'm always intrigued to encounter them. They seem to be devoid of any dark fruit or hop flavors (which holds true here). It's sweet and a little sugary. Earthy notes and musk are secondary, but add some character and depth. Alcohol is noted, but isn't overly strong. It's blended well for double digit territory. It finishes oaky and a little fruity.

The body here is medium. Carbonation is dialed down nicely. It's overall smooth and relatively easy drinking. Drinkability is good. This is pretty tasty stuff. I like it. For a big Barleywine, it goes down pretty easy. A bomber shouldn't be too much trouble.

I didn't really know what to make of this beer before I tasted it. It's interesting, but is pretty impressive. It's definitely a different type of American Barleywine. It has a distinct apple/pear flavor rather than dark fruit. There's also no hop presence as far as I can tell. But, it is good. The cabarnet barrels gave it a tasty combo of red grape and oak. It works. The nose could use a little work, but it's good otherwise. Check it out.

Serving type: bottle

06-21-2010 03:42:36 | More by prototypic

gford217

Georgia

3.63/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a hazy caramel brown that shows through as a lighter amber. There is a very short-lived beige head that recedes to a thin collar. Not much lacing.

The aroma definitely has the cabernet presence with lots of red grapes and oak coming through. The underlying barleywine isn't quite as noticeable as I expected with caramel malts and sugar-coated dark fruits. Still, the grapes are what I come back to, almost like a grape juice.

Well, just as in the aroma the grapes from the cab barrels are present up front. The sugary sweet malts, toffee and fruits are there, especially as it warms. The finish is more of the grapes and it seems sweet, not quite as dry as I would expect.

The mouthfeel is light to medium bodied for the style and a tad watery, maybe due to the cab barrel. The carbonation is fairly low and the body is slick overall.

This is a decent beer but there's very little sign of the underlying barleywine. It's mostly just the cabernet barrel and so it lacks the complexity of the best BA barleywines.

Serving type: bottle

06-18-2010 02:09:22 | More by gford217

blackie

Virginia

4.1/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

they're really cranking these special releases out...

thought this one was best as it approached room temp, as much of the wine and malt were muted before that point

a: bottle split - my portion into a unibroue tulip, murky chestnut brown with some deep red hues, light off-white head with average retention

s: toffee with a strong edge of roasted nutshell, sugary after warming but not intensely sweet, oaky cabernet well integrated and complimentary - more fruity than tannic, plum and cherry, sweet alcohol, wine much more prevalent here than on the tongue, it's not huge or assertive but that should be in keeping with the English designation

m: carbonation on the light side but still a touch spritzy, body full but ranging towards the lighter side

t: drier toffee malts with some dark sugars somewhere in the land between caramelized and scorched, full but not too heavily sugared, the mild red wine fruits play a nice compliment to the malt, dark tree fruits, lighter earthy hop finish with a mild bitterness and lingering nutshell and toffee, perhaps a light tannic effect, warming alcohol

d: drinkability is pretty high for the weight, some alcoholic presence but nothing beyond what is expected

bomber from Whole Foods, Vienna, VA

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2010 02:26:58 | More by blackie

asnow

Georgia

4.72/5  rDev +20.4%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Appearance: pours a ruddy red with a cream colored head

Smell: instant notes of dark fruit, possibly dried figs or dates, followed by caramel, reminiscent of sticky toffee pudding

Taste: enters with sweet malty goodness, and a rich fruity depth, balanced nicely by a fading hop finish.

Mouthfeel: Rich and complex without the alcohol burn (until it warms a little above proper temp) that might be expected with a 10%. The cabernet barrel aging is most evident in the dry finish.

Drinkability: While it's not exactly a "summertime" beer here in the south, it makes a fine dessert beer or accompaniment to strong cheeses with some good funk to them. Not something you can have more than one of in a night, but one is certainly enough to leave you satisfied.

Serving type: bottle

06-11-2010 20:52:44 | More by asnow

silver0rlead

North Carolina

4.25/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a deep brown color with a nice tan head that retains really well for a barleywine. The aroma is very vinous with notes of dark fruit, tobacco, and chocolate as well as oak, vanilla, caramel, coconut, brown sugar and rum. The flavor is a little less vinous than the aroma, with notes of brown sugar and caramel upfront, as well as piney and citrusy hops, grape and plum, oak, vanilla, coconut, dark chocolate, and rum. The mouthfeel is medium, and drinkability is good despite the alcohol and barrel aging. This is a very tasty barleywine, and the cabernet aging really makes things interesting.

Serving type: bottle

06-07-2010 05:20:58 | More by silver0rlead