Stone – Old Guardian Barleywine (early 2007 release)

Stone. Love ‘em or hate ‘em, you can’t deny that they’ve made their mark as a brewery who’s not afraid to push the envelope. (see Ruination) The Old Guardian Barleywine Style Ale is a staple for Stone and just so happens to be a very well-respected brew among those folks who are into doing things like respecting brews. I, for one, happen to fall into that category. I respect. I’m a respecter. What I don’t quite get is the difference between a Barleywine Style Ale and a plain old Barleywine. What am I missing here? Honestly, I don’t think it matters all that much in the grand scheme, but if the style nerds aficionados want to shed some light I’d appreciate it. At any rate, on to the beer. The pour was like a barleywine should be – clean, amber with minimal head. The nose was a little on the subtle side, but there were nice hints of malty sweetness, caramel, fruit and spice, plus a hint of alcohol. The taste was a reflection of the nose for the most part, with a candy-like fruit sweetness leading the charge, followed by a rich toffee body and finishing with a distinct tinge of alcohol and hop bittering. It’s a nice, refined Barleywine (style) Ale, which a little age has served well. There is a mellowness to this particular bottle which I’m inclined to believe probably wasn’t there 8-10 months ago. Overall, I think this is a really great example of the style, but I’m not feeing quite as much hype as BA would have you believe. I felt like the omnipresent alcohol was a bit of a distraction, and both the mouthfeel and weight of the body were a touch on the light side to give it a full-on A+. It’s really good, though, and I wouldn’t hesitate at all to have some on hand regularly or recommend it to a friend.

Cheers, ~G

score – 4.25

Fort Collins Brewery – Double Chocolate Stout

I love a Chocolate Stout, so a Double Chocolate Stout sounds absolutely, doubly delicious to me. I recently reviewed the Fort Collins ‘regular’ Chocolate Stout and was really excited to try the Imperial version of the brew. If you read the “That’s a lot of stout, man” post, you’ll remember that we thought the regular version was a little thin in body and the ‘chocolate’ was really more like a hint, at best. Maybe the Imperial version would be that rich and chocolaty brew that we were hoping for the first time around – or maybe not. The pour was promising, with a thick caramel head bubbling up to about three fingers and slowly fading to a small, but deliberate quarter inch. On the nose there was a little less umph than I anticipated, but coffee notes dominated and there was a hint of earthy malt and a touch of sweetness. The first taste, however, was like being hit with a stiff coffee uppercut. Bitter, oily coffee was almost all that I tasted from start to finish, with very little else to speak of. There was a hint of alcohol, but not an overpowering amount, while the most notable exemption from the overall flavor was, um, chocolate. I thought that was the point. Maybe it’s just me, but if the name of your beer has the words ‘double’ and ‘chocolate’ in it, there should be at least a hint of some incarnation of chocolate in there somewhere, right? Basically, if the name were Double Coffee Stout it would be perfect, because that’s what it is. If you’re a fan of dark, espresso-like coffee stouts then definitely pick up this beer – you’ll love it. However, if you’re expecting something inline with a Young’s or Brooklyn Brewery double chocolate stout, don’t even bother. Overall, this beer is strikingly one-dimensional and honestly, a bit of a disappointment. Proceed with caution, and maybe a quart half and half… Cheers, ~G

score 3.25

Sierra Nevada – Bigfoot Barleywine

I feel like I should start by saying that Sierra Nevada is one of my favorite American breweries. Interestingly, none of their beers are truly my all out favorite in any category, but overall I really respect the quality, consistency and general coolness that defines the brand. Recently, the Anniversary Ale became my go-to Pale for everything from a burger-and-a-beer night to, well, lets-skip-the-burger-and-just-have-beer nights. Additionaly, I thought the Harvest Fresh Hop Ale was a nice effort and their flagship Pale Ale is just simple and solid. A few years ago I was in San Francisco and had a chance to try the Bigfoot barleywine on tap. Unfortunately, it was after several other beers that I had the opportunity to try, off various other taps. Let’s just say my “palette” was a little “compromised.” So when I saw that a 6-pack had appeared in my local bottle shop I felt like I had a chance to really see what the ale was all about. It would also be an interesting study since I’ve just finished a nice round of nights with the BBC barleywine which I think is a really outstanding effort. Ok, so that was a long intro – let’s get to the review.

The pour was beautiful. Minimal carbonation, a tannish thin head and a bold, garnet-colored body looked perfect as it hit the glass. I could tell as I brought it to my nose that this would be a different animal (terrible bigfoot reference) than the BBC, as a pronounced hop aroma came shooting off the top like it was a big IPA. Interesting… The first sip confirmed that this was, in fact, a bit of a hop-bomb. Although the hop presence was a bit of a surprise, they don’t totally dominate the flavor. Typical barleywine fruity sweetness and big candylike malts are definitely in the mix and there is a distinct presence of alcohol as well. The body feel is medium and the carbonation is appropriately minimized, but more robust than average for the style. I feel like this ale is similar to a young California cabernet in the sense that the bold, aggressive nature which makes it seem wild and unrefined in its youth are the same qualities that will eventually make it great. I mean, this *is* the 2008 vintage so what can we really expect – yet. Even with all it’s youthful angst, I really quite enjoyed drinking the Bigfoot. It’s only going to get better with age and I plan on trying one every few months for the next year or so to track the progress. The fact that it’s as good as it is right out of the shoot is going to earn some nice points from me right off the bat.

Cheers, ~G

score 4.25

Bluegrass Brewing Company – Bearded Pat’s Barleywine

A few nights ago I was enjoying a Jefferson’s Reserve Bourbon Barrel Stout from the Bluegrass Brewing Company and I decided to check out their (recently re-worked) website for a gander at some of the other beers in their stable. I soon discovered that they have a winter seasonal offering called the Bearded Pat’s Barleywine. And since the Jefferson’s reserve has become a bit of a go-to stout for me recently, I thought I’d try and find a bottle somewhere in town. As luck would have it, my favorite bottle shop had a 4-pack, so I was on my way. The pour was a mid-brown with a hint of orange and the head was a nice off-white creamy color. I could smell it as it hit the glass as hints of rich caramel and fruit were present even before I took an *official* sniff. A more intentional study of the nose revealed some nutty raisin and fig overtones and a caramel candy dominance. The first sip was really the most obvious indication of the 11% abv, which soon became a non-factor in the overall scheme of the beer. The mouthfeel and carbonation were both relatively light and made the beer easy to drink. The most outstanding characteristic, however, is the terrific balance between the sweetness of the caramel and fruit notes with the bitter and thorough finish from the hops. Don’t get me wrong, this is not a ‘hoppy’ barleywine, but the pure bittering is very present on the finish and it serves the brew very well. As the beer warmed, it seemed to thicken up and improved even more. The silky and slightly oily nature on the tongue was a great compliment to the almost molasses-like character of the body. Overall, one of the most satisfying barleywines I’ve had and kudos to the brewery on this one.

score 4.5

Cheers, ~G