12.5% ABV
Firestone Walker Brewing Co., Paso Robles, CA
22 oz bottle
Served in Dogfish Head Signature Glass
Reviewed on 7/26/13
This English barleywine pours a dark brownish amber with a thin ivory-colored head that dissipates quickly. Nice lacing.
Smell consists of malt, dark fruit, cherry, raisin, hops, brown sugar, some alcohol, bourbon.
Taste consists of syrupy cherry, raisin and dark fruit, malt, hops, alcohol, sugar, toasty bourbon, slight tobacco, bitter vanilla.
Mouthfeel is smooth on the palate with some bourbon-like punch that is measured and not harsh. Some bitterness and muted alcohol harshness.
Overall, a complex, full of flavor barleywine that packs a decent alcohol punch yet is quite smooth and never becomes harsh. Dark fruit flavors such as cherry and raisin are the stars here, and there are good components of vanilla and bourbon. This is a top class beer, and so far this rates as the best barleywine that I've had. Firestone Walker scores big again.
My score: 98
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