Review: Brimstone Big Ale

Brimstone Big Ale
13.1% ABV

Brimstone Brewing Co., Frederick, MD (defunct) 
12 oz btl

Served in Dogfish Head signature glass
Bottled October 1998

Reviewed on 12/19/13

This barleywine pours a hazy deep amber color with a bubbly beige head that has good retention. Good lacing.

Smell consists of strong aromas of cherry, raisin, and perhaps plum right at the start. Caramel, tobacco, leather, malt, and brown sugar and prevalent also. Slight sourness.

Taste has a somewhat sour cherry, raisin, plum, caramel, malt, alcohol, leathery tobacco, muted whiskey, honey.

Mouthfeel is a bit sour, a bit sweet on the palate.  Somewhat bitter.

Overall, this is an interesting barleywine that provides a unique view into 15 years ago. It has some definite prominent flavors that are typical of a barleywine and are even somewhat intense, though there is a bit of sourness and some flatness coming through.  There's no comparison to what it might have tasted like 15 years ago, obviously, but more so, there is some comparison to contemporary barleywines.  It's fairly reminiscent of North Coast Old Stock Ale, though it's not quite as well put together and the dark fruit is more prominent here.  It's somewhat close to DFH Olde School, though not as intense.  For a 15-year-old beer, it's fairly good and quite interesting.

My score: 89

Review: Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA

Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA (2012)
18.0% ABV
Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, Milton, DE
12 oz btl
Served in Burley Oak tulip glass
Purchased 1/2013 (aged about 6 months)
Reviewed on 3/13/13

This IPA pours a hazy dark gold color with a bubbly off-white head that dissipates quickly. Nice lacing.

Smell consists of hops, alcohol, malt, citrus, some dark fruit, some floral, some spices.  Hops, malt, and alcohol dominate the nose.


Taste has malt, alcohol, hops, some bitter citrus, touch of dark fruit, brown sugar, whiskey, syrup, wood.

Mouthfeel is fairly smooth for a beer that's quite hot with alcohol.  Some bitterness comes through.

Overall, a quite strong IPA that resembles a barleywine more than it does a traditional IPA as the hops, while there, are not the most dominant aspect, and there's a decent amount of maltiness.  Hops, malt, and alcohol dominate the taste, with touches of citrus, dark fruit, brown sugar, whiskey, and wood coming through.  It's quite complex even as three tastes dominate, and its high alcohol content demands sipping.    I've had this on tap at the Dogfish Head Brewpub, and I find it to be a much different beer on tap (I'd probably give it 4-5 more points on tap). Definitely a unique beer, worth trying at least once, and if you're into aging, it's a good candidate to see how it changes over time (if you can bear the high price point).

My score: 92

Review: Dogfish Head Olde School Barleywine (2011)

Dogfish Head Olde School Barleywine (2011 edition)
ABV:15.0%

Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, Milton, DE
12 oz bottle
Served in Dogfish Head Signature Glass
Date on bottle: Bottled in 2011 (purchased 10/2011; aged 1 year, 1 month)
Reviewed on 12/1/12 

This barleywine pours a hazy golden amber color with a thin bubbly off-white head with moderately good retention.  Not much carbonation. Good lacing.

On the nose, malt and alcohol are the upfront, dominant aromas.  Slight caramel, slight whiskey, slight grape-like fruitiness, with some hints of bread and yeast.

On the palate, malt, caramel, and alcohol are the dominant flavors coming through, with some whiskey and even some slight hops coming through more on the back end.  Mild notes of fruit.  Some sugariness coming through as well.

Mouthfeel is a bit harsh with the prevalent alcohol taste.  There's some decent bitterness, with a touch of dryness.  After some time and a few sips, a good smoothness emerges beneath the alcohol.

Overall, a quite strong, interesting barleywine that has some decent tastes beneath a hot alcohol taste at the front.  As far as my memory goes, this beer has mellowed a bit over the last year, and it would be interesting to see what it would be like after two years of aging.  Beyond the alcohol and malt flavors, caramel, whiskey, and some fruity notes come through and give it a neat and distinguishable profile.  A nice one to savor.  Nowhere near being sessionable (no surprise given the ABV).

Score: 92