HarkJohnny
04-29-2004, 09:58 PM
Found this at my local retailer... The Root Cellar. They deal more in wine but do carry a nice selection of beer. Sitting off to the side in a nice silvery six pack, the logo struck me first. Having not seen this brew before I, of course, had to purchase it!! It was the only sixer left and I had to have it.
This "monster" poured out a beautiful burnt copper with a short head. After a few minutes of sitting the head is nearly diminished with only a ring of foam around where the glass meets the liquid. What I can only describe as a dark malty nose is present... rather typical scent for a barleywine as I know them. My first sip is rather uneventful. Albeit a small one I expected more. Second, larger this time, sip lends a more pronounced hop flavor. Immediate flavor is short, but aftertaste is slightly hoppy. Letting it sit on the tongue gives a medium "burn" and a nice mellow, smokey whiskey flavor after proper disposal.
This seems like dark complex brew... probably more so that I'm capable of describing. I admit to having trouble picking out the small things that others find.
At approx 11% ABV and 45 IBUs this has the right to call itself the "monster." I'm 1/3 through and figuring on letting it sit a bit to wear off it's semi-refrigerated state to the 55° of suggested serving temp.
10mins after starting this thread:
Been watching music videos on iTunes to pass a few mins... lol... you gotta check out "The Darkness" great funny new band
anyway... much more maltiness and hoppiness than earlier. temp sure brings out the flavors. aftertaste is surely evident now, but I think that's only because I've taken a couple of larger mouthfuls and i'm feeling a bit of a buzz. (OK so I had some homebrews earlier! Wheat Ales to be exact).
The first barleywine I had was a few years ago and didn't care for it really. Then about a year ago I had a Stone and then more recently, due largely to recommendations here, I tried the Sierra Nevada Bigfoot.... DAMN!!.. that one was killer. I figured on a more powerful (as in flavor) brew from this one. So while this is more ABV than the SN Bigfoot, I think the SN still has this one beat. Sorry Garrett. Yet I do still have 1/3 left at this point. Maybe after I finish you'll change my mind. We'll see.
This "monster" poured out a beautiful burnt copper with a short head. After a few minutes of sitting the head is nearly diminished with only a ring of foam around where the glass meets the liquid. What I can only describe as a dark malty nose is present... rather typical scent for a barleywine as I know them. My first sip is rather uneventful. Albeit a small one I expected more. Second, larger this time, sip lends a more pronounced hop flavor. Immediate flavor is short, but aftertaste is slightly hoppy. Letting it sit on the tongue gives a medium "burn" and a nice mellow, smokey whiskey flavor after proper disposal.
This seems like dark complex brew... probably more so that I'm capable of describing. I admit to having trouble picking out the small things that others find.
At approx 11% ABV and 45 IBUs this has the right to call itself the "monster." I'm 1/3 through and figuring on letting it sit a bit to wear off it's semi-refrigerated state to the 55° of suggested serving temp.
10mins after starting this thread:
Been watching music videos on iTunes to pass a few mins... lol... you gotta check out "The Darkness" great funny new band
anyway... much more maltiness and hoppiness than earlier. temp sure brings out the flavors. aftertaste is surely evident now, but I think that's only because I've taken a couple of larger mouthfuls and i'm feeling a bit of a buzz. (OK so I had some homebrews earlier! Wheat Ales to be exact).
The first barleywine I had was a few years ago and didn't care for it really. Then about a year ago I had a Stone and then more recently, due largely to recommendations here, I tried the Sierra Nevada Bigfoot.... DAMN!!.. that one was killer. I figured on a more powerful (as in flavor) brew from this one. So while this is more ABV than the SN Bigfoot, I think the SN still has this one beat. Sorry Garrett. Yet I do still have 1/3 left at this point. Maybe after I finish you'll change my mind. We'll see.