Barleywine. Whenever I drink one it transports me to one of two places. The first is being 18 years old (hey kids, don't drink until you are 21) and drinking my first '96 Samuel Adam's Triple Bock. The second and most prominent is the same stool I have occupied right beside Katie at the Toronado's Barleywine Fest during SF Beer Week for the past four years. Great memories, great beers. If I see a Barleywine when I am out, I will almost always order it first thing, usually to the astonishment of the waiter, bartender, and patrons. "Starting with the hard stuff, eh?" Yes, but I am starting with great memories, and a beer that takes a great deal to make well. This lovely bottle was everything I wanted it to be. The pour was reddish copper, with a creamy head that explodes with aromas of toffee, herbs, hops, pine, mango and pineapple, malt, and a slight hint of vanilla. The mouth feel is syrupy, and lightly carbonated. It drinks very balanced between the hop resins, intensely sweetened malts, caramel, and the slight alcohol burn.
Yo son, is this the bombdiggity?: At $6.99 in NYC, this is absolutely, 100%, beyond a doubt, star-studded, sloth eating a tasty leaf (?) joy! Short on money, but want something complex that will get your buzz on? Train soda or economic pre-game beer? Blah, blah, blah. It is not the best barleywine out there, but for the price; it's the right barleywine for you. And me.
Yo son, is this the bombdiggity?: At $6.99 in NYC, this is absolutely, 100%, beyond a doubt, star-studded, sloth eating a tasty leaf (?) joy! Short on money, but want something complex that will get your buzz on? Train soda or economic pre-game beer? Blah, blah, blah. It is not the best barleywine out there, but for the price; it's the right barleywine for you. And me.
Hey there. Came over from CSA Delivery. Wow, this post brought back memories for me. Barley wine is good! The only time I had it was at Humboldt Brewery a good dozen years ago. I hear much has changed there since then, so I'm not sure if they're still brewing it or not. I don't know if this rings true for all barley wines, but they served theirs in a smaller glass (half-pint?) and if you wanted a pitcher you had to have 4 people drinking... Can't remember what the alcohol content was, but it warranted those kinds of rules. Luckily, my friends were willing to help me drink. ;-) If you have time to travel up north next time you're in Cali, you should go for it! Stop by Eel River on the way and try the hazelnut brew... too strong for them to bottle, as it would taint the lines for all other beers, which is a big shame... delicious!
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