Sam Adams Griffin's Bow Oaked Blonde Barleywine.

Hooray for beers with unnecessarily long names. Another unique Sam Adams drop to try while I wait for a fresh pint of Dead Ringer to settle down. I haven't had hardly any barley wines this season and the weather has been unseasonably warm recently with today finally cooling by about 20F. It's almost fitting that this barley wine be so much lighter in color that its typical kin, a light, crystal clear caramel. While the head is quite thin, it manages to leave a lot of lacing. The aroma is spot on: sweet, malty, slightly woody without being bourbon-y, slightly boozy. The taste follows the aroma pretty closely, with the heat being a little over the top. There are plenty of good b-wines out there that pack 10%ABV without letting on. I suppose that's the advantage of getting to use darker malts.

This is a pretty interesting beer. I can tell that it's a barley wine, but it's distinctive as well

Sam Adams Griffin's Bow Oaked Blonde Barleywine.

Hooray for beers with unnecessarily long names. Another unique Sam Adams drop to try while I wait for a fresh pint of Dead Ringer to settle down. I haven't had hardly any barley wines this season and the weather has been unseasonably warm recently with today finally cooling by about 20F. It's almost fitting that this barley wine be so much lighter in color that its typical kin, a light, crystal clear caramel. While the head is quite thin, it manages to leave a lot of lacing. The aroma is spot on: sweet, malty, slightly woody without being bourbon-y, slightly boozy. The taste follows the aroma pretty closely, with the heat being a little over the top. There are plenty of good b-wines out there that pack 10%ABV without letting on. I suppose that's the advantage of getting to use darker malts.

This is a pretty interesting beer. I can tell that it's a barley wine, but it's distinctive as well. I'm still on the fence on whether I really like it or not though. It's good for the moment but the heat is starts to get a bit big.

• Appearance: Clear, light caramel. Thin head with lacing.
• Smell: Sweet, almost cider-y, wood, noticeable heat.
• Taste: A bit vinous, sweet, a little bit of apple tart. Wood and heat.
• Mouthfeel: Smooth, perhap a bit more effervescent than a normal barley wine. Lighter in weight and viscosity.
• Drinkability and Overall: It's no lightweight, but a refreshing take on a traditionally rich beer.

Sierra Nevada 30th Anniversary Grand Cru.

Finally got around to this one, which should hopefully inspire me to finish up all the posts I have drafting. Of course, the tense on this won't make sense because this one won't fly until the backlog gets dispatched. I've just been really lazy and uninspired to hit all those keys. Anyhow, I've had this for a while, since before the summer, but only put it in the fridge a couple months ago and then forgot about it/was never in the mood. But here we are, Xmas Eve: a blend of Oak-aged Bigfoot (22%) and Celebration and Pale (78%)and then dry-hopped. It is an expectedly beasty 9.2%.

My face on the first sip: :O It is a confusing mish-mash of flavors. The Bigfoot, a pretty hoppy b-wine, immediately makes itself known. The mellower, by comparison, Celebration and Pale show up and take over, though still surrounded with a persistent Bigfoot stomping around the edges. The resin-y character of Celebration and the slightly sweeter Pale do ok until Bigfoot's time spent in bourbon barrels demands a retelling. The bourbon flavors are present but well-tempered, with caramel and hot notes.

I'm not going to lie. This tastes a lot like the DIPA I've been trying to churn through. That homebrew batch is about 5 months past its prime, and I've been working very strategically to utilize that 5 gallons. I'll post a picture, if I remember, but my time away did not treat it well. Basically, the hops died and rotted and turned the brew brown, and it became super malty. I suspected the Tap-a-draft bottles are not hard and those allowed oxidation damage, but the bottles were also as awkward. Anyway, this reminds me of those. But I like this one better, probably because it's from SN, and I actually had to pay decent money for it. But I probably wouldn't buy this again, even though I enjoy all of its constituents separately.

• Appearance: Muddy orange and red hues but otherwise fairly clear. Fine, creamy, persistent cap.
• Smell: Rich, malty, a bit pungent.
• Taste: Naturally, diverse. All components are evident and reasonably balance with one another. Taste progresses fairly linearly and distinctly rather than introducing anything surprising.
• Mouthfeel: Expected weight and carb from the style and blend. The Celebration and Pale significantly lower the viscosity of Bigfoot to make it quick.
• Drinkability and Overall: 9.2%ABV. A decent sipper worth a try but probably not a repeat buy.

Anchor Old Foghorn Old Barleywine.

I'm not sure, but I can probably get this back east. Anchor is fairly ubiquitous, but I wanted to give a nod to the local-to-me-for-the-time-being brewery. Plus, I don't see b-wines in the 12 ounce format very often. The neck label indicates that it is dry-hopped, but I'm not sure how common that is for the style.

The head looked pretty creamy on the pour, and right now, it's sitting as a nice cap, a few millimeters thick. It's a nice garnet against the light. There's also a constant stream of bubbles, but it's not overcarbed. The most interested feature is probably the aroma, which smells exactly like bubblegum. This is the second beer I've had in the last week that has reminded me of Big Red soda. It's an interesting combination with the taste which is obviously malty but fairly subdued, when I think about other b-wines. Less prune and more raisin and banana; less bitter and more sugary. For being 9.4%, it's a super easy drinker, maybe a tinge of alcohol on the tip of the tongue at the finish, and the body is quite light. I would expect more viscosity and weight from the style, so I'm on the fence about mouthfeel. If I chalk it up to it being Anchor and Anchor doing silly things like inventing steam beer, maybe this is some traditional side effect. I would also like to know the bottling date and/or how long they sat in secondary. It's quite smooth.

I happen to have a lot of cheese at this point in time and so that sounds like it would be a tasty pair, something soft and light colored, like havarti or brie, of which I have neither. This meunster is ok though.

I like the fact that it comes in a 12 ounce bottle because sometimes a entire bomber to yourself cam be a bit heavy. That being said, I'm not sure I'd want more than a bottle of this. As I said, it's quite sweet. Without some nuts and cheeses to temper it, I'm just about over it and ready for something else. Still, it's worth a purchase for the season. You don't have to drink the entire 6-pack (not a 4-pack!) in one sitting.

Addendum: Oh wow, I was tagging this as an American b-wine, but BA says it's an English. I wouldn't have guess that given my experience with English b-wines. Maybe the only consistent distinction in the amount of hops.

• Appearance: Clear, garnet against the light. Creamy head that manages to cap, if a bit thinly.
• Smell: Bubblegum through and through. Unusual and unexpected but rather pleasant. Might be too cloying for some.
• Taste: Subdued malt and fairly sugary. Raisins, bananas, not much bitter and very mellow.
• Mouthfeel: Carbing is a bit low given the weight, which is the surprising part. I would expect more viscosity and weight from a b-wine. The lower carb with the lightness leaves it feeling a bit flat towards the end. Otherwise, the finish is clean.
• Drinkability and Overall: A very drinkable 9.5%ABV. A curious change of pace, if you like barleywines but want something lighter-bodied. I don't think I'd want to drink more than a bottle though.

Lagunitas Olde Gnarlywine.

Nice red amber, translucent pour. Mild, super fine head. Modest malt gives way to raisins, almost like prunes. At 10.6%ABV, it covers pretty well but is otherwise uninteresting. Lingering aftertaste, something like burnt creme and caramel. Meh.

Menodocino Imperial Barleywine.

First offering from Mendocino.Typical color; very fine, thin head. Very mild hop aroma, a little buttery. Taste is a complete biscuit bomb, not in the typical malty way. Almost no hops in the taste, very mild. Overall, fairly average and uneventful.

Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Barley Wine.

Real malty, but not sweet, nose. Way hoppier than I would expect from a barley wine. Almost imperial IPA-ish. Hints of chocolate on the finish. Average-bodied in the mouth, slightly lighter viscosity than I would prefer but still a thick and persistent finish. In contrast to Widmer Deadlift Imperial IPA, this is a barleywine that wishes it were an imperial IPA.

Mass Brewers Guild Summerfest 2010 + Sam Adams Boston.

Inadvertently found Harpoon Corporate. Bagels everywhere.

Hurrican Earl eating some buildings.

Took a short jaunt to Boston for the Mass Brewers Guild Summerfest (turns out to be the first one) which had been renamed Earlfest in honor of the pathetic hurricane attempting to make its way to the coast. Mostly, I was disappointed by the caliber of the beer. Also, they didn't even print up programs so I had to write everything down myself. As such, I was even less inclined to keep detailed notes. Here was the lineup:

• Amherst Brewing Company
• Just Beer
• Blue Hills Brewery:
  • Watermelon Wheat: Really intense watermelon nose and taste. Way too sweet. The watermelon was overpowering, and it just seemed like they used backsweetener+flavoring. The body was ok though, still wheat-y and not "malt beverage"-like.
• Boston Beer Works: These guys brought all Belgian styles, which was cool, but I felt like they were all off.
  • Tripel: Too malty, not enough carb leaves it all feeling too heavy in the mouth. Just made me wish for a Maredsous instead.
  • Flemish Red: Also a little malty but less noticeable due to the awesome sour profile. I have to say I like Flemish reds over browns. Reminds me of cranberry.
• Cape Cod Beer
• Watch City Brewing Company: One of the better breweries there, I thought. The two I tasted aren't even listed on BA so woot.
  • Beejeezus Botanical Belgian: Does not use hops. Elderflower is used instead. I don't actually remember anything other than that it wasn't bad and seemed pretty interesting
  • Bee and Lemon Balm, Jasmine Tea: Definitely the most interesting beer there. Diverse flavor profile you can walk through in the mouth. Wouldn't mind having another shot at it.
• Rock Bottom Brewery
• Cambridge Brewing Company:
  • Heather Ale: Grassy, floral, herbal, coriander. They were all out when we went there for dinner so I was stoked to find it at the fest. Best of the three I had from them that day.
• Haverhill Brewing Company
• Opa Opa
• Wattchusett
• Gardner Ale House: tapped out @ 8:20
• Cape Ann Brewing Company:
  • Pumpkin Stout: Uneventful. Just hadn't seen a pumpkin stout before. Pumpkin wasn't really played up very well.
  • Strawberry Rhubarb Saison: Interesting blend of fruit+vegetable, haven't seen either of them used before. A little too mild. I would have like to see the combination played up a bit more, but it was refreshing nonetheless.
• Berkshire Brewing Company: tapped
• Cisco Brewing Company:
  • IPA: Super fresh floral, hop bitter finish. I liked it.
  • Stout: Espresso grounds. One of the better beers of the night, and one of the better stouts I've had.
• Cody Brewing Company:
  • IPA: Got a huge taste of tomato. Had to throw it out.
  • Belgian Stout: Fruity, flat coffee. Haven't seen a Belgian stout before, but the combination is intriguing.
• Harpoon:
  • Glacier Harvest '10 Wet Hop: Another of their 100 Barrel Series. I'm increasingly interested in Harpoon as I try more of the 100 Barrels.
• Sam Adams

We had stopped for dinner at Cambridge Brewing Company before heading to the Seaport Hotel+WTC (which was an awesome venue [event rate on the room, soap/shampoo/conditioner dispensers instead of individual things, and Keurigs] since it was right across the street and by the harbor). I had the Arquebus English barleywine (sweeter than other Englishes I've had. I don't remember much about it now, but I remember not particularly liking it in comparison) and the Three Rings Belgian pale ale (tasty style, hoppy, heavy, a bit too residual to be session-able but definitely drinkable). The food there is also quite good.

Late breakfast/lunch at the Barking Crab. We had originally been across the street but their menu didn't have raw oysters; I think they were annoyed that we left. But having had a plate of fresh oysters, a whole lobster, and a basket of onion rings and fries, it was worth causing the annoyance.

Went on the Sam Adams tour with Kale, our very funny tour guide. He says, when asked what the ingredients in beer are, that "beer" is not the right answer. "This is where we put the beer in the beer. Thanks for coming." Got to see casks of Utopia.

Determined to buy a bottle of the next release.

The tour was pretty standard, though I was surprised by how small it was. The Boston brewery is apparently the smallest of their facilities. Kale took us through the standard 4-step tasting process (which can also include "lots of high-fiving and talking about feelings") of the Boston Lager, Coastal Wheat, and Brick Red (only available on tap, only in Boston; for a red, I liked it). One of his favorite responses on nose impressions, from a little girl: "...smells like my Daddy." Also heard some interesting stories about Jim Koch having to get cut out of a wool suit after spending a day getting dunked in a tank of his own near-stale beer. They apparently buy back their own beer at market price as it nears its best-by date. Some is consumed, some is reserved for the dunk tank, but most is discarded down the drain "along with [their] hopes and dreams and tears". Pretty cool. I've always been sort of on the fence about Sam Adams. They make good beers, and they make a lot of varieties. But I would never put them in the same tier as, say, Stone. I think I have some more appreciation for them now. Along with the free tasting glass, I picked up a pint glass (which, I guess, I could have gotten for free had we taken the trolley to the bar but it would have been a late drive back) and set of the Barrel Room Collection. Not sure if I'm going to sit on it or taste it. If I find myself in Boston again (and I would go again just to eat seafood), I'll pick up another set for consumption.

Leaving Boston: DRATWATS

Sprecher Barley Wine.

Very tart, a little sour, picked up a lot of white grape, refined malt. Not too heavy-bodied. Couldn't get much in the nose either. Just wasn't into it. I wonder if this seals the deal for me on English barley wines. And that wax seal was fucking annoying.

Stone Old Guardian.

This is the 2009 release. Rich, thick, amber color. Slick mouthfeel, finishes a little sticky. Not as sweet as I like my barley wines but comes off a bit more bittersweet and kind of hoppy. Thin head, no lacing.

I don't know. I'm kind of disappointed. At 11.3%ABV, it's leaning towards the higher end. I guess that's cool? I probably wouldn't buy it again unless it were on sale.

Brooklyn Brewery Monster Ale.

Not very sweet, but grain-y tasting, not mouthfeel. A bit fruity. I had it unchilled. Not much nose. Keep a persistent but thin head. No lacing. Rather light bodied for a barley wine. Tastes a bit cider-y. Not bad, but not worth the price. My loyalty still lies with Southern Tier.

Weyerbacher Fourteen Ale.

4-pack for $11, marked down from $16+ so I picked it up. This is Weyerbacher's anniversary ale, my first offering from Weyerbacher, a PA-based brewery. Being so close, it's been on my list of breweries to contemplate visiting once I ever got around to trying it.

Pours thick, no head, no lacing, some sediment. I got a big whiff of apple and banana, very sweet. Initial impression was of a barley wine (11.8%ABV), same weight but without so much backing body or sweetness. Finishes lighter on the palate than one would expect, fairly cleanly.

This is a hybrid wheat-barley wine, using 50%+ wheat malt, so the flavor profile makes sense. It's actually pretty close to it's intended parents. That being said, it's fairly passive. Worth a pint to try the hybrid, but it's not something I'd want to stock or pick up regularly.

Dogfish Head Olde School Barley Wine.

First impressions: really floral, fruity bouquet. Feels very heavy in hand. As dense as American Honey. For being 15%ABV, I can't taste the alcohol. Sticks a bit much on the palate.

High-powered extremes like this tend to be somewhat one-dimensional (Hop Wallop, Hoptical Illusion, etc) and this is no different. In the end, I like it but only because it packs a punch.

Victory Old Horizontal.

Smooth, heavy, and malty...but it's lacking the sweetness and warmth I'm looking for. It's nice and rich, but without the sweetness, the hoppiness is overdone here.

Southern Tier Backburner Barley Wine.

Barley wine is one of those winter indulgences. I remember my first of many pints of barley wine. It was probably my first high ABV, complex beers. Barley wine typically runs about 8-12% and sweet and smooth.

ST's barley wine, low carbing, sweet, a bit too hoppy, finishes a little too sticky, but it's warm and comforting. It's really best enjoyed with close company in heavy glasses on a wood bar, under warm lighting, and beside a crackling fire.