Updated Review 12/07
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2007 bottling – fresh sample. Much hoppier and less enjoyable to me. Liked the 3 year old bottle, better.
Original Review 10/05
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12/04/02 Bottling.
Thick and noisy, bright copper colored pour with a good head that dies quickly due to the 11% ABV. The lacing is obviously minimal.
Very sweet malts in the nose and not much else, except sugar coated sugar!
There are some very big hops in the finish but they are not remotely bitter. They simply serve to even out a beer that would otherwise be simply too much to handle in terms of malt sweetness and alcohol.
There is a little whisky character in the finish as well.
Obviously a sipper, but a very, very drinkable high ABV Barleywine. Unusually smooth and drinkable for the style, in fact so much so I gave it a 5. It’s big in the mouth but at the same time not overpowering.