Beautiful clarity in the pour, with a mahogany color and a small but perfectly formed head.

Deep fruitiness and malt backbone really belies the fact that this is both a Barley Wine and a hoppy one at that. It’s really a complex beer with the hoppiness, alcohol, malts and fruit all complimenting one another in layered rushes.

Just when you think that you’ve got a handle on where this beer lies in the style range, it’s up and at you from a different angle. Refreshing, then biting, then fruity, then dry, then intense, then soft malts, the list goes on.

One of the most complex American brews I can ever remember tasting and somehow, remarkably, it all comes together to give good drinkability and a smoothness that is uncharacteristic for such a big ABV beer in the (American BW) style.