12 oz single.

Well, if nothing else, true to style.

The beer gives a rather unattractive, murky brown body similar to a Dubbel in appearance with little or no head, retention or lace. The head situation is to be expected given the ABV, but the body is somewhat drab and uninspiring.

The brew exhibits all of the classic American Barleywine characteristics along with the way that one normally expects them to change over time. Plenty of slightly faded, hop forward aggression with little malt backbone to hold them up; a lot of hop bitterness and plenty of alcohol still present to drive the whole beer deep into the palate. Nothing subtle about this beer, even after the time that the cellar has given it. The hops have faded some, but it’s all relative.

This is pretty much a quintessential beer in the style, but not one that I care for very much.