Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
Grade: A-Appearance: Pours a dark crimson red with a brown copper tinit. A nice 2 finger head forms and sticks around for a while, leaving good lacing.
Smell: This is definetely an American Barleywine. Sweet malt with pine and grapefruit notes. Hops and alcohol heat is present as well.
Taste: Strong pine hops lead the way, followed by dark fruits, toffee and caramel. After the dark malts show up mid-palate, aggressive hop bitterness takes over. Grapefruit and pine notes remain way into the aftertaste. Every sip brings a nice alcohol warmth that stays with you long after the bottle is finished.
Mouthfeel: Excellent. Medium body with moderate carbonation. Most of the carbonation is felt at the end.
Drinkability: For a barleywine, drinkability is strong. Despite being 9.6% ABV, the alcohol burn isn't over the top and is actually very soothing. These are best to sip during chilly nights in the middle of winter.
Overall: A really good barleywine. While its not overly complex, the textbook flavors stand strong and stay in balance. Luckily, I bought a few sixers to age and I can't wait to crack 'em open in a year or two.
No comments:
Post a Comment