Green Flash Barleywine Style Ale. 10.9% abv. 85 IBU. Dark brown-red color. Two finger of thick tan bubbly head. Good retention, outstanding lace. Nose of sweet roasty malt, tangy dark fruit, sweet bread, alcohol on the back end. Rich plum comes out as the temp rises. Front taste of molasses, bread-cake, bitter herb sustain. Aftertaste of earthy herb, bitter cocoa, citrus fruit candy. Full body. Mouthfeel is hot, thick, boozy, carby.

This is an outstanding beer, a barleywine with a load of flavors: tall sweet malt, dark fruits, herbal, sweet citrus. My bottle was three years old, which I imagine rounded out some of the hop edge in this high-IBU barley wine, resulting in a thick, sweet, meaty citrus peel hop taste in the background, particularly in the aftertaste. Complex swirl of flavors throughout. Wonderful stuff. Highly recommended.

From the brewery:

"A four hour boil intensifies the caramel malts and enormous Pacific Northwest hop charge. The result is a rich, eatery brew with toffee notes and citrus hop flavors layered throughout. Enjoy fresh today or lay it down and see how the flavors of each vintage evolve."

[source: bottle]

Tioga-Sequoia 'Smoke Chaser' Smoked Barley Wine. 12% abv. 100 IBU. Hazy Amber-orange color with sediment. Finger of foamy tan head. Good retention, excellent lace. Nose of smoked wood, stone fruit, sweet berry. Aroma of strong port emerges as temp approaches room. Front taste of smoked grain, bitter fruity hops, whisky notes, tall alcohol throughout. Aftertaste is bitter cherry, smoked wood. Full body. Mouthfeel is hot, astringent, carby.

This is an outstanding beer, a big bold barley wine with strong flavors of smoke, bitter fruit, port wine. Not a beer for the faint of heart, this 12% brew is one of those big guns that tastes like its tall abv. Very astringent, making the berry taste akin to whisky. Wood notes comes from the smoke factor, approaching a barrel aged taste. Very impressive. Highly recommended

From the brewery:

"Smoke Chaser comes from the name given to brave firefighters that defend California's forests from devestating wild fires. Our American cherry wood smoked barley wine is as big and courageous as its namesake. An intense malty complexity, combined with an American hop backbone, and a subtle cherry wood smoke finish makes this beer larger than life. With over 100 IBUs and at 12% abv, this beer is meant to be sipped and experienced. Enjoy with a fine cigar or share one with a friend."

[source: bottle]

Evil Twin Brewing 'Freudian Slip' Barley Wine Ale. 10.3% abv. 60 IBU. Brown-red in color. Hazy. Sediment. Finger of foamy off-white head. Excellent retention and lace. Nose of caramel, malt, mild herbal spice. Aromas of ruby port emerge with the rising temp. Front taste of sweet bitter dark fruit, ample bitter fruity hops, rich malt, burnt brown sugar. Aftertaste is bitter herbal hops, prunes, raisins, sweet bread, somewhat dry finish. Full body. Mouthfeel is hot, astringent, round, sticky, thick.

This is an outstanding barleywine, truly a dessert ale with its decadent malty backbone and tall hop profile that greets you immediately. The nose is ever-present, changing as it approaches room temp, with a complex web of fruity and herbal aromas. The taste is most assuredly within category, but with enough bitter sweet herbal zing and dark fruit notes to allow it signature flavor.

I could easily pick this out of a line of barleywines in a blind taste test, yet it is not an off-the-wall novelty brew. Grab a bottle or two of this wonderful beer, particularly if you love barleywine. Strongly recommended.

From the brewery:

"Did you also at some point in your life get seduced by promising words like ‘probably (not) the best in the world’, ‘it (doesn’t really) work every time’ etc. This American Barley Wine says it how it is. It’s intense, attention seekingly hoppy and definitely your kind of beer. A beer with a big ego, drive and a huge thirst for recognition."

[source: eviltwin.dk]

Ridgeway Brewing 'Criminally Bad Elf' Barleywine Style Ale. 10.5% abv. Shady honey color. Thin beige head. Excellent retention and superb lacing. Nose of rich sweet amber malt, sweet stone fruit, light brown backing. Front taste of dank citrus sweet, fruity hops, bittersweet dried fruit. Aftertaste is warm-hot, flat citrus peel, caramel back end. Medium-full body. Mouthfeel is warm, thick, carby.

This is an extraordinary beer, one with rich, sweet malt taste colored by subdued dark fruit flavors. This brew makes me want to try all the other "Elf" beers in the series. Be warned that this is not a beer for proud hop heads. I don't know the IBU, but assume it's quite low. No, this beer is for the malt lovers out there - myself included -  a perfect beer to warm you and your tastebuds. Outstanding. Strongly recommended.

From the brewery:

"Ridgeway Brewery is run by Peter Scholey, former head brewer at Brakspear, and his wife Vanda. The Ridgeway, a long distance ancient footpath passes just a few hundred yards from our front door in South Stoke - hence the brewery name."

[source: ridgewaybrewery.co.uk]

"It turned out to be a case of mistaken identity, of course – wrong place at the wrong time…but Claus was soon back on the the street with the polite apologies of the authorities – no questions asked. All’s well that ends well, surely, but still, the reporters wanted to know…it takes its toll, doesn’t it? 'Indeed,' sighed Claus, 'my elf is going crazy, and I fear that I shall soon go crazy as well.' And with that he hoisted a great flagon of his favorite Barleywine-style ale, silently contemplating the future and straining to remember why he got into this particular line of work in the first place."
[source: sheltonbrothers.com]

Lagunitas Brewing 'Olde GnarlyWine'. 10.6% abv. 69.39 IBU. Deep red color with a finger of creamy tan head. Outstanding retention and exquisite lace. Nose of fruity hop bouquet, sweet citrus, orange, plum. Front taste of sweet orange peel, raisins, biscuit, toffee. Aftertaste of rich malt, caramel, brown sugar, floral-fruity hops, bitter grapefruit sustain. Full body. Mouthfeel is hot, thick, syrupy, creamy, carby, velvety, tangy.

This is an extraordinary, world-class beer, the one that helped give birth to their legendary Brown Shugga'. The aroma, flavor, and body are all complex and pleasing at every point. Complete package. The citrus is powerful without being crazy bitter, and the sugar-fruit combo is balanced very well, with an aftertaste that invites you for more. Incredible. Strongly recommended.

From the brewery:

"The first sip is for thirst, the second one for pleasure. The third is for romance, and the fourth for pure madness... Since 1996, our Olde Gnarly Wine Ale has satisfied thirst, enhanced pleasure, and even encourages romance…. As for pure madness?? Try it. Let us know."

[source: lagunitas.com]

"Making a mondo ultra mega super premium barleywine ale is a little like having a kid. The first part is fun and messy, it takes a while to ferment, and a whole lot longer to mature. It is expensive and takes up a lot of space. You worry about how it will grow up and whether or not you'll still be friends. Eventually it stays out all night and comes home with its skirt on backwards. You know how it is. Usually we package our ales with in 15 days of brewing. This one we aged in tanks for over a month. Why not buy three? Drink one now, keep one in the fridge for a month, and one for another years! Yummy..."

[source: bottle]

Hangar 24 Brewing 'Hammerhead' 2012 Barleywine Style Ale. 13.8% abv. 83 IBU. Hazy dark brown color. Thin tan head that retains a nice collar. Good retention and lace. Nose is rich sweet malt, raisin, warm brown sugar, toffee. Front taste of caramel, oak, bittersweet dark chocolate, spicy bright fruity hops. Aftertaste of caramel, bright herbal hops, pungent fruit. Full body. Mouthfeel is thick, sticky, pungent, chewy.

This is an outstanding brew. The flavor profile is complex and deep, with rich roasted malt, warm sweet tones, bright fruit, woods, and a river of bourbon running underneath it all. This is one of those superbly crafted decadent beers where every sip makes me tilt my head back and mutter to myself how goddamn good it is. Hammerhead is the fourth in Hangar 24's 'Barrel Roll' series.  Strongly recommended.

NOTE: Special thanks to Tim McMahon of the Central Valley Craft Beer Drinkers for the end photo.

From the brewery:

"A well executed HAMMERHEAD is smooth and dramatic. This beer is no exception. Hammerhead is a big, complex, American-style Barleywine featuring two English caramel malts and four American hops. Hammerhead’s character is enhanced by dry hopping and then aging the deep amber liquid for six months in charred oak rye whiskey and bourbon barrels. Spicy aromas spill from the glass: rich caramel, citrusy hops, bourbon and oak. Layered flavors of toffee, vanilla, brown sugar, spice and rye whiskey lead to a warm and slightly bitter finish. This is a strong ale, meant to be sipped, savored and enjoyed."

[source: hangar24brewery.com]

I was lucky enough to enjoy Hammerhead on tap after a barrel-aged beer event at Peeve's Pub.

Photo courtesy of Tim McMahon of Central Valley Craft Beer Drinkers

Sierra Nevada 'Bigfoot Ale' 2015. Barleywine Style Ale. 9.6% abv. Amber-ruby color. Two fingers of thick, creamy tan head. Outstanding retention and superb lacing. Nose of rich malt, caramel, herbal hops, woodsy. Front taste of tall malt, toffee, bittersweet dark fruit, botanicals. Aftertaste is abundant bitter-herbal hops, dark chocolate, raisins. Full body. Mouthfeel is warm-hot, creamy, astringent.

This is wonderful big beer, one of the original barleywine-style brews of the microbrew age. Over the years, there have been variations of it, most notably the barrel-aged treasure, but this standard Bigfoot is my favorite, a go-to big beer that I look forward to every holiday season. Lots of dark, creamy, fruity, and spicy flavors in each sip that makes for a nicely complex taste overall. A classic and standard in its category, great fresh out of the bottle or you can age it another year for a more mellow, richer taste. Either way, I love this beer. Highly recommended.

From the brewery:

"Our cult-classic beast of a barleywine. Bigfoot is a beast of a beer, brimming with bold flavors of bittersweet malt and heaps of aggressive whole-cone Pacific Northwest hops. First introduced in the winter of 1983, Bigfoot is a cult-classic beer brewed in the barleywine style, meaning a strong, robust, bruiser of a beer with the refined intensity of a wine. Bigfoot is prized by beer collectors for its supreme cellarability. Under the proper conditions, it can age like a fine wine, developing new flavors and character as it matures in the bottle. Each new release or 'expedition' is vintage dated. Collect your own and see the flavors develop and progress."
[source: sierranevada.com]

High Water Brewing 'Old And In The Way' Barleywine. 11% abv. 60 IBU. Dark brown, nearly black in color. Finger of beige head. Good retention and lace. Sweet nose of caramel, roasted malt, dark fruit. Front taste of roasted malt, prunes, toffee. Tastes wood-aged. Aftertaste is sweet-bitter, bitter hops, cooked dark berries, plums, raisins. Full body. Mouthfeel is thick, syrupy, strong, alcoholic.

This excellent beer swings for the fences with its rich malty backbone, big body, and aggressive rich, sweet fruity flavor profile. Roasty, malty, fruity, dark. Highly recommended.

From the brewery:

"Old and In The Way Barley Wine Style Ale is brewed in the traditional English Barley Wine Style. Flavors of toffee, treacle and caramel emerge as the beer opens up. Enjoy this beer a little warmer to fully appreciate the depth and complexity of flavors in this beer. Brewed to be enjoyed as a sipping or fireside beer. Share one with a good friend."