Flashlight does not show through the inky black of this beer, no head retention, almost none as it pours; smells of raisin, fig, and rum. The taste is smooth and decadent, with flavors of sweet cream, plum, cherry, caramel, toffee, and fig on a lusciously creamy extra thick body. The finish is long and warm and moderately low in bitterness, featuring notes of bourbon, dark chocolate, cherry, pipe tobacco, coffee, and a hint of bitter orange all ending in a light boozy burn. Overall, this is amazingly good! The first barleywine I ever had was a Sierra Nevada Bigfoot, long before that review or this website, before I could appreciate hops, and it was way too bitter for me. As a result I’ve always thought of barleywines as extra bitter beers, but this is absolutely nothing like that. Sticky sweet, super smooth and creamy, and a wonderfully complex yet mellow finish from the barrel aging, it’s unfathomably delicious. Actually a good comparison in terms of richness, body, and burn would be Bailey’s (or any other) Irish Cream, which is actually a touch LOWER in ABV. 🤯
Bottled on: NO DATE PRINTED (Purchased 4/14/26)
Bonus shot of the gold wax dip:
