English Barleywine - 2015 Tasting

This is my second English Barleywine tasting after doing one last year (to the day) with my First English Barleywine.  I brewed up a Second English Barleywine this year using the same basic recipe and this will be a side by side comparison and review.  Excited to be doing another tasting after putting quite a bit of thinking about these beers.

2014 Brandy & Oak, 2014 Plain, and 2015 Vintages

It's cool to have accumulated some old beer to do some long term tastings with.  I will plan on brewing another one of these beers next Memorial Day for another tasting.  I may try a slightly different recipe next time (maybe something with a bit of rye).

These are pretty huge beers and I was feeling some effects from the three partial ones I drank to put together this tasting.  Also was experiencing some palate fatigue by the end.  I am going to have to space out the tastings a bit as I accumulate more beers over the years.

2015 - Tasting Notes:

• Aroma:
• Fruity aroma.  Almost has the character of a Belgian yeast.  Has a pretty distinct oak character which is pretty much on the level of a red wine.  Also has a bit of alcohol aroma as it warms.  Nothing I can pick out as hops.  No malt either.
• Appearance:
• Dark copper.  A bit cloudy.  Very light carbonation that quickly subsides.  This beer has only had a bit over a week to carbonate so I'd expect this to pick up.
• Flavor:
• Dominated by the fruity yeast character.  The fruity is somewhat indistinct apple or pear maybe.  Oak is also a pretty major presence.  There is also some caramel flavor from the malt up front.  The finish has some bitterness which balances out the malt a bit.  There is a fairly firm alcohol presence which hits in the finish.
• Mouthfeel:
• This is a light bodied beer.  The finish is fairly dry.  The high alcohol content is noticeable by the warming finish more than the flavor.  No astringency from the oak that I can detect.
• Overall:
• It is a rich, flavorful, and complex beer.  I like the fruity yeast character and what the oak brings to the table.  This beer finished quite a bit lower than I had been expecting but it is not overly dry.  It has decent malt flavor but a bit more malt complexity would be an improvement.  It's a big beer so I believe it's going to keep pretty well.  I expect that it will gain in complexity as it ages.

2014 Plain - Tasting Notes:

• Aroma:
• Fruity with caramel malt.  There is also a bit of alcohol on the nose.  The fruity is quite different than the 2015 version - much stronger apple aroma.
• Appearance:
• Dark copper.  A bit darker than the 2015 version.  Still muddy even after spending the last few months in the fridge at my Mom's house.  Very light carbonation that quickly fades down to nothing
• Flavor:
• Fruity yeast is the primary flavor - very apple like.  It's really nice along with a strong toffee/caramel flavor.  There is no hop bitterness remaining.  A bit of alcohol on the finish along with sweet malt.
• Mouthfeel:
• Medium bodied.  The finish is a bit sticky sweet.  A good beer to sip and savor.  Nice warming alcohol melds well with the whole package.
• Overall:
• Also rich and flavorful with nice caramel malt and apple yeast ester character.  I prefer the yeast character in this beer over the 2015 vintage.  Last year this beer was a bit of a boozy mess.  Alcohol was still a significant presense but it has definitely mellowed out quite a bit with more aging.  This probably isn't a beer I would want to drink two of in one sitting very often but one would be quite pleasant.

2014 Brandy and Oak - Tasting Notes:

• Aroma:
• Very similar to plain half but with a bit of oak on the nose.  This one initially had sort of a musty smell as well that diipated off and left the fruity aroma.  The oak in this one isn't as pronounced as the 2015 version.
• Appearance:
• Same as plain 2014
• Flavor:
• Also very similar to the plain half except with the oak coming through a bit on the finish.  The oak and brandy contributions have mellowed out a bit since last year.  There isn't really that much difference between this and the plain half flavor wise.
• Mouthfeel:
• Same as plain 2014
• Overall:
• With the extra year both of these 2014 beers have mellowed out considerably.  I had initially preferred this one due to the additional complexity of the oak adding something beyond booziness.  I really wouldn't describe either of these as boozy at this point.

So, I think I prefer the 2014 version to the 2015 based on this tasting.  I really like how the yeast character has developed in the 2014 while the 2015 is too reminiscent of a Belgian yeast next to it.  I also really enjoy the more luscious body in the 2014 and the caramel malt flavor which is a bit more prevalent.  We'll see how these two stand up to my next one of these in a year.