This is my tenth version of an English Barleywine - it was brewed on Memorial Day 2023. This is the first time I've brewed this recipe. It appealed to me based on the Malt Bill which was partially inspired by Goose Island's King Henry.
I hopped it fairly aggressively to get a beer that would continue to be bitter through quite a bit of aging. I think a firm hop bitterness is nice in the style to offer some balance the malt character
The beer bulk aged for 9 months and is a pretty smooth product for being close to 10% alcohol. It finished at 1.032 (I was targeting 1.025). It has been in the bottle for a couple weeks now and is nicely carbonated. Time for my first tasting.
Tasting Notes:
- Aroma:
- Caramel and bready malt character along with a bit of fruit. Has a bit of herbal hop character and some alcohol aroma
- Appearance:
- Dark Reddish Gold and fairly clear. Pours with about 1 finger of head with an aggressive pour - this fades to nothing after less than a minute
- Taste:
- Toasted bread and dark caramel flavors up front (maybe a bit of chocolate even). Get a bit of hop character in the middle and then a medium bitterness into the finish along with some sweet malt. The balance is slightly towards the malt. There is a bit of fruit in the flavor profile but definitely takes the back seat to the malt and hops. It hides it's strengh well
- Mouthfeel:
- Medium bodied and fairly sweet - a bit sticky on the palate. Fairly smooth drinking with a bit of warming alcohol
- Overall:
- Bold flavors and a good deal of complexity in this one. Very rich malty character here that is providing the bulk of the complexity. I like the balance of the sweetness with the hops - makes for a fairly easy drinker - I could have two of these without palate fatigue (although would be unwise as strong as it is).
No comments:
Post a Comment