Samuel Adams Griffin's Bow

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 6 | Mouthfeel: 5 | Flavor: 6 | Overall: 6

22oz bottle -

One of the few whiffs from Samuel Adams. I like the idea of doing a barleywine outside the proveribal "box", but it just doesn't work very well. Aroma is light vanilla, rock-candy, light oak and some oxidized/tropical-fruit combo. Taste has a strange banana/mango angle with a strong prescence of plastic. Honey, burnt sugar and alcohol also present. Seemed like a Belgian ale combined with a barleywine and it took the lesser qualities of each style to make this beer.

Aroma: 6 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 8

Sampled on 8/24/2012. This Barley Wine pours a medium orange gold color from a 22oz bottle. Large sized white foamy head, with nice lacing and good retention. The aroma is fruity and sweet, orange and wood. A medium bodied Barley Wine. The malts are fruity and sweet, with some orange and orange peel. The hops are earthy. A lot of oak and some nice orange flavors. There is also a touch of alcohol, but not bad for 11.5%. Nice carbonation. Decent barleywine. Mouthfeel is full and round. Finish is clean and smooth. Aftertaste is slightly sweet with a touch of wood and alcohol.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 8

really nice aromas of pineapple, citrus and a few floral hops, someoak, burbon, alcohol, and vinilla come through as well. Mid orange body, thin but bubbly cap that leaves a little bit of lace. Flavor fell a little bit short of the aroma promise, lots of caramel, a touch of vanilla, and lots of alcohol with the drying oak finish. Overall a pretty nice brew, interesting to say the least.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 6 | Overall: 6

Batch No. 2 with a stated 10% abv. on the label: The first small glassful was pretty rough, but the next couple seemed to improve slightly. It's a jumbled assembly of odd flavors I wasn't expecting. The Nelson Sauvin hops were very easily detectable and provide a spicy, fruity touch. Stinging aroma that is very assertive. Flavor is more calm and the mouthfeel is surprisingly smooth and delicate. Peach and pine cones with some sugary vanilla and caramel. Fairly astringent with a decent bitterness. Good looking clear light copper body with a lasting filmy head and supple lacing. Definitely unique and unexpected, but alas I will not be going back for any more of this as it doesn't quite suit my taste.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 9 | Flavor: 9 | Overall: 9

Strong aroma is mainly like fresh-cut oak wood, but once you pour this releases subtle malty and pear scents plus an alcohol nip. It comes out of the bottle a pretty clear golden amber with a very thick, fine-bubbled and rather persistent pale golden head. Syrupy flavor has a malty core and a firm woody component, clearly from the oaking; a strong but not fierce alcohol bite, and a subtle fruity underpinning plus a fair amount of sweetness. Thick, syrupy texture has a good amount of fizz and leaves a tingly, lively finish. You feel this one as it heads downstairs! This robust beer is not for the faint of heart, but anybody who appreciates a bold brew or a good barleywine should enjoy this one. You'd hardly know that Samuel Adams is one of the "big boys" - they sure have retained their craft beer attitude.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 6 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

Pour is a dark gold with an ample white head. Aroma of light citrus, orange, caramel, with the alcohol just peeking through. Very sweet tasting with vanilla and oak notes coming to the forefront; hops seem almost nonexistent. Not my type of barleywine; not enough hop presence but the oaking is a nice touch.

Aroma: 9 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 9 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

A great barleywine with plenty of citrus hops to balance out the maltyness. The aroma jumps out of the glass like a west coast ipa. It looks great in the glass, super clear and rich browns mixed with some red hues. Great body, great flavor. It doesn't seem balanced at first because it hits your mouth with so many unexpected flavors but by the end I found it working just fine...could have been the booze factor too.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 9 | Overall: 8

i was pretty impressed with the craftsmanship & uniqueness (as far as barleywines go) of this brew. honey, caraeml and vanilla undertones the citrusy hops (especially in the aroma) and alcohol backbone. perhaps a touch too much alcohol in this beer (i would have liked it at 10% even more). the aspects in the aroma and flavor seem to clash, then blend harmoniously together. smooth body, evident oaking. interesting and tasty beer at a decent price. I'd recommend.

Aroma: 9 | Appearance: 6 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

A cream colored beer with a big foamy textured head rising above. There's good hang time on this one. Lots of film on the sides of the glass and moderate ringlet atop the body. Not a good representative of a barleywine. In that nothing is intense, as I've come to expect from the style. Light, crisp bodied. Light caramel, grassy nose. Same caramel and some oak in the tasting.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 9 | Flavor: 10 | Overall: 9

Specs, 22oz, eat me! .. . Pours a deep gold amber .. light head ring, but sturdy .. . aroma of vanilla, sap, syrup, oak, and sweet showered vagajay .. . calm and delicious, really smooth- light sticky sweetness .. . this is an amazing brew, completely recommended!! .. . hey papa cooper, go F yourself you old chewed shoe, shotgun shells are only 25 cents a pop, FYI... take the hint...