21st Amendment Bourbon Barrel Lower da Boom Barleywine

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

Comes out of the can a clear chestnut with a thick and frothy buff head. Strong aroma has an overtone of Mandarin orange and a hint of caramel. Flavor is deceptive - you don’t taste the alcohol. It’s like a schnapps in that way. (BTW, my worst hangover was from swilling Peachtree schnapps.) Woody hops, sweet orange, caramel and malt dominate, and the alcohol bite is mild for such a heavyweight. Texture is very smooth and viscous, though lacking in fizz. Drink it slowly - preferably with a nice big dihydrogen monoxide chaser.

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

For me, this is the template of what a barleywine should be about. A perfect blend of vanilla, oak, toffee, caramel, and hops all wrapped around the strength of the bourbon it picked up from the barrels. Smooth, soft, warming and satisfying on the palate, a near perfect aroma to match the flavors of this beer and for me, you have the makings of a watermark barleywine. Thank you Dave!

Aroma: 6 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 9 | Overall: 8

This barrel-aged barleywine pours a murky brown color from a hand bottled 22oz bottle. Small to no head. Aroma is caramel malts and vanilla, some oak. A medium to full bodied barley wine. Sweet caramel malts with some vanilla and oak flavors. Very smooth and mellow flavor. Big bourbon flavors. Very nice beer. Mouthfeel is full. Finish is clean and very smooth. Aftertaste is slightly sweet.