Anderson Valley Gatlin Damnosus

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

Comes out of the tap a dark mahogany, thin buff head. Bourbon-soaked wood dominates the aroma but lets through cherry and caramel notes. Flavor is quite sour - will make you pucker! - and has definite fruit notes plus caramel and bourbon. Texture is firm and rather fizzy. Another winner from the Secret Stash Bash.

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

Loved this beer and it was easily the highlight of my recent trip to Phoenix. Big, boozy barleywine with plenty of piney hop bitterness and a pleasant sour tartness. Notes of vanilla, bourbon, dark cherries. I would love to try a 3-4 year vertical to see how it ages.

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

This may have started out as a barley wine long long ago, but has become something else entirely. A little bit all over the place with wood, tart cherry, sweet malts seemingly in discord but it comes together. Young and aggressive, but interesting. Seems like a bugged up red wine and bourbon/brandy barrel blend, over what was once a pretty mellow barley wine. Not bad. I'd love to see some of these in bottles to see how they change over the years.