Harveys Elizabethan Ale

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

This beer gets straight 8's from me. I picked this beer up at the Barrel Chest in Roanoke, VA. A real treat. I have been to Harvey's brew pub in Lewes, GB and I think their beers are outstanding. This was another very good beer in the lineup. A classic English barleywine. Well hopped, slight presence of alcohol, slightly warming. Solid malt backbone. A very nice beer.

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

Sampled on 6/10/2011.This barley wine pours a medium amber color from a 275ml bottle. Small to medium sized white foamy head. The aroma is fruity and sweet, caramel and bready. A medium bodied barley wine. The malts are fruity and sweet, caramel and bready. The hops are herbal. There is some oxidation, but not too bad. It’s kind of weird how a little oxidation in a Barleywine is NOT a bad thing. Nice carbonation. Fairly smooth tasting, hint of oxidation and alcohol at the finish. Mouthfeel is full and round. Finish is clean and smooth. Aftertaste is slightly sweet.

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

bottle from '98 or '01 ..tasty, loads of sherry! ..smooth as silk.. .. Dogs are forever in the pushup position. That's a dumb joke. I am aware of that ...

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

Bottled (2002, 8.1%). Clear ruby red colour, small beige head. Aroma is really big time madeira, raisins, plum, alcohol and some dark fruits. Flavour is the same along with wood and vanilla. Leaves a really nice and long aftertaste.

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

Pours a dark reddish brown with no head. The aroma is mint and tobacco. The body is surprisingly thin for such a big beer. Doesn’t really have a lot to back up the alcohol.

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

Unknown vintage...that's what I get for throwing the cap away so fast...oh well, this had to have had at least three years behind it. Poured a deep, ruddy brown with a tiny cap of fading foam. Aromas of dried fruits, raisins and figs with sugary malt, vanilla crept in there, too. Silky smooth across the tongue, coating and lightly carbonated, very comforting. Malty without excessive sweetness, no alcohol burn, raisins, toast. An elegant beer, somewhere between an Old Ale and an English Barleywine, but very enjoyable.

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

Bottle 1998 drank in 2005: Poured a dark brown color ale with a small brown head with minimal retention. Aroma of strong roasted malt and some alcohol is easily distinguishable. Taste of strong malt, molasses and sweet caramel makes up for a nice warming drink. Alcohol is evident but not as much as to ruin it for me. Body is quiet full with some very light carbonation. I suspect a minimal used of hops since there is not much bitterness or maybe this is due to aging. Nice English style barleywine overall.

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

(No vintage/bottle number label)
Ouch. This is one hardcore beer, boy-o. Best slow down and savor it, or it might be your last for the evening...!

Interesting old-school label -- complete with the date of 1953 and everything. I have reasons to doubt that something this heavy was around that long ago, but I suppose it's possible that the recipe was, at least.

Pours very sedately -- almost like some sort of Olympic high diver gracefully doing a double-twist before effortlessly gliding into the pool. Deep ruby-red/mahogany body, with a thin but ever-present layer of foam on top.

Nice complex aroma -- very English in preseantation. If this isn't an English-style Strong Ale, I'm not sure what is!

Immediate warming sensation from the very first sip, followed closely by the complex pildriver three-punch combination of malt, hops, and alcohol. If this was a boxing match, I would say this beer wins rounds by merely throwing jobs and hooks, with the occasional right cross here and there. And while I'm happy to be in the match, it is certianly no contest here! "Elizabethan Ale wins by TKO in the 4th Round!"

A very big, compex, and ultimately satisfying English Barleywine/Strong Ale that did a number on me. And, even better, "There will be a rematch!" :)
//TB

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

1998 vintage, sampled 5/23/05. Poured a dark brown, with only faint whisps of foam on top. Aroma reminds me of a red wine, with underlying chocolate, fig, and raisin notes. Flavor starts with some chocolate and molasses, followed by raisins, dates, and figs, finishes with some oaky characteristics and alcohol. Very nice beer, aged wonderfully, I bet this could got 5 more years and still be excellent, maybe longer.

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

I couldn’t find a date, but this is old enough the cap is rusty. Also, the label says 8.1 percent alcohol. Dark red coloring with a little cloudiness. Aroma is dusty prunes and apples with a little bit of molasses. The taste is a fairly dry maple with oxidized sherry. Hints of caramel in the background. The mouthfeel is surprisingly lively. A decent barley wine that has probably seen better days.