Ridgeway Criminally Bad Elf

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

500ml bottle from Premier Gourmet, Amherst, NY. Clear orange pour, quite a light hue for a barleywine, really. Nil carbonation and as a result, nil head. Malty aroma, with some dark fruit notes. Average body. Flavour was pretty agreeable, though, with dark fruits and caramel; the high ABV was not well concealed, yet without a burn. Minor sweetness at the finish.

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

Nutty aroma and flavor, with carmel and alcohol as the two main players. Slightly bitter, but hops are definitely in the background here. Its thin yet shows the abv, not the best combo, though it wasn't a total waste. Just subpar for a barleywine.

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

A pretty straight forward and young barleywine. All caramel sweetness and raw alcohol in both the nose and flavor. Not much else to say other than it is the best of the series so far, but the others were so average it isn't hard to see why.

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

Haven't had too many non-domestic barleywines, but after this one realizing that this style is simple....yet good. Not as smooth and crisp as some of the US Barleywines, could use a little more flavor...but like I mentioned, sometimes simple is quite fine too. Pretty certain this was discounted on clearance cause the season is over, as I don't think I would spend the full $6 plus.....worth the $4 though. Not good enough to rush out and get again, but I would recognize this if traveling and would certainly order if on tap or something.

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

Pour is amber-orange with a thin off white head. Aroma is sweet and fruity. Flavors of caramel, fruit and malt. A little bitterness is evident but alcohol comes thru in the finish. Not bad but, by the end, is a little too sweet for my liking.

Aroma: 5 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 7

This one, a crystalline reddish amber colored ale. A small off white head with little hang time. Settles into a weak lacing. The aroma is sweet malt balanced by floral hops and alcohol. Full, rich body. An impressive creaminess. The Alcohol is in your face with this one. There’s hops galore in the aftertaste. Really a nice Barleywine. May be the best of the Ridgeway novelty ales I’ve tried so far.

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

Pours a nice clear coppery amber; head is sort of thick and does not stick around. Aroma is strong and more fruity than hoppy, like a cider. Flavor is rather cider-ish with a fierce alcohol bite, about what I expect from a barleywine. There is a harsh, smoky undertone and a bit of unpleasant bitterness in the aftertaste. Still, worth a try if barleywines are to your liking.

Aroma: 5 | Appearance: 4 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 5 | Overall: 5

This doesn't taste like any other barleywine that I've had. I don't mean that in an exciting good way, either. The consistency is really thin, just barely meeting the minimum thickness. Pours copperish with a quick fizz o' head that never amounts to very much. Smells like alcohol. Tastes like alcohol. Very warm in the gut, which is no surprise from all that alcohol. There is some sweetness in the taste too...kind of fruitish (cherry) caramel. Finishes with just the slightest cloying sugariness and warmth. Creative advertising wins again. BAH HUMBUG!

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

Bottle brought over by my Dad. Pour was godlen amber in color, weak initial head and lacing. The aroma was fruity. The flavor was fruity and finished with a firm bitterness, a nice balance to the experience. Some faint grain and caramel notes also underneath supporting this one. Mouthfeel was light for a barleywine, as this entire concoction was dangerously drinkable at a pretty high abv.

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

Pours an amber-orange color and develops a pretty nice off-white head. The aroma is very fruity, as well as herbal and floral, with some alcoholic caramel notes. Wow, this is easy drinking for a 10.5% beer, tastes light, far lighter than expected but still pretty good, fruity, very faint dark fruit, sweet caramel and a bit of a spicy alcoholic tang. It wasn't exactly what I expected but I enjoyed the bottle I had.