Sierra Nevada Barrel Aged Life & Limb

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

Pours near black with thick, creamy head. Smells like a beer lover's perfect forest with bright evergreen notes playing against wood and subtle notes of the featured limbs. Sweet, syrupy malts play against ample bitterness and notable alcohol in the flavor. Like many wonderful and complex beers, this one really evolves as it warms. The bitterness mellows and the maple and birch flavors become more pronounced; I feel like I may have even detected a hint of smokiness near the end of the glass. Full bodied and smooth with significant warming from the strength. Excellent celebration ale. With mine, I celebrate a terrific trade with Slowrunner. Many thanks.

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

This American Strong ale ahd no notes of the SN base flavor. It was syruppy and very sweet. In the glass it was a nice very dark choclate color and the head laced for a while. Leaving it untouched to breathe was what was necessary as the brew opened up and said Welcome. In the mouth it was nice dense heavy brew. Sharp after taste but after the first sip it was smooth and mellow. The alcohol was ever present but i think that if you can hold out, and age this for a while more, it may become more complex as it is simple and unique. SN and Dogfish Head = Heaven.

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

Barrel Aged Life and Limb Sampled on 2/16/2011 on tap at Beer Revolution. This American Strong Ale pours an eclipse black color from the tap. Small to medium sized beige foamy head. The aroma is dark fruit, wood, bourbon, maple, cherry and raisins. A medium bodied American Strong Ale. The malts are chocolate, dark fruity and sweet. The hops are herbal and earthy. Lots of brown sugar/molasses, dark fruit, cherry, maple and wood flavors in this beer. They are constantly mixing and matching. Decent carbonation. The maple flavors contrasts nicely with the wood. Very smooth tasting. Its on the sweet side, but is a nice sipping beer. Hides the alcohol well, Nice herbal/earthy finish. Mouthfeel is full. Finish is clean and smooth. Aftertaste is slightly bitter.

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

can i say "many times" if it was all in the same night?? this was the runaway winner at the local Sierra Nevada 30th AV Celebration. It outclasses all 4 in the AV line, as well as many other SN beers, and for my taste, pushes the Old Ale as THE best Sierra Nevada beer ever made. Hmmm...I wonder if Dogfish will bottle or tinker with this beer. Anyway, the barreling covered up a lot of the birch syrup aspect of the other beer, but left some sweetness and roasty malts and a touch of hops. it smells boozy...tastes so a little too, but is not hot. super flavor, and very smooth. i got a growler of this chillin in the fridge too!!! the LAST growler!