Weyerbacher 12

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

Sampled on 10/27/08. This barleywine pours a deep copper color from a 22oz bottle. Small to medium sized white foamy head, with decent retention and nice lacing. The aroma is caramel and sweet with some orange, rye spiciness and caramel. A medium to light bodied barley wine. The malts are caramel and sweet, but there are also a lot of orange and peach fruit flavors as well. The hops are floral and earthy. Touch of tea. Nice balance. Good carbonation. It seems a little thin in the mouth for a barleywine. It has more of a malt character than a hop profile. The rye adds an interesting spiciness to the beer. Hides the 10.2% alcohol very well. Mouthfeel is full and round. Finish is clean and smooth. Aftertaste is slightly sweet.

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

Bottle courtesy of goryshkewych: Poured a light medium copper color ale with a medium size head with average retention but some very good lacing. Aroma of sweet malt with light alcohol phenols. Taste is a mix between some sweet barleywine style malt but with the special characteristics from rye with some average hops presence. Average body with good carbonation and light apparent alcohol. Not the best from the style but an interesting experiment that may lack some complexities. I don’t know if time has done good to this beer but it was definitely better then some of the older ratings description.

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

Very unusual beer. Poured thick, almost like oil. No head half way through the pour. Just as the disappointment began to set in over a flat beer, a HUGE head began to form out of nowhere! Had to stop pouring as the head grew and overflowed the glass. One of the thickest, most dense heads I've ever experienced on a beer. The beer itself was deep golden in color, with a hint of copper tinge. Very full-bodied mouthfeel. Very sweet aroma, however not so much sweetness on the palate. Kind of thin flavor for such a thick brew. More delicate than expected. Good hop bitterness, but not overly so. Fruity, with apricot and citrus. Alcohol very detectable. This is a strong brew! Very good overall.

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

I am not sure I have ever seen a beer pour with a more viscous, thick body than this brew. It is moderately well carbonated, but the viscousness of the brew causes it to form a four-finger thick, light tan colored head. The beer is a light, amber color and shows a clear, ruddy, copper color when held up to the light. The carbonation bubbles really struggle to the surface in this brew and as the head slowly subsides it leaves a bit of cream colored lacing on the sides of my glass. The aroma is interesting, it is certainly a bit different than a typical barley based beer; there is an earthy grain note, a certain savory spice character. The beer aroma finishes with a touch of warming alcohol and a bit of grassy hop character. As my nose gets used to it I pick up some soft, citrus hop character and perhaps a bit of herbal notes.

Very thick and viscous tasting, I almost feel like it could be cut with a knife. Lightly tart tasting, which accentuates the hoppy citrus flavors, but there is also a fair amount of herbal hop notes. The beer finishes with a solid, noticeable hop bitterness, but it is still thick and viscous throughout. Somehow the flavors and tartness remind me of watered down tangerine juice. I am not sure if it is the viscous body of this brew or what, but all of the flavors in this brew seem to be quite muted for a beer of 10% strength. The alcohol provides a spicy, warming note to the finish at times, though the body of this brew seems to hold it mostly in check.

This really is a sipping brew, the flavors certainly are not horrible, though it is awfully light flavored for such a big brew. I was eagerly anticipating the texture of this brew and it certainly has not disappointed me, but that seems to be the only really interesting thing about this beer. I am actually fairly surprised how uncomplicated this brew is.

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

Poured a cloudy orange color with good lacing and okay head. Aroma was lots of light fruits. Flavor was much the same, peaches which i have a hard time picking out normally. Alcohol wasn't hidden at all plenty hot on the mouth.

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

Bottle, light orange color pour, small but respectable initial white head, good lacing. The aroma was peaches and other light fruits. The flavo rwas light fruits, peaches most prominent, finishes though with a nice barley-rye grainy character. Main drawback was early "heat" from the alcohol, but that faded throughout consumption. Mouthfeel was sticky, but broken up by good carbonation. Nice stuff.