I initially poured about half of the 11.2 oz bottle into my snifter glass, let it settle and the finished it off. L’Ultima Luna poured a deep rustic brown colored body with minimal off-white head and lacing. It appears to have very low amounts of carbonation, too. The nose opens up with dark roasted and caramel malts, compliment by dark fruit undertones. It reminded me of taking certain dark fruits (raisins, plums), some apple pieces and dipping them in caramel and chocolate. The aroma alone is so complex that you can have several very different opinions of flavors being picked up if you’d share this bottle.

The taste instantly reinforced what I got from the nose. The malt notes are amplified through the caramel and roasted flavors. A slight oak element comes through in the background but this is predominantly fruity from the residual wine flavors in the barrel.  The mouth feel on this beer is stellar – it’s smooth from the low carbonation and even at 13% ABV the only hint of alcohol is a nice warming sensation when it goes down.

For me, this was a wonderful Barleywine from a relatively new brewery (circa 2007). The barrel aging process really elevates the traditional components of the style, and establishes Birrificio Del Ducato as a force to be reckoned with. While it is a little more on the expensive side, this one is definitely worth seeking and sharing with a friend.

Rating

94
out of 100

Out of the bottle and into the glass the Griffin’s Bow has an orange copper color with a thick two finger head that dissipates about half way through with minimal lacing. It has a good aroma that is a pleasant mixture of oak, citrus, sweet malt and a bit of booze.

There’s a lot of oak on the first taste with a good hint of alcohol, the 11.5% ABV is only slightly masked. Diving in a little deeper elements of caramel, toffee and sweet malt hit you. The oak plays nicely with the other elements but isn’t the main selling point. The citrus fruits and sweet malt that work with the alcohol are great and make it so I don’t mind the alcohol kick so much. It has a medium mouth feel with some carbonation to liven things up a little bit.

I feel like I should have let this one sit a little more to let the alcohol mellow out, even though it plays nicely with the other flavors. Although it did feel like the flavors were a bit disjointed and didn’t work together as they should – another issue that could potentially be solved by aging. I did enjoy the beer but it’s certainly not a Barleywine that I would reach for right now. I’ll have to pick up another bottle and age it to see what happens.

Rating

81
out of 100

Poured from the tap into a 10 ounce stange glass, the Spike And Jerome’s Cuvee (SJC) pours a solid brownish red color with some red highlights. There is a thin white head that leaves some initial lacing but it quickly fades away. The aromas have a definite alcohol twinge. Elements of vinegar, some vanilla and caramel, and a slight hint of rum and raisins. It smells nicely sweet and sour.

The SJC is surprisingly fruity upfront before the tart sourness kicks in. Dark fruits shine through followed by caramel and vanilla. The rum is in the background and not right upfront, but it works. There is some decent sourness, but it is kept in check by the sweet elements, along with a lot of complexity. A medium mouth feel coats well, and finishes a bit dry; it needs to mellow out a bit more.

The Spike And Jerome’s Cuvee is certainly a good collaboration, and a great complex Barleywine. Aging it in rum barrels certainly adds a nice twist. I think this beer would age well and I would like to have another sample of it in a few years. That isn’t to say it isn’t good now, because it certainly is. If you can find this rare Barleywine, you must give it a go.

Rating

88
out of 100

Out of the 22 ounce bottle and into my glass, the Flying Mouflan has a dark brown mahogany color with some red hints. There is a one finger creamy tan head but this dissipates quickly. A small amount of lacing is left behind as well. Earthy and pine hops are upfront on the nose followed by caramel, raisins and toffee. It’s a wonderful aroma with no hints of alcohol.

There’s more of a hop presence on the palate than most Barleywines, along with a nice bitterness and pine notes. This is especially true on the back end that has some lingering hop notes. Plenty of malt notes are on the palate, mirroring the elements of the nose. Caramel, figs and raisins provide a sweet and complex mixture of flavors. In the finish, a little twinge of alcohol is there but that is expected.

For me, Barleywines can sometimes be too sweet but the Flying Mouflan balanced the malt notes with grounded hop notes. It was complex and hit the high ABV well. A good mouth feel and limited carbonation also make this a good Barleywine. Well worth a try if you can find it — I also recommend getting two and aging one as I hear it changes for the better with age.

Rating

90
out of 100

The BELGO pours an amber / orange color with a thin white head which dissipates to a ring and leaves some spotted lacing behind. The aromas are full of Belgian hints and many other things. Citrus, hops, alcohol, yeast, spices and a malt sweetness are all evident on the nose. Complex, but unfortunately disorganized. I do enjoy the yeast and citrus aromas but the other elements muddy the waters.

The taste is classic Barleywine with Belgian yeast added, what you would expect given how this beer came about. Sweet malt upfront, spicy hops, spicy Belgian yeast and breadyness mid-palate. The finish is spicy and contains a decent hint of alcohol. This seems a little disjointed overall but not as much as the nose. The finish sticks with you, alcohol and spice fighting long after each sip. The mouth feel is smooth and decently carbonated, but I’m not sure if it helps the confusion of the flavors.

I wanted to like the BELGO more, but the adding of the Belgian yeast seems to have thrown off the balance of the Old Guardian. There are good elements but they need to be tamed. I have had this beer on draft as well and it is a bit better out of a keg. It’s smoother, and the flavors and aromas blend a bit better. If you want to give it a go, find it on tap — bottled may not be worth it.

Rating

79
out of 100

Served from the bottle into two tulips glasses, the Abacus reveals an extremely dark brown mahogany with some noticeable maroon hues throughout the opaque body. For being a 13% ABV Barleywine, it still had a small beige head that dissipated into a thin ring lasting the entire bottle. Strong and rich bourbon notes fill the air as the beer breathes and combine with wood elements, maybe cedar or oak -like. At the back end are elements of brown sugar, raisins, figs and sweet vanilla help tie everything in the aroma together perfectly.

On first sip, bourbon and Jamaican rum coat your entire mouth and wood notes explode, sending your palate into shock. Sweet hints of vanilla come through towards the end and smooth things over. Consequential sips reveal the nuances missed from the initial flavor shock: more brown sugar, white raisins and slight boozy notes are more evident. I’m being completely honest when I say this is one of the absolute best Barleywines, and more specifically barrel-aged Barleywines, I’ve ever had the pleasure of tasting.

The masterful blend of bourbon, wood, vanilla and dark fruits are unlike anything I’ve ever experienced before. The smooth, creamy and silky mouth feel gives the perfect body for this exceptional beer. If there is one Barleywine you ever dare to seek out, make it the Firestone Walker Abacus – it’s worth every bit of time and effort.

Rating

97
out of 100

Served in a 10 ounce snifter glass, the Hardtack displays a cloudy ruby red body with a quickly dissipating beige head. A healthy cap is left sip through swallow courtesy of the glass, enhancing the volatiles. The aromas are muted, though there are discernible characteristics. Berry notes are immediately evident – raspberry, cherry and elderberry – and are fused with a sugary caramelized malt base. A hint of lactic, infected wild notes come out, as well as a whiff of alcohol as the beer warms.

As in the nose, I was expecting more vibrant flavors but the Hardtack tosses a single-threaded focus out the window and works on blending everything together. Again, fruit notes come through – cherry is dominant with some raspberry flairs – though, this time any notion of alcohol is left out. The finish is dry and has a slight funk to it but it’s nothing to qualify this as having bold tart qualities.

Considering the rather hefty 10% ABV tag, this has to be one of the most drinkable Barleywines I’ve had to date. Most I’ve confronted in the past fail to mask the inherent alcohol notes that generally come with the style, unlike the Hardtack. Perhaps it’s the sour Morello cherries part of the beer is fermented with or maybe the Rhodiola Rosea used in the brewing – whatever the case, Dogfish Head has created a stand out beer. It’s a shame this won’t make any distribution outside of the brewpub because it would be another wonderful addition to their outstanding lineup.

Rating

94
out of 100

The Druid Fluid poured with a rather clear amber-copper body that had a bleak white head, leaving very little lacing on the glass. The nose on this beer is swarming with different styles of malt and is listed as having a blend of six different ones. There is a subtle undertone of dark fruits and toasted sugar, standard characteristics of most American Barleywines.

The taste is where this starts to really shine and sets itself up in a similar fashion to others, but with some unique qualities. Following the nose, the taste has some up-front bold malty notes, though missing a hop character. The sweet candy and dark fruits come through again and finishes rather dry. However, as the beer warmed, more noticeable fruit accents of plum, raisin and elderberry stand out. This medium-bodied beer has a rather heavy carbonation but it helps coat the palate in some wonderful flavors.

To me, this is a great example of a traditional American Barleywine and while it isn’t anything extraordinary, its focus and refinement on the style don’t go unnoticed. The Druid Fluid is one I’d recommend you try though don’t go out of your way for it. Considering the price was rather reasonable, I’d like to age some and see if time helps make this beer into something better.

Rating

86
out of 100

The XV pours an opaque reddish mahogany color with a small tan head that soon fades away to nothing at all. There is some sticky lacing left on the glass, but it doesn’t linger for long. The aromas from this beer hit my nose as soon as I poured it, and they continued to hit me as I stood five feet away from it. A sweet aroma of dark fruit, toffee, raisins, and caramel with a small alcohol twinge at the end is hard to ignore. It’s a very inviting nose, for sure.

For a Barleywine, the XV starts off on the more bitter end of the spectrum with some citrus hops coming thorough. This is followed by the sweetness that is to be expected given the nose with caramel, sweet malt, and raisins coming though quite prevalently. The XV is a bit dry in the finish with some grassy hops and alcohol coming through. There is little carbonation and a bit of stickiness in the mouth feel.

The XV borrows mostly from a traditional Barleywine but it does differ in some areas, especially when it comes to bitterness. The mouth feel and even the aroma are fairly spot on with what I would expect from a Barleywine. It does keep true to the label description, it is nicely warming and perfectly suited for a late fall night in. Overall, the XV is a Barleywine that should not be ignored, but is certainly not for the beginner.

Rating

88
out of 100

This beer poured a light amber-red color, something I was not expecting from this brew. The head on this beer had a nice fluffy, frothy two finger off-white appearance and had a slightly hazy appearance to the body.

The aroma was sweet with an earthy pine flair to it. There was a nice balance between the malt and the different flavor of hops infused in the brew. The beer had a sweet syrupy smell as well to it. The overall nose had me preparing mentally for a sweet candy taste. Also present was a strong sense of citrus that tried to come through but was muted by the intense resiny hops.

The taste was not exactly what I expected given the aromas. The profound caramel malt character takes over this brew and quickly mutes out much of the hop flavor. However, a sweetness does come through much like the scent. It’s a nice candy sweetness and accents the malt and hoppy nature very well. There is some citrus (passion fruit, grapefruit and some cherry) that cuts through and provides a nice balance. Surprisingly, it didn’t have any alcohol burn which tends to take away from some of the other flavors.

The Barleywine-style is starting to become a favorite of mine and the Hog Heaven was a nice take on the style. It seemed fresh and different to some of the other Barleywines I have had in the past. This is a great one to introduce and start to ween individuals onto the Barleywine style. It’s a sweet Barleywine and a solid brew from Avery.

Overall: 8/10