Topic Archives: American Barleywine

Posted in Beer News, Coming Soon, Stone Brewing Co.

Stone’s Odd Beers for Odd Years

In 2011, Stone Brewing will be throwing a curve ball.  2 of the brewery’s popular released will be Belgian-ized  going “Belgo”.  Stone calls the program “Odd Beers for Odd Years”.  The stone Russian Imperial Stout and Old Guardian Barleywine will undertake this transformation.

From the Stone Blog:

As a Stone fan, you undoubtedly know and love two of our long-standing special releases: Stone Old Guardian Barley Wine and Stone Imperial Russian Stout. We love them too. We think they’re great beers and both receive sterling marks from BeerAdvocate and RateBeer, the two most prominent craft beer rating websites.

But we’ve been making Stone Old Guardian Barley Wine since 1998 and Stone Imperial Russian Stout since 2000, and if you subtract those numbers from 2010, you arrive at a long time to be making the same beers. So being the dynamic young go-getters that we are, we felt like mixing things up a bit.

Starting in 2011, we’re kicking-off a program we’ve dubbed “Odd Beers for Odd Years.” Translation: in odd numbered years (2011, 2013, 2015, etc…) we’ll be releasing new variations on Stone Old Guardian Barley Wine and Stone Imperial Russian Stout in place of the classic version. A radical redirection for two reliably wonderful beers, we know, but we think you’ll be pleased with the results.

Hell, we are.

The first Odd Beer for Odd Years release will be rocking your collective world in the form of Stone Old Guardian Belgo Barley Wine, which hits shelves in February.

While brewing up 2010 Stone Old Guardian Barley Wine, Stone Brewing Head Brewer Mitch Steele redirected 30 barrels of the batch into a fermenter containing the Belgian yeast we love from Stone Cali-Belgique IPA. After 8 weeks of comingling, bubbling, and resting, the results were ready for sampling. And sample we did. The English/American/Belgian chimera was so delicious, we quickly decided to make it the “Odd Beer” version of Stone Old Guardian Barley Wine for 2011.

So entranced were we with the effects of Belgian yeast on our barley wine, that we chose to go in a similar-ish direction for 2011 Stone Belgo Imperial Russian Stout. It will be an approximately 50/50 blend of classic Stone Imperial Russian Stout and the Belgo-ized version, with a hint of star anise added during the brewing process. You can expect to see this blendo-rific version Stone Imperial Russian Stout on shelves in April of 2011.

Arrival: Dates TBA

Posted in Mad River Brewing, Seasonal Return

Mad River John Barleycorn 2009

This barleywine release from Mad River Brewing ( Blue Lake, CA)  is easily one of my favorite barleywines I have ever had.  The flavor profile is more like an English style barleywine, sweet malts, nutty, muted hop profile.  Following precedent, the current release is from the previous harvest year.  This year’s release is 2009.

Commercial Description:
Our Seasonal Offering. We honor the Harvest &Holidays each year by brewing a traditional Barleywine style ale, using a variety of ingredients. The Label, created by local artist Janis Taylor, is a folksy woodcut based on the tale of John Barleycorn in verse.

Brewed in small 10-barrel batches with Certified Organic barley malt, this crimson hued ale has a sweet caramel nose with a zesty spicy, citrus taste. It has a slight hop finish and leaves a warm, tingling sensation on the tongue. A great winter warmer!

Taste Expectations: Malty.  Caramel. Sweetness like brown sugar/molasses/maple syrup.  Dark fruit notes (figs, dates, raisins.) Slight touch of booze in finish.  Not big on hops.  Much like English b-wine.

Availability: 12oz/4pks.  No draft specified.

9.5% ABV

96 IBUS

Posted in Founders Brewing, Now Tapping

NOW TAPPING: Founder’s Nemesis 2010

Just tapped at Taco Mac Metropolis is Founder’s Nemesis 2010.  It’s a different beer every year, brewed once.

Style: American Barleywine
Taste Expectations: Smell is alcohol and hops.  Taste is complex, while not being heavy.  The alcohol shines for sure, but not in an overwheming way.  Caramel malts, chocolate, even coffee have been used to describe this.  Try it and sort it out!

Availability: 12 oz/4 packs.  Rare draft.  1 Time brew.

12% ABV

Taco Mac Metropolis
933 Peachtree St NE
Atlanta, Georgia 30309

Posted in Founders Brewing, Now Tapping

NOW TAPPING: Founder’s Nemesis 2010

Leon’s Full Service is tearing it up.  In addition to Southern Tier’s Choklat, Leon’s has Founder’s 2010 pouring.

Style: American Barleywine

Taste Expectations: Smell is alcohol and hops.  Taste is complex, while not being heavy.  The alcohol shines for sure, but not in an overwheming way.  Caramel malts, chocolate, even coffee have been used to describe this.  Try it and sort it out!

Availability: 12 oz/4 packs.  No draft.  Est. retail — 17.99

12% ABV

Posted in Founders Brewing, New Releases

Founder’s Nemesis 2010 Arrives!

Nemesis 2010 is here!  Arriving today is Founder’s Brewing’s coveted 1 time annual brew. Nemesis is different every year.  Last year’s nemesis was a maple bourbon barrel aged wheatwine.  This year is a big barleywine.

2010 Nemesis details –

The 2010 release of Nemesis is best described by our brewing team as “a dark barley wine that pours black with a subtle mahogany hue. Brewed with 5 malts and no shortage of hops for a pleasantly bitter booming flavor. Roasty and toasty with a multitude of tastes that melts on your tongue”. – Founders”

Style: American Barleywine

Taste Expectations: Smell is alcohol and hops.  Taste is complex, while not being heavy.  The alcohol shines for sure, but not in an overwheming way.  Caramel malts, chocolate, even coffee have been used to describe this.  Try it and sort it out!

Availability: 12 oz/4 packs.  No draft.  Est. retail – 17.99

12% ABV

Looking for this? Green’s on Ponce has 65, 4 pks in stock.