So here’s the deal with my barleywine. It’s beyond massive.
Like the hops somehow crept up on the intense grain bill, overpowered it, threw it to the ground and started beating it in the face with a sappy pine cone soaked in grapefruit. I’m not counting this as my formal review, but after only two weeks in the bottle this 11.5% ABV barleywine is about as intense as it gets. Probably more because it’s such a young, “green” beer at this point as opposed to a refined, well-matured cellared ale. I can only imagine what this will be like a year or two from now once it has a chance to settle down and blend together.
Poured with a beautiful billowing head, and a nice chestnut coloring in a snifter. The alcohol is potent as can be, interlaced with the huge hop aroma that hits you right from the get-go. There are some beers that give you a big hoppy nose, then peter out in the taste. But this follows up with an even more intense hoppy bitterness that I’ve rarely experienced. Half an hour after enjoying it I kept burping up whole hop leafs. The malty sweetness has a tough time competing, but it’s there. And after only half a glass of this stuff, I was definitely feeling it.
I am very impressed with how well, and quickly, this one conditioned in the bottle, a testament I’m sure to the 200 ml of yeast starter I added to the bottling bucket before I capped them off. The second yeast addition really did its work well in the face of such strong odds. How I haven’t had bottle bombs I’ll never know.
I’m going to do my best to keep the rest of these safely tucked in the dark corner of my cellar where they belong for at least another year. Like Sauron’s ring…lost and forgotten. Left unattended and readily available out in the open, my barleywine could do some unsuspecting beer drinker some serious harm.
January 6, 2009 at 8:31 pm
Congrats!
Excited to try it!
January 6, 2009 at 8:39 pm
Thanks, while this is quite an intense beer, I’m reserving judgment at the moment. It’s almost unfair to truly review it right now. Too young.
January 6, 2009 at 9:24 pm
Just visited your what’s on tap page:
J.W. Lees Harvest Ale 2001
J.W. Lees Harvest Ale 2002
J.W. Lees Harvest Ale 2005 (Calvados Cask)
J.W. Lees Harvest Ale 2006 (Sherry Cask)
J.W. Lees Harvest Ale 2006 (Port Cask)
J.W. Lees Harvest Ale 2007 (Lagavulin Whisky Cask)
Wow. I. Am. Jealous.
January 6, 2009 at 10:14 pm
It’s becoming a daily struggle not to just drink them all at once.
January 6, 2009 at 10:16 pm
You’ve had none so far?
Believe me, it is humanly impossible to drink more than 12 ounces of JW Lee’s per 24 hours. In fact, find a friend to share a bottle with. So potent.
January 6, 2009 at 10:19 pm
None. I’m still detoxing from my bachelor party.
Same goes for my barleywine…a whole bomber may cause blindness.
January 7, 2009 at 7:45 am
Hah sounds awesome man. I’m jealous of that list too.
January 7, 2009 at 10:08 am
That is some list. I got a bottle of Great Lakes Porter and Dark Horse IPA on tap at my house. Which will be gone by about 9 tonight.
January 7, 2009 at 10:08 am
What is the best temp to store beer? I got a crawl space that I think would be perfect for storing beer.
January 7, 2009 at 11:04 am
Nice, I haven’t had anything from those guys but I’ve heard good things.
Regarding beer storage…you should check out http://www.brewbasement.com, a very well-done site on cellaring beer. You’ll find tons of good info on how, where and what to store. My rule of thumb has always been keep it dark (so it doesn’t get light struck), and keep it cool (50-60 degrees if possible).