White Birch Brewing Co. Hooksett, NH
Notes:
American Barley Wine
22oz Bottle
9.0% ABV
Appearance:
Pours a dark, dark brown…very dense…head is a deeper khaki color made up
of a mix of big and little bubbles…with a quick swirl, it livens up to a finger
width…settles to a very nice layer…a good looking brew…(4/5)
Smell: Tons of
brown malt up front…I’m also picking up a strong earthy/citrus hoppy aroma with
an earthy malty bite…not overly sweet or yeasty…sticking my nose in deep, I get
some oatmeal, noticeable alcohol heat and a touch of coffee bitterness…very
much unlike most barley wines, very earthy, brown and not sweet…nice
though…(3.75/5)
Taste: Yum!
Earthy brown malts up front, sweeping over my palate…there’s a real
earthy/citrusy hops presence that comes in the second phase and plays a
background role…the malt flavor though is very abundant and seems to be
varied…the more I sip, the more the oatmeal, toffee and coffee bitterness show…I
think the flavor gets is a bit better as it warms…a very good ale here…(4.25/5)
Mouthfeel:
Medium body, with tons of carbonation…this thing fluffs up bringing tons
of malty goodness (and bite) and a touch of citrus hops to the palate…each sip
coats my tongue leaving flavor for minutes…earthy malts linger well into the after
taste…yum! (4/5)
Overall: This
is a yummy brew…it’s very much unlike any barley wine I can think of in flavor,
that’s for sure…it definitely blurs the lines between black IPA, porter, stout
and apparently barley wine…if it wasn’t labeled as such, I woulda considered
this a black IPA because of its strong hops presence…as it is, it’s a wonderful
beer that’s easy to recommend…I suspect with its easy drinkability and higher
ABV, I’m gonna be feeling real good in no time…this is the perfect brew to sit back
and watch a game 7 with…very unique in flavor, I highly recommend picking one
of these up! (4.25/5)
Score:
(4.05/5)
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