I write this on the 13th of September, 2011. This beer was bottled two years before I could legally drink, and a little more than a year before I would try my first beer. Now, I have only had a pair of barley wines in my past, so I really don’t have a lot to compare this brew too. The only other barley wine that I have had was a 2010 Sisyphus, which I found to be excellent. This 2007 vintage however, is just plain phenomenal. This is a beer that definitely ages well. It poured a deep carmel color, similar to that of an Irish red. There was only a little head on the pour, but the lacing is excellent. The taste is very intriguing. It has an almost bitter quality to it. The first flavor that I noticed was an almost caramelized banana, almost as if if was prepared in a vintage brandy. You can also taste slight traces of plums, and spice. For a beer that is 11.5% ABV, it doesn’t hit you like a cinderblock. I have found several higher ABV brews to be too sweet, similar to drinking syrup, however this is not the case with this example. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I am going to go enjoy the rest of this wonderful brew, knowing full well that I may never come across another of this vintage.

Prosit!