Dogfish Head Olde School Barleywine Review

Brewery: Dogfish Head Brewery | Beer: Olde School Barleywine
Style: American Barleywine | ABV: 15.0% | IBUs: 85
Serving Method: 12 oz. bottle poured into tulip glass

Inspired by a tidbit in a cellarman's manual Sam found, Old School Barleywine is a big, gnarly American Barleywine fortified with figs and dates. The manual outlined adding those fruits if the casks were flat to get the yeast going again to re-carbonate things. Seems like as good as a jumping off point for a beer as any.

At 13-16% ABV (15% this time around), it's one of the strongest Barleywines available. Dogfish Head recommend aging the beer, which is unsurprising given the style and alcohol content. I plan on doing just that.

When I first started getting into Dogfish Head, this was one of the forbidden fruits that didn't make it here to Texas that I wanted most. While most of them finally showed up, Old School took forever. Last fall, it finally showed up much to my delight, and I scooped up enough for the cellar. Now, hopefully World Wide Stout will be next.

Here's How Dogfish Head describe the big hitter:

Bold, yet smooth! Fermented with dates and figs, this bone-crushing barleywine has a unique flavor.

Let's crack it and go old school, shall we?

Appearance: A hazy, orange-brown body capped by a finger of cream-colored head that fades to a ring in average time, leaving thick patchy lacing on the way down. Impressive head given the alcohol content.

Aroma: Heaps of sticky toffee pudding malt, leafy hops, and plenty of spicy booze. As it warms, the boozes takes over.

Taste: A mix of leafy, moderately bitter hops and rum-soaked dark fruit (raisins & dates) over a big, brooding sticky toffee pudding malt backbone. The booze is present throughout, adding plenty of spice and a bit of fusel character; feels more like ten percent. All of the elements here are big and bold, but everything ends up pretty balanced in the end. Husky rich caramel malt, faded hops, and a touch of booze in the finish.

Mouthfeel: Full-bodied and chewy with medium carbonation and a dry finish. Plenty of heat from the booze throughout.

Drinkability: Considering the massive alcohol content here, this actually drinks a little faster than expected; though still a solid sipper.

Verdict: Olde School is every bit the big bastard of an American Barleywine I was hoping for; it has a few well-defined, intense flavors that balance each other out. Anxious to see how it ages.

Grade: A- (4.2 out of 5 stars)

Review by Christopher Hunt

Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Barleywine Style Ale 2009 Review

Brewery: Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. | Beer: Bigfoot Barleywine Style Ale 2009
Style: American Barleywine | ABV: 9.6% | IBUs: 90
Serving Method: 12 oz. bottle poured into tulip glass

For many, one of the highlights of the American craft-brew calendar is the release of Sierra Nevada's Barleywine, Bigfoot. This is my first year sampling Bigfoot, and my expectations are rather high. I'm pretty late to the party though, as this is the twenty-fifth yearly iteration of the brew. In an industry filled with so many new beers, an American beer with a quarter-century history is due some serious respect.

Not only is this my first year trying Bigfoot, but this is also the first Barleywine I have reviewed here on PintLog. Barleywines are traditionally the biggest and richest of the British Ales, with mountains of malt and alcohol rates up to twelve percent. As it is with many styles, American Barleywines typically have a bigger focus on hops than their British counterparts. Barleywines are also one of the styles that typically benefit from extended cellaring, and Bigfoot is a classic candidate for extended aging.

Clocking in at 90 IBUs, Bigfoot is certainly on the hoppier side of the Barleywine spectrum, which is no surprise coming from Sierra Nevada. Cascade, Centennial, and Chinook are the hop variaties employeed while the backbone is compred of Two-Row Pale and English Caramel malts. In the immortal words of beer guru Michael Jackson: "Bigfoot captures the imagination, and its character is as big as the name implies, with a huge hoppiness in its earthy aroma, a chewy palate, and a great depth of flavor." Let's dive in.

Appearance: Somewhat hazy deep red body with red laser beam highlights. Two fingers of caramel-tinged head that leaves great lacing.

Aroma: Lots of hops, lots of malt, and lots of booze - just what I expected. Relatively balanced in its massiveness, but the hops take the spotlight. It's a complex mix: perfumey Cascade hops, dark fruit, spices, caramel malt, and alcohol.

Taste: Again, intense and complex. Masses of grapefruity and piney Cascade hops riding on top of a very solid caramel malt base with everything simply dripping with alcohol. Still plenty of dark fruit and spices flavors here. The aftertaste is brilliantly bitter and boozy.

Mouthfeel: So chewy you could chip a tooth with good carbonation. A great dry, boozy finish that segues into a long-lasting hoppy aftertaste.

Drinkability: Very filling and obviously a sipper. One is certainly enough, but a second is still tempting...

Verdict: Bigfoot, like any good Barleywine, is simply a massive beer. Everything about it is larger than life. There are enough hops to make it unique, but not so many that the lines are too blurred with a Double IPA. I can't wait to see how this ages.

Grade: A

Note: While this review is being published in July, the tasting notes contained within were taken when the beer was fresh this past January.