Rating:

“Limited release vintage Barley Wine celebrating Epic’s 10th Birthday and their 1000 batch brew at Steam brewing. Complex layers of dried fruit, sherry and spice, will age a treat! Hand wrapped and sealed with wax.”

Served in a snifter. It hits the glass with that sexy mahogany hue that’s covered by a wispy overlay. It peels back to a ring which leaves a streaky lace sticking to the walls of the glass.
And bam! That extreme, but never cloying, sweetness fills the nostrils with gingerbread, port, raisins, toffee, spice, apricot jam, fig and super sweet residual sugars. To save us from writing an essay we’ll just say that once it begins to come up to room temperature it really opens up about its complexities. Ooph! What an aroma.
It’s not often that the flavour of a beer upstages the aroma but we’re almost certain that’s the case here. It initiates with this absolutely heavenly caramel/toffee sweetness that’s supported by fortified wine, spice and stewed stonefruits. The warmth from the booze (10%) hugs the palate midway and coaxes out a somewhat sharp hint of Mead along with dates, maple syrup and caramelised sugars that extend far past the finish. Incredible length on display here.
Super sticky texture, almost chewy in the mouth. Full body with low co2 and a very well concealed 60 IBU.
Quite a remarkable barleywine indeed. We’re actually confident in saying that it is the best barleywine we’ve ever had the luxury of drinking….simply can not fault it. One word of advice to the brewers….. drop the bloody wax seal tops! OK they look impressive but we value our fingers way too much!

Rating:

“We’ve taken a grist of 100% heavy peated distilling malt sourced from Scotland and used a reiterated mash process with a 2.5 hour boil to produce a beer with incredible depth and flavour. Maturation in Octomore whisky barrels has rounded the beer beautifully, adding another layer of complexity.”

Served in a beer tulip. She even looks dangerous….like a wife with a knife! Copper coloured with a wispy head that vanishes before the bottle is put back down. We can literally smell this beast as it sits there on the table. We can’t actually work out where the beer ends and where the whisky starts. Behind that chest pumping and warming whisky character lies extremely potent notes of wet ash, residual sugars and bush fire smoke. Stand by for complete intoxication.
Let’s not mix words here…this beer devastates the palate. Low co2, low IBU and maximum alcohol (16%) burn. Medium body.
It’s all Islay whisky upfront: smoky, ash and molasses with a lick of rich toffee to sweeten up the deal a little bit. The unmistakable flavour of ash carries through the mid and finishes on a smoky and charred bacon note that endures a life time on the back end.
Wow. As novice whisky drinkers we almost can’t find the distinction between the two. Don’t let this small and unassuming bottle fool you, this packs one serious punch to the face. Our advice is this….if you LOVE whisky then this is the beer you’ve been waiting for….if not, then leave this well alone.

Rating:

“You are about to be tested. Hellbender is a leviathan of a beer made with over a tonne of malt and a mountain of American hops. You know it would taste great right now, but a beer this big will only get better with age. What will it taste like in a year? Two years? More? Will you ever get to find out or will it be too much for you? Can you delay the gratification, or will you yield to temptation? Which will it be? Your time starts now.”

Served in a beer tulip. This monster pours a deep amber colour with strawberry red highlights. It dons a short wispy cap that deconstructs and forms a halo that works a healthy lace down the walls of the glass.
Holy moly! The nose on this bad boy is ridiculous. It’s super complex and so layered we could be here all day trying to isolate each scent. The main players include caramel fudge, toffee, fig jam, caramelised pears, pot pourri, spice, residual sugars, alcohol and blood plums. Wow….. Just wow!
It is deceptively dangerous in the mouth. Incredibly smooth and almost chewy with low co2. Medium bodied with that 11.2% ABV unbelievably well buried.
This barleywine serves up an absolute banquet of sweet and decadent flavours that range from gingerbread, glazed cherries, figs and toffee to warming booze, spice, dates and earthy herbs. The other aspect we love about this is that considering all of the really sweet flavours it still finishes slightly dry which adds that crucial balance on the back palate.
There are so many words to describe this beer but none of them would do it justice. The conplexity on offer is simply amazing. The aroma, flavour, drink ability…all of it is so intricate but so fine tuned. we could only imagine what a few years cellaring would do to this already magnificent beer. We are going to have to lay one down and find out.

Rating:

“It’s our tenth birthday and the tenth release of our Anniversary Ale series. Always big, bold and oak aged – but this year matured in Lark Distillery whiskey barrels for 8 weeks combining rich malt aromas and flavours with a distinct vanilla oakiness and subtle whiskey character. Cellar for up to 10 years – AA10 will just keep getting better and better with age. Or drink now if you can’t wait! Continuing the artist series labels, this year created by Newcastle’s Bridie Watt.”

Served in a beer tulip. We’re met with a murky brown hue that’s covered by a two finger tan head that gradually peels back. It establishes a wispy film that produces a significant amount of lace as we imbibe.
As expected this barleywine is expressing some rich and super complex aromas. The most distinct would have to be the heaving malt base along with the rich toffee, figs, plum jam, raisins, clove and brown sugar. Not a great deal of oak coming through but a cognac-like note certainly presents stronger than the whisky. Incredible concealment of the booze too.
Unbelievably palate friendly for a barrel aged barleywine weighing in at 10% ABV. The texture is dense and chewy with full body and low Co2. So smooth for its size.
Holy moly, the taste buds are in a frenzy trying to isolate this onslaught of flavour. It’s like a tidal wave of malts washing over the palate imparting a concoction of spice, dried fruits, toffee, raisin, oak, vanilla, ginger bread and hints of whisky. Finishing with a residual sugar sweetness and a kind of dry, oaky tannin in the tail.
After a year of aging we thought it was high time we cracked Murray’s 10th anniversary ale. Although it’s a superb drop we would have loved to see more of the whisky come through, just falls a bit short there in our opinion. Especially when we’re dealing with a quality distillery such as Lark. Anywho, a robust offering…Just not their best.

Rating:

“Aged in bourbon barrels. Rich auburn in colour. Aroma of toffee, hints of spice and fruit cake. Bourbon oak character, caramel and an assertive hop bitterness which leads to an outstanding dry finish. Designed to be cellared for 5+ years.”

Served in a snifter glass. This monster offers a murky and somewhat dark rusty hue. It pours with little head with what was managed peeling back to a ring which laced surprisingly well.
The nose feels like it’s holding back a little. We get sticky toffee and caramel undertones with subtle oak, bourbon, aniseed, buttery biscuits and sweet caramelized malt but it does appear to be slightly restrained. Although in saying that the 12.5% ABV is remarkably well buried so it works both ways. Still, very well balanced and absolutely luxurious aroma.
Ooph! Nothing is being held back in the mouth though. The sharp, piercing alcohol is somewhat softened by the smooth decadent malts. The body is on the fuller side with low Co2. Very extravagant drinking.
The palate is treated to a complete flavour sensation with the rich caramelized malts, toffee, bourbon and prickly booze on the front. It really intensifies during the mid before it all settles in to a sweet warming finish that goes the distance on the back end.
We’ll admit we were a little uncertain at the start but this barleywine keeps going from strength to strength. Love the subtle oak and bourbon complexity. Super sweet but never cloying and amplified by that belly warming booze. Hawkers do it again!

Rating:

“The newest release from 8 Wired’s Barrel programme is an absolute stomper! Layer upon layer of complexity, oak integration is perfect and the higher abv is hardly noticeable.”

Served in a snifter glass. This barley wine offers a remarkably clear burgundy complexion with a finger of cappuccino foam topping it off. Reduction is steady, eventually establishing a wispy film that works a wavy lace down the walls of the glass. The aroma is unbelievably complex. As expected the oak comes through with some dominance but the dank and super sweet fruits counter it magnificently. Tucked in right behind are super sticky notes of port, dates, maple syrup and residual sugars that have this somewhat earthy licorice note flowing through. Booze, chocolate, molasses and a trace of ash brings up the bottom end and ties up an incredible aroma. Wow.
The mouth feel is sharp and warming yet sticky with a velvety smoothness. Co2 is mild and the body is medium. It’s aggressive but also slick and sophisticated.
It offers an absolute arsenal on the fore: we get a fusion of dark fruits, toffee, oak, port, dates and fig that leads in to a dry and warming middle. The alcohol intensifies as an oaky wine tannin makes way for a dry, prickly and somewhat malty sweet finish. Excellent length offered on the back palate as well.
As mentioned at the top of this review it’s a seriously complex little number. Masterfully executed with ingredients that cover almost all corners of the globe. It just takes a bit of brewing brilliance to bring them all together and that’s exactly what they’ve done here. Top shelf stuff from 8 wired.

Rating:

“Oak aged Barley Wine. Rich, fruity, sweet with the potential to age for at least 3 years.”

Served in a wide rimmed tulip. This 2015 vintage barley wine pours a rusted copper hue with a thin sheet forming across the top. What little head there was quickly diminished and leaves a ring around the edge of the glass. To our surprise though, it still manages to weave some wet and spotty lace as we imbibe. Our first impression of this aroma is just rich and cloyingly sweet. The dominant scents are caramel and toffee with a pronounced port character to back it up. Very heavily layered with sweet residual sugars and then again with sweet dried fruits like apricot, dates and fig. An evident alcohol warmth further intensifies the somewhat fortified wine characters and reinforces the fact that this is a beer to sip slowly on. The beer rolls over the tongue quite easily we must admit. It’s not watery or thin but it does have a flat tannin that features when drinking wine. A little sticky in texture as a reasonable alcohol (9.5%) warmth develops after the swallow. The front palate offers an intricate marriage of woody oak, chewy toffee, subtle spicy notes and fortified wine. An alcohol warmth emphasizes them all and carries a residual sugary sweetness in to the mid. Hints of port, dates and rich toffee prevail and lead to a robust finish that provides a lightly toasted, sweet and caramelized aftertaste on the rear. Initially we were a little put off by the intense artificial sweetness but as it warmed it developed a more complex and robust oak and fortified wine flavour. We’ve only laid this down for a year and even now we’re thinking we popped it a bit too prematurely. If you still have one unopened our advice is to leave it and return in another year. Another twelve months will surely reward it.

Rating:

Aaaah murrays. Where do we start. We have a fond appreciation of this brewery. We bought this bad boy after Kane’s wedding in February 2015 and we have been aging it until now. This brew has been oak aged in red wine staves. It’s 10%  alc vol and we are salivating at the prospect of murdering it.

After wrestling with the wax coated covering, we finally popped the cap and the olfactory was on alert. We get oak, we get resin hops, we get stewed fruits, and toffee malts. We can tell this has been aged for some time. Poured into a pint, there was a big bubbly head that faded quite quickly leaving a dark amber looking beer with some carbonation bubbling up. You can smell this beer sitting on the table! Can get the stonefruit elements of peach and/or apricot now in the glass. First sip is huge. This is a full bodied barley wine. You almost chew it its that heavy. There is a balance of astringent alcohol and bitterness from the hops used, with a lingering stonefruit flavour and bitterness sitting on the backplate that seems to coat the mouth now. Moderate carbonation in the mouth. We get that mild sourness that red wine can yield upon imbibing. We love the fact that half way through the glass, the smoothness for 10% alc vol is really impressive. Some beers the imbalance shows up majorly but not here. As the beer warms, you get more sweet stewed fruits, and really nice peach and apricot aromas with a big swill of the glass.. The oak is well consumed by the hops and toffee malt backbone. There is a mild spiciness now clinging to the uvula. So rich, so tasty, so complex. This is a heavy beer and not for the faint hearted. We have a serious head buzz by the end of the pint. Like a good wine, it gets better by the end. Craft beer lovers will really savour this. This is almost a 10/10.

Rating:

“Barley wines are traditionally hefty brews, but ours is downright excessive. The huge maltiness of this beer is only tamed by an equally prodigious addition of hops, creating a rich, slightly sweet, caramel-hued ale infused with assertive bitterness and bright hop notes, all culminating in a pleasing dryness. While it will evolve into an even more glorious brew with age, this beer’s delicious onslaught of flavors will seriously challenge your ability to wait any longer to drink it.”

What we thought was going to be this years barley wine has actually turned out to be the 2013 classic release. Score!! No need to age this beauty, the work has already been done. Served from the bottle in to a beer tulip. The appearance offers a muddy, light mahogany with a soft honey hue. A short off-white head develops over the top but it slowly reduces to a fine film which still manages to release a fair amount of lace. The first thing we notice and are quite amazed by is the balance between crisp hops and slightly rich toffee/caramel malts on the nose. Even after all the years of being bottled it still provides a punchy hop presence. As she comes up to room temperature the heavier residual sugars, malt sweetness, toffee and alcohol begin to reveal themselves but there’s always that gorgeous hop freshness there to lift it. Excellent balance. Very classy aroma. In the mouth it’s extremely dry with an aggressive hop bitterness (our guess would be around the high seventies). As expected, a stinging alcohol burn (11.6% ABV) is certainly felt on the tongue. Mild-medium Co2 with medium body. Very pronounced alcohol burn upfront. Plenty of chewy toffee and sticky, sugary sweetness injects itself to counter it though. The hops really come alive through the mid, providing that strident bitterness that endures through to the back palate. The finish is dry and bitter but a subtle sweetness that does pull the surging hops back into line. Oomph! This is a mean mother! It’s one that should only be taken on by an adventurous beer drinker. As budding barleywine fans, this is nothing like your normal barleywine. This one is hop-charged, bitter and potently strong. Proceed with caution.

Rating:

From this quaint little Central Coast microbrewery comes their second year anniversary ale to celebrate two years of business. Great to see. This brew is a behemoth…12.5% alc vol of Belgo-IPA goodness! We love the artwork stencil and that its served in a champagne bottle for extra consumption. This bottle is 269/860 brewed so we pumped we snagged one.

Pouring a golden Amber/mahogany with a fair bit of carbonation and a head that slowly subsides but leaves a bit of lacing on the glass. Beautiful aroma of caramel, toffee, honey, fig, and stewed tropical fruit, with that Belgium yeast component. Yum. Flavour is immense. Very powerful alcohol burn on the palate , and more honey and stewed tropical fruit. The Belgian component really shines here and we get a bit of banana and clove. Body is full here and we do get the bitterness on the back palate but it’s overshadowed by the estery Belgian yeast. Jeez this a powerful beer..one glass and we feel the effects of the alcohol. We love the fact that this brew can be cellared for years but if interested in drinking now, it’s $30 and available at the brewery. A definitely worthy drop.

Rating:

This Barley wine marks the 9th year of class brewing by Murray’s Craft Brewing Co. An institution to us, as it is a brewery we have visited probably a dozen times. It has actually been a long time coming because this is the 2014 anniversary ale and we carefully cellared this for about 6 months.

Very regally capped off by wax, we toiled through and finally popped off the cap and served into a snifter glass. Our eyes are met with a deep copper appearance. Crowning it is a short beige head that eventually settles to a fine collar without much lacing. Since the new head brewer has taken the reigns there has been a very welcome introduction of US-inspired beers packed full of US west coast hops such as Fred, Skully and the latest session IPA…Ed. This barley wine seems to have similar inspiration with a slightly hop-forward aroma that mainly consists of grapefruit, passion fruit, toffee and residual sugars. What we love about this style is it’s similarity to wine so as it warms we pick up these faint undertones of caramelised pear/apple, booze, dark fruits and wood. Perfectly complex. The mouth feel is silky smooth with an oily texture. Carbonation is low and the body is medium. Quite an interesting flavour profile here, it doesn’t really unfold in stages….it’s more like a burst of alcohol warmth, toffee, caramelised sugars, rock melon and apricot that initially takes hold of the taste buds and refuses to leave. The only noticeable shift is a slight alcohol warmth on the rear-palate…bringing with it really good length. As most barley wines do, this monster offers a slight head buzz and this one is weighing in at 10% ABV. Here’s cheers to 9 years!! And hopefully there are many, many more to come.

Rating:

“Did you also at some point in your life get seduced by promising words like ‘probably (not) the best in the world’, ‘it (doesn’t really) work every time’ etc. This American Barley Wine says it how it is. It’s intense, attention seekingly hoppy and definitely your kind of beer. A beer with a big ego, drive and a huge thirst for recognition”.

As we mentioned in our last review for this brewery, it’s really positive to see these guys branching out and brewing some creative beers like this. Big ups. Served in a beer tulip the light brown/mahogany pour produced a small tan head that settled to a rim of foam around the edge of the glass. Despite the lack of head retention the lacing was still OK. The aroma is big on malts with a strong, earthy reference to port. Hints of raisin, jaffa, toffee, fig, nuts, alcohol and licorice are well balanced out by a firm herbal hop presence. We weren’t sure if we were keen initially but we think we’re coming around. The mouth feel is quite silky with a full bodied flavour. Mild carbonation. Upfront a sharp booze burn is accentuated by an aggressive hop bitterness which subsides during the mid-palate. Toffee, dough and cognac form quite late just before a rich, creamy finish moves in and displays brilliant length. A solid booze sting (10.3% ABV) on the back end completes an overall potent and dynamic beer. We found this bad boy got better once it warmed up, so best leave it out of the fridge for about 10-15 minutes before drinking. Bottoms up!

Rating:

Really eye catching bottle here. Loving the swing top. The latest quirky and very crafty series by rogue hitting the shelves are showcasing everything from hyper pink to bright yellow to black and all that in between. Very smart marketing. Let’s just hope the flavour can match the awesome bottle because we dare say this wasn’t cheap ($42).

Served in a tulip glass the murky brown pour produced a dense 1 finger of off white head that slowly collapsed. Off the nose we can sense a dank and boozy beer. Plenty of cognac and sherry-like aromas are on offer. Considering this was brewed in 2013, whether this is an effect of oxidation is questionable, because they do work. Hints of brown sugar, raisin, toffee and caramel malt add an extra level of complexity to an already robust aroma. The mouth feel is quite creamy with low carbonation and full body. Upfront the sharp cognac-like flavours along with an astringent booze burn fill up the mouth. A slight hint of toffee and booze in the mid-palate moves forward into a dry and bitter finish. From beginning to end the high ABV (11.5%) is well evident. This is definitely better enjoyed as it warms up, so best you leave it out of the fridge for about 20 minutes before drinking. Be prepared for a buzz because this is one potent beer. Go easy, but enjoy, it’s actually quite a nice barley wine.

Rating:

Well, winter in 2014 is fast approaching so we thought we would mark the occasion with a rich and hearty Barley wine.

Served in a tulip glass the deep copper red pour produced a big bubbly 2 and a half finger head that retained very well, omitting a tonne of lacing as we imbibe. The aroma is a complex and astringent array of dank alcohol, dates/prunes, sherry, plum, jaffa and residual sugars. Slightly musty with plenty of sweet and bready malts that adds some extra depth to an already powerful aroma. Medium carbonation with a slightly acidic mouth feel. Initially an astringent mix of stinging alcohol, fortified wine and canned fruits invades the taste buds. A suggestion of grain develops late before a sweet and sugary mid-palate is finished off by a sharp, dry finish with a lingering hint of fleshy fruit sweetness on the back end. 10.4% ABV is well evident but compliments this beer’s complexity. Wow, far from a sessional beer but definitely 100% quaffable. If we were to sum up a really good barley wine it would be this. Hats off to these guys, we aren’t big fans of barley wine but you have the thumbs up from us. This would be a perfect winter warmer that would pair well with medium strength cheeses like smoked cheddar, gruyere and edam. Really nice brew.

Rating:

“This beer marks a milestone in our business, with the expansion of our brewing operations at Port Stephens,” said brewery owner, Murray Howe. “Our eighth birthday comes at a time when craft beer is really flying high. The craft beer scene is innovative, experimental and set for further growth in the years ahead. It’s a very exciting time.”

The Anniversary Ale series changes subtly each year but is always oak aged, always big and always a very limited release of 1000 bottles. Murray’s eighth Anniversary Ale goes back to its roots, reflecting the original recipe brewed to launch the company on New Year’s Eve eight years ago”. Fresh from Bobs Farm in Port Stephens comes this 750ml 2013 anniversary barley wine. Dark brown pour with a thin head and minimal lacing on show. On the nose we detect a firm waft of alcohol, oak and malt mixed in with scents of pine and citric grapefruit. Astringency aside, it’s actually warming and very rich with complex hints of dark dried fruits and some cognac undertones. This baby is 10% ABV and its evident in aroma and flavour. The carbonation is quite mild with a high initial bitterness on the front-palate. Stinging alcohol, gamey meats and ash in the mid-palate is completed by a dry, hoppy finish. No where near a sessional beer but a definite quaffer. This is only a seasonal brew so get down to Murray’s in Port Stephens and see their amazing range of beers.

Rating:

On tap and in a tasting paddle at the brewery in the Hunter Valley. Copper in appearance with a creamy 1 finger’s worth of head. Good retention and good lacing. Floral aroma initially with subtle earthy hints of pine, oak and ash to follow. A strange sweet and floral undertone we can’t quite put our finger on. Maybe vanilla or pot pourri? Medium carbonation with a dry mouth feel. Palate also displays a floral and sweet flavour.. This worked for the aroma but not so much for the taste. A tad cloying and slightly astringent. Soft hints of warming alcohol, charcoal and oak add a bit of depth but to no avail. 10.2% ABV is quite evident in taste and aroma but it did add extra body and flavour. This beer was OK, although at this time we are still relatively new to Barley wines. Plenty of better options on tap here though.

Rating:

“Hoptilicus is a barleywine hopped like a double IPA. The idea was to make a strong complex ale show casing both the hops and malts while retaining drinkability from the use of Danish beet sugar which ferments away leaving only alcohol drying the beer out. The label is inspired by a famous Danish B-movie from the 50’s.”

Another excellent addition to this Danish breweries huge range. This one we served in an IPA glass (mainly because it’s hopped to the nines), the murky brown pour offers a light mahogany hue with a fizzy 1 finger tan head that maintains and laces well. The aroma is providing tropical-fruity overtones with grapefruit and pine dominating. A decent caramel and pale malt base injects a lovely caramelised sweetness, almost like treacle to balance this gorgeous aroma. The mouth feel is smooth with a hint of dryness. Medium carbonation and body. Flavour packs a nice bitter punch from the hops throughout. Very zesty, we can pick up hints of grapefruit and orange peel on the front-palate. Initially, quite dry but then mid way through it becomes quite smooth with a subtly malty, toffee-like character that enjoys a slight alcohol warmth. This finish leaves a long lasting hop bitterness on the tongue that begs for more. We were quite surprised at how well the alcohol content (9% ABV) was hidden. Very very quaffable brew. Impressive offering, we’d definitely buy again.

Rating:

“Bigfoot is a beast of a beer, brimming with bold flavors of bittersweet malt and heaps of aggressive whole-cone Pacific Northwest hops. First introduced in the winter of 1983, Bigfoot is a cult-classic beer brewed in the barleywine style, meaning a strong, robust, bruiser of a beer with the refined intensity of a wine. Bigfoot is prized by beer collectors for its supreme cellarability. Under the proper conditions, it can age like a fine wine, developing new flavors and character as it matures in the bottle. Each new release or “expedition” is vintage dated. Collect your own and see the flavors develop and progress.”

We served this barley wine in a beer tulip. Our eyes are treated to an exceptionally clear tawny copper appearance with deep ruby red hues. Over the top sat a big 3 finger crown which steadily reduced to a firm covering. Good head retention with sheets of lacing clinging to our glasses. Deep and complex aroma, there’s much more focus on the fruity sweetness rather than the oak and vanilla which barley wines are more commonly known for. A vigorous twirl also reveals a hearty earthiness with tangy hints of pomegranate, red grapes, stewed fruits, residual sugars, raspberry, alcohol and floral pine. Quite pungent to be honest. In the mouth it’s light and slightly oily with a sharp alcoholic astringency. The carbonation levels are mild with a moderate body. Upon entry an overrepresented alcohol burn takes a hold of the taste buds. Dank, earthy flavours are softly sweetened by syrup and hints of a fig-like viscosity. We were kind of hoping the alcohol burn would settle but it almost does the opposite, taking on a muted burn on the back end as it fades out. A suggestion of honey and doughy malts finish the beer off as a firm dryness offers decent duration. Well, it’s safe to say the 9.6% ABV is left slightly unchecked, although when we look at this as a belly-warming winter beer, we can kinda dig it. We aren’t completely sold on it though, if it were aged a little longer maybe the alcohol would soften and allow more of those sugary flavours to come through. Nothing spectacular but certainly offers nice quaffing.