De Molen ‘Bommen & Granaten’ BA Barleywine

Rating:

“Barley wine aged for a year on whisky & wine barrels.”

Glassware: Snifter.

Appearance: Pours a deep burgundy hue with a short head which snaps back to the rim. Minimal lace as we go.

Aroma: We’re getting a tonne of the classic rich malty sweetness but it’s the flamboyant fusion of whiskey and wine that has piqued our interest. It’s so well integrated we can’t tell where the whiskey starts and where the wine ends….then right in the centre is this decadent concoction of dark fruits, rich caramel/toffee, Rosé Port, burnt orange, caramelised sugars, soy sauce, vanilla, mixed spice and botanicals.

Flavour: Pretty much the same reaction we gave the aroma…wow! Bourbon, wine barrel, warming booze, rich sweet malts and dark fruits rush the front palate. A slightly bitter burnt orange note mixes with hints of Brandy and Rosé Port midway then leads into an intense finish of burnt sugars, toffee, orange rind, caramelised pear and red wine.

Mouthfeel: Dense, chewy and gelatinous. Low-ish Co2 but full body. The 13.1% ABV is ridiculously well concealed.

Overall: Even though it only comes in 330ml bottles our advice is to share it. Not only for the sheer weight of it but the extremely rich flavour profile. Very very complex but very very nice!