Review – Alaskan Barley Wine 2007

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Alaskan Brewing Company makes a handful of well crafted beers. Until recently, their Barley Wine Style Ale has been a tap only offering. While that is a good enough reason to make the trip to Alaska, I am glad that this favorite style of mine is being bottled. According to last month’s press release, Alaskan Brewing will be bottling this offering in a 22 oz bomber.

TheFullPint.com received two, unlabeled 12 oz bottles of the barley wine, two months before retail shipment. I wanted to wait until the rest of the country could try it, before reviewing it, but I succumbed to temptation. On with the review!

Appearance: Poured into a Old Guardian tulip. Color is a dark maple brown. If I were to pick a percent of light getting through, I would say 7%. Yes, thats a nice number. It’s freshness showed in the top half of the glass, as carbonation was very visible. A 1/16″ head stayed at the top of the glass through the entire session.

Aroma: The first thing I smelled was a ripe red apple, sliced in half. I couldn’t get anything else at the time, and the alcohol smell was masked by the apple aroma.

Taste: Spiced apples, cocoa powder, and cherry lollipop. Very hoppy and a tad bitter.

Mouthfeel: Carbonated and starkly on the tongue. Surprisingly no alcohol warmth. Perfect viscosity, not to thick and not too thin.

Drinkability: A very great take on the style. This was very complex, and very tasty. Either a drink to get you going, or the centerpiece of a dessert. I personally hope this isn’t too difficult to find in the stores, as I would keep this stocked.