Appearance: Pours a very dark, toffee brown, with a caramel colored head, which though thin, had pretty good retention.
Aroma: Boozy, sweet, chocolate, dark fruit.
Mouthfeel: Heavy, full bodied, but not as syrupy as I would have expected from a beer with over 16% ABV and as much sweetness on the nose.
Taste: Caramel, chocolate, booze, sweet. Picked up a lot more caramel and less chocolate on the palate than on the nose with this one. Definitely a booziness (as would be expected from a beer with this ABV). Almost a sherry or port flavor. Plum and oak on the finish, which lingers for quite a while.
Overall: Interesting beer, and definitely have to be ready for it and expecting it to enjoy. It mellows a little as it warms up and breathes (as any 4 year old barleywine probably would). Unlike some other barleywines, this beer is not aggressively hopped, leaving the malty, boozy, and sweet flavors in the spotlight. Great beer, and unlike a lot of quads, barleywines, and other sweet and boozy beers, it actually comes in a 12 ounce bottle, which is great!
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