Country of Origin: United States
Availability: Limited edition (2003 vintage).
Price comparison: About $2 more per six-pack than everyday beer.
Alcohol percentage by volume: 11.8%.
Cute bottle/label? Standard shaped 12-ounce brown glass bottle; silver metallic label with the trademark white-on-green "B" (for Brooklyn) logo.
Appearance: Deep brown with a short-lived tan head. No lace.
Scent: Booze. Well, okay, some malt, but I had to work for it. Mostly booze.
Flavor: Sweet, brandylike flavor; closer to barleywine than to beer, really. No detectable hops bitterness. Kind of like straight rum at the finish.
Impressions: Not as elegant as L'Onze (Unibroue's Eleven) nor as good of a buzz as Dogfish Head's 120-Minute IPA, but certainly an acceptable flavor for a barleywine, and reasonably priced, especially when you consider that you don't need as much of this as you would of standard session beer. I'd recommend having it with a meal rather than with snacks to keep it from being overwhelming; the sweetness (nearly to the point of crassness) needs to be balanced a bit. Burgers, pizza, or possibly a dinner-sized salad with a strong vinaigrette is the sort of thing I mean.
Will I buy this beer again? If I can grab some more of this vintage, I will, and put aside at least one bottle for rereview next year. As far as drinking it now, maybe occasionally, when I want that kick without spending the extra fold.
Rating:
3 out of 5 cute beer glasses
Reviewed: February 6, 2004
