Viscous coppery russet haze befits impressive full-bodied barleywine. Raisin-esque mouthfeel consumes sharp medicinal alcoholic blast, peppery hop dissonance and piney wood timbre to subdued earthen bottom. Red grape esters, cherry, pomegranate, and fig consume yeast-candied caramel-cocoa malting to maple syrup finish.

Behind sharp hop char lies creamy caramel malting fortifying mellow maple syrup sweetness. As subtle grain finish descends, unexpected sherry elixir dissolves into barleywine effervescence.

Most definitely a slow sipper as its chewy raisin insinuation and sinewy molasses thickness woo pungent 9% alcohol content. Pale malts and spiced hops strengthen mightily robust English-styled barleywine. A bit musty, a tad dry, and not nearly as sweet or wine-y as typical American-bred counterparts.

Heavy whiskey malt swagger intensifies candied butterscotch, caramel, and chocolate charm. In the deep recesses, sugared raisin, apple resin, and tangy pineapple offer solid support.

Well-balanced nickel-hued barleywine offers ripe prune opulence above floral-hopped red grape, green raisin, and bruised cherry illusions. Moreover, vanilla-chocolate covers mineral watered mandarin orange tease to earthen bottom.

Burnished copper Holiday seasonal placates strong sherry influence, hefty barley-oats surge, and sweet butterscotch tinge with ripe fruited malt nosing. Unsettling opulent malt liquor coarseness drastically usurps fig, tangerine, and dried cherry notes consuming austere finish, deterring dessert serving.

Frothily cloudy reddish beige-headed barleywine brings sour yeast assertion, malted grain sinew and fruited hop sharpness to sturdily creamy body. Flat finish lacks stylish intention, but retains thorough consistency as worthy second-tier contender. Brewery defunct: 2002.

Admirable ruby-coppered barleywine (with 10% alcohol luster) enhances immediate fruity ripeness with gummy malt-yeast vigor. On first sip, orange-bruised black cherry tang come to fruition, sharpening frisky hop roast. Then, healthy prune-plum overload picks up mellow banana, genial black currant and tart grapefruit-apricot sensation. Sticky caramel-toffee thicket encases cedar-aged rum-spiced red wine finish, leaving minor vinous acidity and tannic grape dryness in its wake.

Bold limited edition (bottle #164) penny-hued barleywine named after respected former Bowden Square Restaurant owner, Herb Mc Carthy, brings strong burgundy-bourbon wining to medicinal cherry coughdrop thrust, stewed prune spurt, and bruised orange swagger. Heavily alcoholic sugar malts invade soured plum-raisin-fig finish and astringent oxidation adds to incredible potency as murky clumped lace coats glass.

Abstruse amber-ruddy Brussels-laced dry bitter may lack richness of barleywine competition, but capacious sour mash waft, lilting spiced hop tingle, and polite mineral water flow suffice. Hints of bruised lemon, dried prune, plum, fig, and orange decorate backend.

Determined, yet diffident, copper-reddish barleywine caresses Scotch malt dryness with butterscotch yeast sweetness, floral accents, and pine-spruce density. Grapefruit, plum, maraschino cherry, and moldy orange illusions ripen chocolate liqueur finish. Highly complex, yet light on the tongue.

Clear chestnut-amber hue too tepid for robust barleywine class. Neither chewy nor gooey enough to convince discriminating aficionados. Oaken Chinook hop dryness counters brown sugared molasses fade, reclining red cherry sway, tucked-in peach-pear dash, and finishing bruised orange upsurge. Wispy spiced rum-Courvoisier lilt fails to ignite.