Barleywine: Too much for me

[Facinerous]

I should start by saying that I really do enjoy beer in general.

It seems that its a repeated thing with barleywines though. I buy one, and its just to much for me. I don't expect everyone to agree with me, but a beer with over 10% Abv is just getting to be unenjoyable to me.

So tonight I was perusing the local beer isle, and came upon the Stone Old Guardian today. I hadn't tried it, but I noticed that it was 11.6% abv. Decided to get it just to try.

Most certainly a strong beer. So much flavor in fact it was like it was trying to cover up the fact that it wasn't good. The bottle was a 22 to I had one glass trying to figure out what I disliked about it. I will say that the bitter/malt ratio was done pretty well. It just came off as overpowering as a whole. Maybe that is just Stone. I guess I should expect that with them.

Either way it is yet further proof that barleywines are just not for me. The second glass (finishing the 22) I had only ended up half finished. Had to dump the rest. The alcohol flavor began to overpower everything, as I expected, as it warmed up.

Just another reminder to myself that I shouldn't try to brew a strong ale.

As sad as it sounds I moved on to a Dr. Pepper and rum to finish off the night.

 

[butterpants]

I don't like much of what Stone does

 

[sandyeggoxj]

Last may I was in Burlington, VT, and one of the tap rooms had a cellared bottle of OG from 2008. It was amazing. It aged very well.

Some barleywines are good, some are bad. And some just plain need some age. I have 2 bottles of old blue hair from big sky in my cellar. That is a tasty barleywine. Lower abv too.

I understand that all styles are not for everyone.

 

[Fordmi]

Hmm... I like old guardian quite a bit. Thats one of their beers that they printed the recipe to in their book so I brew a clone of it least once a year.

Different strokes. Stone definitely has a signature. It's not for everybody.

 

[Homercidal]

Barleywines are not for everyone. They do have a lot of flavor and are sometimes too sweet, too thick, etc.

But I do like a nice one now and again. A small glass at a time. I think a 22 ounce bottle is best shared between a couple of friends.

When I brewed my own Barleywine a few hears ago I bottled it in 10 ounce Coke Bottles and hid in the closet. I keep forgetting about it! It was a small batch that I think I brewed in 2007. I think I still have a few bottles left.

Also, I've had a very young barleywine that I thought was pretty good at a beer festival brewed by Right Brain in Traverse City. It had just the right balance of hop and sweet and still had a lot of alcohol heat. It's a different kind of experience from a barleywine that has been aged and is a complex and cloyingly sweet flavor. It was really nice.

 

[b-boy]

I remember the first time I had a barleywine. It was a Bigfoot and I almost gagged. I couldn't finish the bottle. It's definitely an acquired taste IMHO. I've grown to like them a lot, but I couldn't drink them every day. I have to be in the right mood (if that makes any sense).

As far as Stone goes, I call heresy! You can't ever complain about over the top flavors and Stone in the same sentence. It's just what they do, and that's why I like them so much. Again, I can't drink Double Arrogant Bastard every day, but when I'm in the mood there is nothing better.

 

[TheZymurgist]

I should start by saying that I really do enjoy beer in general.

It seems that its a repeated thing with barleywines though. I buy one, and its just to much for me. I don't expect everyone to agree with me, but a beer with over 10% Abv is just getting to be unenjoyable to me.

So tonight I was perusing the local beer isle, and came upon the Stone Old Guardian today. I hadn't tried it, but I noticed that it was 11.6% abv. Decided to get it just to try.

Most certainly a strong beer. So much flavor in fact it was like it was trying to cover up the fact that it wasn't good. The bottle was a 22 to I had one glass trying to figure out what I disliked about it. I will say that the bitter/malt ratio was done pretty well. It just came off as overpowering as a whole. Maybe that is just Stone. I guess I should expect that with them.

Either way it is yet further proof that barleywines are just not for me. The second glass (finishing the 22) I had only ended up half finished. Had to dump the rest. The alcohol flavor began to overpower everything, as I expected, as it warmed up.

Just another reminder to myself that I shouldn't try to brew a strong ale.

As sad as it sounds I moved on to a Dr. Pepper and rum to finish off the night.

"So much flavor in fact it was like it was trying to cover up the fact that it wasn't good"? That makes no sense at all.

It's true that the "imperial" styles are not for everyone. They happen to be some of my favorites. Belgian Quads, Russian Imperial Stouts, Double IPAs, Barleywines, Old Ales, if done right, I think are absolutely wonderful. Incredible complexity, tons of flavor.

Some people just prefer Hershey's to Godiva.

 

[TheMan]

you should try a barrel aged one. They are a bit smoother. You might like them.

If not, then its just not your style. I find its rare that I enjoy scotch ales...sometimes you just cant put a finger one it. Its just not your thing.

 

[GrogNerd]

Some people just prefer Hershey's to Godiva.

I know I do

but then again, I'm a redneck

 

[billl]

I hear ya. I've never had a barleywine that I wanted a second glass of. I gladly drink a belgian quad or IIPA though.

""So much flavor in fact it was like it was trying to cover up the fact that it wasn't good"? That makes no sense at all."

Huh? It makes perfect sense. Really intense flavor doesn't mean something is good. There is lots of really strong tasting mediocre/bad beer out there. I swear, there must be brewers thinking "I can still taste that off flavor.....lets add more hops."

 

[betarhoalphadelta]

Some people just prefer Hershey's to Godiva.

No, the proper analogy is that some people prefer dark chocolate (bitter) to milk chocolate (sweet).

(Edited to fix autocorrect of "some" for "Stone". My phone knows me too well, methinks...)

 

[CUrchin]

I wish more commercial brewers would put BW's and other high ABV beers in smaller bottles (7oz or 12oz). A 22 oz bomber of BW is just too much (it is almost literally like drinking a bottle of wine). My wife won't touch it, and I don't feel the need to have a friend over to have a beer, particularly on a cold winter evening when I am most likely to be drinking such things.

 

[Facinerous]

I reread my post last night. I'm surprised I got my opinion out as well as I did. Thanks for all your opinions also.

I have to say I've had a few barleywines that I did like. Firestones Abacus for one. I think that is actually the first beer I had, that as I drank it, I decided I was having a masterpiece. Of course that was 8 years ago, but I still remember it. Thats how good that beer was to me. I remember pleading let me leave with a bottle. At that time they wouldn't allow it. Now you can buy bottles.

The Stone Old Guardian on the other hand. As I drank it, it was like every flavor within was battling to be the dominant flavor. This could be that it was their most recent and young. I'm not sure. Thats where my to much flavor comment comes from. Nothing seemed to blend. Everything was up front. Of course, with it being a Stone beer this could have been what they were going for.

This is a very rare event though. My liking a barleywine from beginning to end. When I have them, I try to have it without preconception of what to expect. More often than not, I find them less than enjoyable.

I like the comment someone made about selling smaller bottles instead of 22s. That would allow me to try one, without feeling like I'm committed to only that one beer for an evening. I like to share them when I can, but I'm not gonna give my buddy a 10+ avb beer and feel comfortable sending them on their way later that evening unless quite a bit of time has passed.

 

[TheZymurgist]

The issue with 22oz bottles is tighter margins. They can charge as much as a six pack for a 22oz bottle, and people will buy it, whereas no one would buy a six pack for the price they would have to charge to make any money off of it.