Barleywine Review #12 - Tröegs Flying Mouflan Barleywine

Posted by: Tyler Rippeteau

Oct. 10, 2012

Tröegs Flying Mouflan Ale is the next beer up in The Barleywine Project.  The twelfth beer on The List was not easy to get my hands on, but I obtained it as a part of the same trade that brought me the beer for our last review here at 20 Beers in 20Nights.  Yes, I had to give up a couple Russian River bottles, a few Crooked Stave bottles and a bottle of Hair of the Dog Fred from the Wood, but I was well compensated.

So here are the stats for the Flying Mouflan:

Location: Home

Cost: Trade

ABV: 9.3%

IBUs: “100-ish”

Brewery Location: Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

Style: American Barleywine

Average Beer Advocate Rating: A/4.14

My Beer Advocate Rating: A+/4.5

Current Number of Reviews on Beer Advocate/Rank in the Top 20: 515/9^th

Description: Tröegs Flying Mouflan Ale

Bottled On: 2012 Vintage

APPEARANCE:  (3.5 out of 5) The actual beer here is not terribly good looking.  The color is a few shades darker than the standard deep mahogany that so many others on The List have been, but it is also cloudy and murky.  It isn’t bad, just not the best, and for lack of a better word, very quiet looking.  Weird word, I know, but that is what comes to mind right off the bat.  The head, however, makes up for the color not being stellar.  Off-white and very uniform, it rests quietly (yep, had to use it again) and regally on top of the murk beneath.  A fair amount of patchy lacing also graces the backside of the glass.

SMELL:  (5 out of 5) One sniff of the cap when it was popped revealed a boat load of brown sugary malts and when I stuck my nose in the glass it was more of the same.  The brown sugar then gives way to some banana, chocolate, cinnamon, clove and other spices.  Caramel and a bit of breadiness are also present.  This is the prototypical Barleywine smell.  I don’t think it can get any better.

TASTE:  (4.5 out of 5) Many Barleywines that have smelled sweet and malty like this one have ended up being very citrusy and bitter.  I have enjoyed that contrast a lot, but before I take a sip, I think it is worth noting that as I would not have expected citrus prior to beginning this project.  I have tasted enough now to know that that is a distinct possibility, but let’s see…

Yep.  The citrus is strong here in the forms of lemon and orange.  The catch with The Flying Mouflan, however, is that the citrus is not the flavor that greats the tongue, rather it provides the strong and bitter finish. The orange seems to be the segue from the brown sugar, caramel and the much-more-chocolaty-than-expected front end to the lemon and grapefruity tale end.  Some roasted malt flavors also linger throughout the finish providing a bit of a smoky aftertaste.

MOUTHFEEL:  (4 out of 5) I would categorize this beer as smooth and silky, but with a mild sparkle, just enough to tickle the tongue and make it feel playful.  Given the murky and solemn appearance of this beer I was not expecting to use an adjective like playful to describe it, but the darkness was probably obscuring a lot of action beneath the surface. 

OVERALL:  (4.5 out of 5) I’ve been spoiled recently.  The Central Waters Bourbon Barrel Barleywine was phenomenal yet Tröegs’ Barleywine effort is no let down at all.  Back-to-back homeruns in my opinion.  The Flying Mouflan smells exactly like a Barleywine should and the taste lives up to the aromatic billing.  This is a classic and very well-done Barleywine. 

On a separate note, as I have been known to do, I am drinking this bottle with a plate of prosciutto di parma, blue cheese and crackers.  Not exactly knowing what to expect from the beer, I chose two of my old blue cheese standbys, Point Reyes Blue and Oregonzola Blue from Rogue Creamery.  While the Point Reyes normally edges out the Oregonzola in my book, the Rogue selection is a near perfect pairing with this Barleywine.  It is the less sweet and tangy of the two, which works perfectly with the dry and bitter finish of the beer. 

Three Floyds in Colorado! Sorta.

Since we’re still at halftime of The Barleywine Project, when I came across this little guy (pictured to the right) earlier in the week I figured I would squeeze it in as Part II of the Halftime Show.  Given that it was my only chance to get Three Floyds out here in Colorado, it was also a no-brainer of a buy, even at a little more than a buck and ounce. 

Location: Hazel’s Beverage World, Boulder, CO

Cost: $11.99/11.2oz. bottle

ABV: 11.5%

IBUs: NA

Brewery Location: Fraserburgh, Scotland/Munster, Indiana

Style: American Barleywine

Average Beer Advocate Rating: A-/4.05

My Beer Advocate Rating: A-/4.05

Current Number of Reviews on Beer Advocate: 2

Description: Three Floyds/Brewdog Bitch Please  

Best Before:  March 19, 2016

APPEARANCE:  Dark, hazy and a little Hair-of-the-Dogish in color, meaning it is deep Barleywine-Mahogany, but more on the brown side and a bit murky.  The head is a nice, contrastingly, stark-white that dissipates at a moderate rate leaving a solid cap of foam over the surface.  The lacing is pretty solid with roughly 65% of the back side of the glass covered.

SMELL:  There is a lot of citrus in the nose, a good dose for an American-style Barleywine.  That said, it is still nicely accented with all the typical Barleywine aromas, beginning with some brown sugar, followed by banana, then bread.  Gorgeous smell.

TASTE:  Well, that went in a direction I didn’t expect.  This is, by far, the grassiest and smokiest Barleywine I have ever tasted.  This tastes like mowing the lawn up front and is closely followed by a big dose of pleasant tobacco.  There’s also more peat moss in this thing than in a nice, neat glass of Laphroaig.  Unreal.  I would kill for a cigar right now.  Honestly, this is weird; so much smoke, peat and grass in here, it is unlike any other beer I’ve ever had, but I like it. 

MOUTHFEEL:  Dry, crisp and well…not so clean.  The sparkle is impressive given the style and the flavor, but it is not too much either.  The finish is dry as a bone.

OVERALL:  For two breweries that seem to be so dead-set on creating the ultimate American beer, this was a shock to the system.  Smoke, peat and scotch-like characteristics are overwhelming, but also really good.  A lot of people say “Oh, I could have one, but never more” about a lot of beers.  I never feel that way, but in this case I do.

Barleywine Review #7 - Green Flash Barleywine Style Ale

Posted by: Tyler Rippeteau

Mar. 9, 2012

I tracked down the Green Flash Barleywine Style Ale a couple of weeks ago in Denver at Seventeenth Street Liquors.  As a Boulder resident I don’t get to Denver as much as I would like, but Mountain Sun’s Vine Street Pub was calling me with Pliny the Younger.  Yes, I finally managed to track down some of Russian River’s super-hyped-up-but-probably-worth-it Double (or Triple) IPA.  That story is for another time, however.  The point here is that since I had driven an hour for one beer, I was going to check out the local selection and try to bring something back with me.  So…I found Seventeenth Street.  The selection was limited, but decent and the prices were pretty good. 

I ended up snagging two bombers of Green Flash beer; the Imperial IPA, which I have had before and thoroughly enjoyed and the Barleywine Style Ale.  As you can see above, I thoroughly enjoyed it again this past week (along with a hop flavored cigar) when we had a gorgeous 73-degree day here in Boulder earlier in the week.  As for the Barleywine, well, that was saved for a quiet night at home when I could split it with Emily. 

So, last night I finally cracked it open, poured a glass for each of us and wrote this review.  Here’s what I found:

Location: Seventeenth Street Liquor, Denver, Colorado

Cost: $6.99 for a 22 oz. bomber

ABV: 10.9%

IBUs: 85

Brewery Location: San Diego, California

Style: American Barleywine

Average Beer Advocate Rating: B+/3.85 – Very Good

My Beer Advocate Rating: A/4.38 - Outstanding

Current Number of Reviews on Beer Advocate/Rank in Top 20: 357/14^th

Brewery Description: Green Flash Barleywine Style Ale

Bottled On: 2011 Vintage

APPEARANCE:  (4 out of 5) Deep mahogany, typical Barleywine color with a very light brown, half-inch head that stuck around for about 90 seconds or so.  Once the head settled a thick layer of multi-sized bubbles hid most of the reddish surface of the actual beer. 

SMELL:  (4 out of 5) The Green Flash is spicy, fruity and very bready.  There is a ton going on in the nose of this one.  The spice is cider-like and accented with some caramel and toffee notes.  Of course, apple is part of the fruity smell, but so are banana and a touch of citrus.  The breadiness is distinctly wheat.  Overall, this is a great smelling beer.  I would give it a higher rating, but it is of only a moderate intensity and I wish it were stronger.

TASTE:  (4.5 out of 5) This is one of the more interesting Barleywines I have experienced during The Barleywine Project.  It is solidly bitter all the way through the sip, but unlike Avery’s Hog Heaven, this isn’t really a slightly mislabeled Triple IPA, it still has a boat load of malty richness along with a lot of spicy and fruity flavors.  Banana, caramel, toffee, pine, tart apple and fall-like spices all make appearances in each sip, but a subdued grapefruit and orange along with a hoppy bitterness carry this beer from start to finish.  Speaking of the finish, the Barleywine Style Ale ends on an enormous note of wheat bread.  I’ve tasted bready beer before, but this is a bready monster and the aftertaste might as well be the crust from some wheat toast.  I thought it was odd about 15 minutes ago when Emily said “You know what would be great with this?  Some toast with cheese melted on it.”  Now, it makes perfect sense, and oddly, I’d recommend some cheesy wheat toast with this one – never thought I’d write that on this blog, but there you go.

MOUTHFEEL:  (4.5 out 5) Rich and very full-bodied.  The carbonation is moderate (more than I expected for the flavor) and a nice tickle along with the dry, bitter finish helps cleanse the palate following the slightly sweeter mid-sip.

OVERALL:  (4.5 out of 5) My experience with Green Flash so far has been very positive and this is no exception.  However, most of the other beers of theirs I’ve had have been great due to their accuracy in style.  The Barleywine is certainly an exception to that rule.  While drinking this beer I am reminded of Founders Devil Dancer in the respect that it never breaks out of the style, but it pushes the envelope and uses all available space within the style’s parameters. 

In light of my last review, one of the things that really stands out to me about this Barleywine is how wonderfully it works fresh.  The hoppy bitterness is certainly part of that reason and even once that fades I’m sure the beer will still taste great, but I really wish I had a second bottle to split at the moment.  I will be purchasing this again in the near future.

Barleywine Review #5 - Great Divide Old Ruffian

Posted by: Tyler Rippeteau

Nov. 10, 2011

There wasn’t a whole lot of excitement in obtaining the bottle of Great Divide Old Ruffian.  I just went to the liquor store, paid $8 and brought home the bottle.  So here’s the review: 

Location: Williams Village Liquor

Cost: $8 (22oz. bomber)

Glassware: Pint Glass

ABV: 10.2%

IBUs: 90

Brewery Location: Denver, Colorado

Style: American Barleywine

Average Beer Advocate Rating: A-/423 – Excellent

My Beer Advocate Rating: B/3.55 – Good

Current Number of Reviews on Beer Advocate/Current Rank in Top 20: 926/3^rd

Brewery Description: Great Divide Old Ruffian

Bottled On: Nov. 23, 2010

APPEARANCE:  (4.5 out of 5) If there is one thing I have learned about Great Divide since moving to Colorado it is that they have a knack for creating some great looking beers.  The Old Ruffian is no exception, when this beer is poured a gorgeous, stark-white, inch-thick head rests on top of a pretty Mahogany colored, opaque beer.

SMELL:  (3.5 out of 5) Giant, sweet malt in the nose.  The aroma is moderately strong, but it could be a little stronger.  Brown sugar and molasses dominate the malt aromas, but hints of yeast and a touch of wood comes through as well.

TASTE:  (3.5 out of 5) The taste follows the nose with big malty flavors.  Sweet molasses, nutmeg and a touch of honey fill out the malt bill.  A big dose of hops lurks just beneath the surface up front and slowly makes its self known as the sip finishes.  By the end of the sip, this Barleywine tastes a lot more like a big, double IPA with some notes of pine, citrus and some floral flavor as well. 

MOUTHFEEL:  (3.5 out of 5) Silky and smooth with just a hint of sparkle.  A small amount of sweetness hits the palate up front before a dryer than average and hoppy finish washes it away. 

OVERALL:  (3.5 out of 5) I like the Old Ruffian, but it isn’t the best Barleywine I’ve had.  There is something just a little bit off.  The body of the beer is a little thin for me.  I expect bigger, bolder and richer flavors from the style. 

Barleywine Review #4 - Hair of the Dog Doggie Claws Barleywine

Posted by: Tyler Rippeteau

Nov. 1, 2011

The Hair of the Dog Doggie Claws is the first Barleywine on The List that I wasn’t able to simply track down at the local liquor store.  In fact, it required a trip to Portland, Oregon.  Well, the good news is that I have family and Emily had a conference there this past weekend.  So, we hopped on a plane, headed for the coast and touched down Thursday afternoon.

After getting settled in, we hopped in a cab and headed to the convention center where I dropped Emily off and then headed for my primary target in Portland, the Hair of the Dog Brewery.

When I arrived, it was not exactly what I expected.  The tasting room is in a somewhat industrial part of town that is being rebuilt and gentrified.  The building looks and feels like an old warehouse, but it is somehow cozy and inviting.  Part of that inviting environment is the big, picture windows lining two of the walls.  They let in a ton of sunlight and provide a nice view of downtown Portland.  I snapped a couple of pictures of the skyline, but they did not turn out very well.  Here’s one of them to the left, just to give you an idea of what I was looking at, but sorry about the quality there.

In addition to ordering an enormous plate of mac & cheese with pancetta, I also order this:

That’s the “Walk the Dog” beer flight, which includes 3 oz. pours of Adam, Fred, Ruth and Blue Dot IPA for $7.  All four beers were good, but the Blue Dot IPA was outstanding and the Adam was much more interesting and tasty than I expected.  I thought about starting with the Barleywine, but having never tried anything from HotD, I decided I wanted to know understand more of what the brewery was all about before I dove into a full pint for a review.  What I learned during this small tasting was that Hair of the Dog does not do subtle.  They go all out for every beer they make and there is clearly a lot of passion put into these brews.  The Doggie Claws would be no exception.

After finishing up my food and the taster I cleansed my palate with a couple of slices of bread and a glass of water.  It was time for Doggie Claws.  While the 2011 Doggie Claws was still two weeks away from its release, the 2010 Doggie Claws was still on tap and aging quite well.  So, what did I find when I dove into my first class of Hair of the Dog Doggie Claws Barleywine?

Location: Hair of the Dog Taproom

Cost: $4.50 (12 oz. pour)

Glassware: HotD Tulip Glass

ABV: 11.5%

IBUs: 70

Brewery Location: Portland, Oregon

Style: American Barleywine

Average Beer Advocate Rating: A-/4.16 – Excellent

My Beer Advocate Rating: A-/4.13 – Excellent

Current Number of Reviews on Beer Advocate/Current Rank in Top 20: 434/12^th

Brewery Description: Hair of the Dog Doggie Claws

Batch Released: November, 2010

APPEARNANCE:  (4 out of 5) The Doggie Claws was presented in a tulip glass with about a half-inch of slightly off-white foam topping an orange-deep copper beer.  There was a bit of a haze to go along with the chill of the freshly poured draft, but it cleared up quickly.  The head retention was so-so as was the lacing, but overall this was a good looking beer.

SMELL:  (3.5 out of 5) There was a surprising lack of aroma at first, but with a little bit of air it opened up a bit.  Sweet spices like cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger were present along with a good deal of caramel aromas. 

TASTE:  (4.5 out of 5) This is a very, very strong Barleywine - the 11.5% can be tasted (and felt).  The Doggie Claws is an excellent example of the style, big and bold, sweet and sugary and very rich, but cut nicely with plenty of spice and fruit flavors.  The sweet flavors are molasses, cinnamon, caramel and some sweet malt.  Banana, dark fruit and a tiny hint of apple provide the fruitier flavors while some hops subtly linger in a strong supporting role.

MOUTHFEEL:  (4 out of 5) The Doggie Claws is rich, thick and oily, but in no way is it mouthcoating.  The finish is surprisingly clean and actually slightly dry.  It is very pleasant.  As I mentioned above, the 11.5% is certainly felt, it’s a fairly hot beer, but also so complex that the heat is easy to deal with and quickly masked.

OVERALL:  (4 out of 5) So far, the Hair of the Dog offering has been my favorite Barleywine reviewed.  I know it is still early, but it edged out the AleSmith Old Numbskull and my suspicion is that aside from the Behemoth from Three Floyds, this one will hold out against most of the others.  We shall soon see. This was also one of the better and more memorable experiences I have had while tracking down a beer for the blog, which may have played a role in my enjoyment, but either way, the Doggie Claws is one hell of a Barleywine.  It is a fantastic representation of the style and also would be a good intro for most rookie Barleywine drinkers.

DRAWBACKS:  Very few in this one, but first off, I would have to say that while the heat was probably tempered a bit with a year of age on it, it was still there, just a touch too warm.  Also, the fact that it took some time to develop a nose was frustrating.  With a beer like this I want a big pop right up front.  I want my nose to hit the glass and be surprised.  None of these drawbacks, however, should prevent you from drinking, sharing or gifting this beer.  It is bold and delicious and deserving of a nice, long tasting. Don’t blow through this one, savor it.

The Right Place and Time for a Barleywine

Posted by: Tyler Rippeteau

Oct. 26, 2011

As I mentioned at the beginning of The Barleywine Project, this one was going to be tough.  Of the 20 beers I have to review for this project, only one of them is available year-round...and it happens to be the one brewed a ten-minute bike ride away from my apartment.  The other 19 are seasonal or rotating.  On top of that, many are not available here in Colorado so I will either need to travel or trade for them.

Since I do not have the money to travel for a specific beer, but I do plan to do some traveling in the near future (Portland this coming weekend and Chicago for Thanksgiving and Christmas), I put together a spreadsheet to help me track down where and when all 20 beers on the list will be available.  I also figured that this might be a useful tool to any of you who are Barleywine fans out there - especially those of you who live in Mississippi, who have access to none of these beers.  Puerto Ricans and Utahans (ites maybe?) may also want to take note for when you travel.

BARLEYWINE	SEASON/DATE	AVAILABILITY
Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Barleywine Style Ale	Winter	Available in All 50 States
Victory Old Horizontal	Dec. - Jan.	AK, CA, CO, CT, DE, FL, GA, IL, IN, ME, MD, MA, MN, NH, NJ, NY, NC, OH, OR, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX (Limited), VT, VA, WA, WI, DC
Great Divide Old Ruffian Barley Wine	December	AL, AK, AR, CA, CO, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, MD, MA, MN, MO, NE, NJ, NM, NY, NC, OH, OK, OR, PA, SC, TN, TX, VA (Limited - Southern VA), WA, DC
Bell's Third Coast Ale	Winter	AL, AZ, FL, GA, IL, IN, IA, KY, MI, MN, MO, NC, ND, OH, PA, PR, SC, VA, WI, DC
Dogfish Head Olde School Barleywine	October	AK, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DE, FL, GA, ID, IL, KY, ME, MD, MA, MI, MT, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, OH, OR, PA, SC (Limited), TX (Limited), VT, VA, WA, DC
Avery Hog Heavan Barleywine	Year Round	AL, AK, AR (Limited - Western AR), CA (Limited - Southern CA), CO, FL (Limited), GA, ID, IL, IA, KS, KY (Limited), MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, NV (Limited), NJ, NY (Limited - NYC Only), NC, ND, OH, OR, PA, SC, SD, TX, VA, WA, WI (Limitied), WY (Limited)
Rogue XS Old Crestacean	Rotating	All 50 States, Limited in Wyoming
Lagunitas Olde Gnarlywine	January	AK, AZ, CA, CO, CT, FL, GA, ID, IL, KS, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NV, NH, NJ, NY, NC, OH, OR, PA, RI, SC, TX, VA, WA, WI, WY, DC
Troegs Flying Mouflan	Spring	DE, MD, MA, NJ, NY, OH, PA, VA, DC
Founders Nemesis 2010	Brewed Once	No Longer Available
Southern Tier Backburner (Imperial Barley Wine Style Ale)	February	AK, CT, DE, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, KY, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, NJ, NY, NC, ND, OH, OR, PA, RI, SC, VA, WA, WI, VT
Hair of the Dog Doggie Claws	Fall	CA, IN (Limitied), NY (NYC Only), OR, PA (Limited), WA
Three Floyds Behemoth Blonde Barleywine	January	IL (Limited - Chicago), IN, KY (Limited), OH (Limited), WI
Sierra Nevada 30th Anniversary - Ken and Jack's Ale	Brewed Once	Available in All 50 States
AleSmith Old Numbskull	Rotating	AZ, CA, MA, NY, OH, OR, PA (Limited),
Green Flash Barleywine Style Ale	Rotating	AZ, CA, CO, IL, MD, MA, NH, NJ, NY, NC, OH, OR, PA, RI, TX, VA, WA, DC
Smuttynose Barleywine Style Ale (Big Beer Series)	Winter	CT, DE, FL, GA, IL, ME, MD, MA, MI (Limited), NH, NJ, NY, NC, OH, PA, RI, SC, VT, VA, WI, DC
Mad River John Barleycorn Barleywine Ale	Winter	AZ, CA, CO, FL, GA, HI, ID, IL, IN, KY, MA, MD, MN, NC, NJ, NM, NY, NV, OK, OR, PA, VA, WA
Central Waters Bourbon Barrel Barleywine	Rotating	IL (Limited), MN, PA, WI
Full Sail Old Boardhead Barleywine Ale	Rotating	AK, AZ, CA, CO, FL, GA, ID, LA, MD, MA, MN, MT, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, OH, OK, OR, RI, SC, TX, UT, VA, WA, WY, DC

To give credit where it is due, I used as much information as I could from each of the brewery's websites.  Sometimes they had a specific month or time of year that the beer would be released, sometimes I was able to figure out their distribution on the websites as well.  For those that did not have the info I needed, I turned to an outstanding document that a Beer Advocate user created last year which details most major brewery's distribution throughout the US.  I am sure that some of the information above is or will become outdated, but hopefully it can help a few Barleywine lovers out.