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.
