As I mentioned in my last post, I was out at Medici in Uptown Normal for a couple of beers. We were catching up on things and making plans for our trip to SXSW next month. After starting with a very good Smuttynose Big A IPA, I decided to go with something a bit maltier. They had this beer on tap, so I thought I’d give it a try.
Numbers: 10% ABV
Appearance & Aroma: It was deep black, and there was almost no head to it. There didn’t even seem to be much carbonation in it at all. It had a sweet malty aroma, as you’d expect from a barleywine. There were some caramel, bready, and slightly raisiny smells.
Taste & Feel: The body was definitely full, as it was very smooth and had a fairly viscous mouthfeel. The flavor up front was very malty sweet, with plenty of caramel and biscuity flavors. In the middle and finish, the maltiness got stronger, but that was matched with a bit of a citrusy and piney hop bitterness. There was a bit of alcohol warmth in the finish as well, but it didn’t have an alcoholly taste at all.
Food Pairing: A fairly big beer, this could go with something fairly big in flavor to match it. While BBQ would be an obvious favorite, this one might also go with something a bit lighter like a grilled chicken breast. This would allow the full-flavored barley wine to unleash its full flavor each time you sip it.
Overall Impression: It looked and smelled exactly like a barleywine should. The body was smooth and quite full, and there were some great caramel, biscuit, and raisin-like flavors throughout. Additionally, the alcohol warmth was present, but not in flavor. Perhaps it’s been way too long since I’ve had a barleywine, but overall, I really enjoyed this beer.
My Rating: 
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