Name: Blithering Idiot

Brewer: Weyerbacher

Style: Barleywine

Cellared On: July 6th, 2007

Original Tasting: August 10th, 2007

Just a fantastic name for a beer, and espically so for a barleywine. If you drink a couple of these too fast you’ll defintely be reduced to a blithering idiot.

Of course, some people would argue that I’m pretty close to blithering idiot when I’m sober anyway.

Anyway, this beer pours a deep red color into my pint glass, with a small little bubbly head. Smells of sweet ripe fruit fill the air. It tastes sweet and malty, with more of that fruit flavor in my mouth (almost seems strawberryish to me). Very thick body. I was expecting more alcohol in this brew, this beer hides it’s power very well.

I figured out really quickly that this is something you need to sip. Next barleywine I have won’t be poured into a pint glass, I promise you that.

Other tasters commented on flavors of caramel, hops, raisins, plums, and brown sugar.

Six Month Tasting: February 1st, 2008

Six months did wonders for this beer’s drinkability. The sweet syrupy body has diminished, and really lets the other flavors shine. Tastes of caramel maltiness, raisins, and hop flavors come bursting through now. No trace of off flavors at all. The finish was light and dry with slight bitterness on the tongue.

One Year Tasting: June 27th, 2008

The change here is mostly in the level of bitterness, and this brew is much smoother and easier to drink then it was six months ago as a result. Sweet malty flavors of raisins, figs, and caramel are still very prominent.

Definitely not a session beer, but still a very nice one to drink.

Cellar Outlook: Barleywines are winners in the cellar, I don’t see why this one would be any different.

On the Blithering Idiot beer page on the Weyerbacher site, they mention how this brew peaks at about three years. It will last even longer then that (up to a decade), but will gradually lose its complexity.

Six Month Outlook Notes: Things are going well so far, and I’m pretty sure we’ll seem some even nicer things over the next couple of years from this beer.

One Year Tasting Notes: I expect the hoppy bitterness to have really pulled back after the next year goes by. I’m hoping there’s more complex flavors to be had underneath.

Next Tasting: July 2009

Jason

jason@brewbasement.com

www.brewbasement.com