Name: Alaskan Barleywine Ale

Brewer: Alaskan Brewing Company

Style: Barleywine

Vintage: 2007

Cellared On: February 1st, 2008

Original Tasting: February 8th, 2008

Talk about a beer that has a lot going for it! Just consider the following.

Take a brewery renowned for it’s quality. Add in its multiple-award winning barleywine. Be sure to consider the fact that this is the very first time that said beer has ever been bottled. And did I mention that this brew has been cellared in an abandoned gold mine, of all places?

Let me present to you the first bottled vintage of the Alaskan barleywine. Dark oak-brown in color, this beer had almost no carbonation to it. Big hoppy smells greeted me as I poured, smelling of both pine and citrus.

A big malty sweetness filled my mouth as I sipped - not too overwhelming of a sweetness, yet still enhanced with notes of dates and raisins. The malt flavors smoothly gave way to a burst of piney hops which quickly dominated the beers flavor profile. The long finish started off bitter but gradually gave way to the sweet malts (with maybe a touch of chocolate?). This is a very well crafted beer, extremely complex, and very easy to drink.

Six Month Tasting: August 24th, 2008

Not too much has changed. It’s maybe a bit less bitter and a touch more malty. With less bitterness around, the dark fruit flavors are stronger as well. I definitely noticed the sweetness having a brown sugar/toffee quality to it I hadn’t tasted before.

Cellar Outlook: High in alcohol, with a big malty base, this barleywine should be great for years to come.

Six Month Outlook: No reason this won’t keep holding up. We’ll probably see even further development of the malt flavors as the bitterness continues to recede.

Next Tasting: February 2008

Jason

jason@brewbasement.com

www.brewbasement.com