Style: Barleywine (other)

ABV: 14.1

87/100

Aroma:	12
Appearance:	3
Flavor:	16
Mouthfeel:	4

Triptych Brewing Batch 969 Barleywine

What the brewers say

“A blend of bourbon barrel–aged and amburana wood–aged barleywine.”

What our panel thought

“The base beer is gone; all that remains is a cinnamon-forward, wood-aged beer. Taking the sum of all those parts, amburana being the largest chunk, the entire experience offers a spicy beauty.”

What our editors thought

“Gorgeous amburana spice in the nose with vivid iced vanilla cinnamon roll, oak, chocolate. The sip is equally enticing, as the spicy amburana notes entwine with burnt sugar and deeper caramel notes. Exquisite, refined yet eminently satisfying.”

Review printed in: Rethinking the Classic Pale Ale (Winter 2023) (View All Issues)

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Liquid Mechanics Brewing Company Pocket Full of Shells (2020)

“Strong aromas of caramel, toffee, and toasted coconut, almost cloying. Smooth woody toffee notes leave an aftertaste of bready tropical vanilla and oak.”

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Decadent, complex, and deep aroma with huge toffee, banana-nut bread, pipe tobacco, figs, raisins, chocolate, vanilla, leather, and dark cherry all vying for attention. All of the aromas beautifully transition into the flavor profile with an added coconut, German chocolate cake, and caramel complexity. Warming, velvety fullness without being filling or cloying in body and flavor, but the mouthfeel is not quite as viscous as some may want. Some alcoholic warmth is present, but it’s not overly harsh.

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