Flossmoor Station Wooden Hell
Deep, mahogany American barleywine. Bourbon, barrel-aged for several months.
4.1
225 reviews
Flossmoor, United States
Community reviews
7100th review! 22 ounce bottle into snifter, 2018 vintage bottling. Pours hazy dark ruby red/brown color with a 1-2 finger dense and rocky light khaki head with fantastic retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lasts. Nice dense soapy lacing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Fantastic appearance. Aromas of big raisin, peach, plum, apricot, fig, orange, grapefruit, pear, pineapple, red apple, date, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, vanilla, cream, bourbon, coconut, toasted oak, nuts, and brown bread; with lighter notes of molasses, leather, tobacco, herbal, pepper, pine, and yeast/oak/toasted earthiness. Slight booze in the aromas as it warmed, but not overwhelming. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of fruity yeast, citrus/earthy hops, dark/bready malt, and bourbon barrel notes; with great strength. Taste of huge raisin, peach, plum, apricot, fig, orange, grapefruit, pear, pineapple, red apple, date, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, vanilla, cream, bourbon, coconut, toasted oak, nuts, and brown bread; with lighter notes of molasses, leather, tobacco, herbal, pepper, pine, and yeast/oak/toasted earthiness. Light pine, herbal, grassy, peppery bitterness; and bourbon/oak tannin spiciness on the finish. Lingering notes of dark fruits, peach, apricot, orange, grapefruit, pear, pineapple, red apple, date, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, vanilla, cream, bourbon, coconut, toasted oak, nuts, brown bread, light leather/tobacco, herbal, pepper, pine, and yeast/oak/toasted earthiness on the finish for a while. Amazing complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity yeast, citrus/earthy hops, dark/bready malt, and bourbon barrel flavors; with a malt/bitterness and bourbon/oak spiciness balance; with no cloying/astringent flavors after the finish. Lightly increasing dryness from lingering bitterness and bourbon/oak spiciness. Light-medium carbonation and fairly full body; with a very smooth, creamy/silky/velvety, and lightly slick/sticky/tannic mouthfeel that is fantastic. Lightly increasing warmth of 10%, with minimal lingering barrel booze after the finish. Overall this is an amazing barrel aged barleywine! All around incredible complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity yeast, citrus/earthy hops, dark/bready malt, and bourbon barrel flavors; very smooth and dangerously easy to sip on for the big ABV; with the mellowly bitter/tannic/drying finish. Incredible balance of fruity yeast, Classic C hops, and rich dark/bready malts; with perfect barrel integration. Not overly boozy, tannic, or drying. The Woodford Reserve complexity was off the charts. Huge presence of coconut, vanilla, toffee, and cream notes. Definitely lives up to the hype. Feels like more of an American/English hybrid than true English. A really amazing offering, and spot on style example.
Bottle shared by Adam, thanks! Pours a near clear amber brown with a light yellow brown head that dissipates to the edges. Aroma has a nice caramel and bourbon combination with sweet grains and toffee supporting. Flavor has strong sweet grains and bourbon with toffee and vanilla in the finish.
Pours clear deep mahogany brown with a finger of of light tan head. Aroma of butterscotch and toffee, light citrus, hazelnuts. Taste is sweet, sticky, a rich bitterness building up into the finish. Rich and creamy body with soft carbonation. This is really rather nice, although the bitterness builds up a bit too much for this to get top marks.
9 3 8 4 17
Bottle shared. Hazy brown with a small tan head. Aroma of massive oak barrel notes, vanilla, bourbon, caramel, toffee, sweet malt and some hoppiness. Flavour is heavy sweet and bitter. Full bodied with alcohol warmth and soft carbonation.
Bottle at barley wine share. Amber pour, small ring of beige head. Super sweet aroma, malty, vanilla, caramel. Taste too assaults with some sweetness, caramel malts, dark pit fruit, boozy heat.
Refrigerated brown bottle poured into a glass. Hazy copper poured into a glass. Aroma is caramel malt, medium body, lower carbonation, and some lacing. Taste is wood and caramel.
American style barleywine from a craft brewery in Illinois, from a 65 cl bomber of half a year old. Creamy, moussy, eggshell-white, more or less stable head with slowly dissipating middle, hazy coppery bronze colour with amber hue. Aroma of bread crust, dried orange peel, marmelade, honey liqueur, candied peach, cognac, apricot, white pepper, bourbon, strawberry, peanuts. Sweet onset, marmelade and candied fig, yellow raisins, sourish citrus peel-ish undercurrent, softish carbo, oily and sufficiently vinous mouthfeel, resinous. Bready malt body with ongoing candied orange element, pumpernickel bread, honeyish residual sweetness; resiny, fruity, hop bitter finish, dried mango, orange peel again, lot of warming bourbon-like alcohol, warming and perhaps a tad too boozy, but not overly wry. Very decent in its style, should be able to age well.
Bottle from a trade. Many thanks! Dark brown colour, beige foam. Sweet nose of vanilla, bourbon, sweet dried fruit, plums. Boozy and alcoholic but nice warming sipper.
22 oz. bottle shared by Stefan - thanks again! Pours a slightly cloudy amber with a small off-white head that settles into a thin ring. Notes of oak, bourbon, caramel, brown sugar, leather, subtle spice, toffee, vanilla, and dried fruit, leaning into the barrel's warmth and wood, and also offering subtle tannins. Medium-bodied, with moderate carbonation and a boozy, sweet mouthfeel. I actually liked this more than the rest of the crowd that night. I think maybe it had the burden of years of expectations and it was our first go-round with the rebrew, but I think it was pretty damn good.
From notes. Enjoyed at FoBAB 2017 (3rd session) in Chicago on November 11. The pour is s medium amber color with a thin egg shell colored ring of head and a couple spots of lace as the level drops. The aroma is interesting. There is a lot malt sweetness up front. The caramel really shines through, but there is a growing bitterness. The barrel adds a little complexity, but the finish is definitely a bit too hoppy for my blood. The flavor is much of the same. There is a pretty hearty barrel on this one with a light caramel sweetness and a pretty stout hop bitterness that just prevents it from fully rounding out. The mouth feel is more of a medium body with a soft carbonation and a lingeringly bitter hop and smooth oak with a pretty good balance of hearty booze. This is interesting, but overall disappointing from what I was hoping to get from it. 7 4 6 4 14
Enjoyed again at the 5th Annual Barleywine Tasting at Travis and Nicole’s house on February 03, 2017. 22 oz bottle, 2017 vintage. Complies with the above rating, and it was nice to see this was exactly what I remembered from a draft pour, out of a bottle.
Bottle shared by a friend. Pours clear amber with a thin off-white head. Aroma of malt, bourbon and caramel. Malty and caramelly flavor with dry hop accents before a bourbon finish.
Bottle thanks to Alex. 2017 Amazing sweet aroma of sticky toffe notes, marzipan, sweet bourbon, butterscotch, charred coconut and caramel. Big sticky mouthfeel. Life
Bottle with huge thanks to Alum. Nose is chewy caramel and leather with light cinnamon. Faint bark, wood, vanilla. Moderate booze. Amazing smell. Cloudy, deep red to brown. Medium sized khaki head. Taste is a sweet, caramel, lightly chewy, moderate tannin and wood. Aroma is more complex than taste but a great beer nonetheless. Perfect hop and malt balance
Bottle received in trade. Many thanks Brandon, have always wanted to try this. 2017 vintage. Hazy amber pour with a small frothy khaki head. Intense bourbon nose with plenty of toffee, vanilla fudge, coconut & a hint of grassy hops. Sweet, bitter & malty taste. Soft, round & tiny astringent mouthfeel. Lovely balanced barrel aged barley wine. Not in any way vulgar and in every way just plain delicious. Wish I had another few bottles to age.
650 ml. bottle. Thanks Al. Pours a cloudy reddish brown with a very small tan head. Aroma of fruit, caramel, and bourbon. Taste is dark fruit, caramel, bourbon, vanilla, and barrel. Excellent Barley Wine.
Deep reddish amber color with a sticky foamy beige head. Great nose of bourbon barrel, ripe fruit and warming alcohol. So rich. Buttery bourbon taste with raisin, over ripe fruit, and oak. Really well balanced big ba barley wine.
Bottle via trade, thanks Kevin! Pours a translucent mahogany with deep copper and amber hues. Medium carbonation pushes a thin off-white head. Fine lacing. Looks clean. Aromas of toffee, vanilla, caramel , brown sugar and a light oaky bourbon. Whoa. I’m not a big Barley Wine fan, admittedly...so when one impresses me, it stands out. The balance here is nearly perfect. The barrel inflection is spot on. The body is medium and far from chewy, but masks the alcohol completely. Lightly sweet with hints of raisins, big toffee, vanilla and brown sugar. Very fresh and clean grain notes. The hops are extremely fresh too. Moderate dry bite. Just a delicate body with everything popping. So glad to have had this fresh! I’ll take this over some of the booze bombs I’ve had, anyday. Extremely impressed with this beer!
650 mL bottle. Batch 1, the re-release made me realize I’d never put this one in. Originally reviewed 7/2/2014. Deep murky reddish brown body. Small welling of khaki bubbles. A very thin collar.
Smells little oxidized. Kinda cardboardy. Bourbon. Brown sugar. Boozy.
Taste has a better bourbon flavor. Better all around. Still a little cardboardy and oxidized. Some dark fruits to it, too. Lots of brown sugar. Woody finish. Almost spicy finish.
Medium carbonation. Oxidized in the back end. Boozy.
So this is getting old. The oxidation is becoming overwhelming.
Rating #3000 and first for the return of the legend. Murky brown, with a slight red hue. Aroma is molasses, oak, brown sugar.
Taste is molasses, hard ribbon candy, oak, very light bourbon. Grassy hops on the finish.
Great to see this finally make a return, although now this is just a really solid barlewine. 11 years ago this would have been mind blowing.
November 21, 2015. Sample courtesy of James, thanks!
Murky brown amber with almost no head. Aroma is caramel, raisins, figs, bourbon, oak, port wine, berries and slight oxidized cardboard notes.
Taste is sweet malty, soft bitter and some alcohol hints. Finish is is ligjt to medium bitter, light dry oak notes, sweet dried fruits, caramel, toffee, dark berries and warming bourbon alcohol. Medium to full bodied, oily texture, soft carbonation.
Great beer, slight past it’s prime showing a bit too much oxidation but can see why it’s top rated.
650 ML bottle
Dark mahogany color. Great ruby hues. Very clear until end. no head just a ring of lacing.
Nose is dark fruits, caramel, soft wood, soft bourbon notes, vanilla and coconut develop later after opened.
Taste is very bourbon forward. Must have been a beast younger. Lots of bourbon and notes of barrel. Swear it must have been with spirit as lots of caramel, vanilla and coconut. A lot of booze for the age. Bordering on spirit or port like as just very well balanced body to get that much barrel and to still get dark fruits and roasted malt.
Body is slightly sweet and spirit like. Has held up extremely well for the age.
Can see why this is considered a whale. Forerunner to the massive BA beasts of now. Probably way ahead of its time. Pleasure to drink
Blind rating thanks to Brad as bottle was wrapped in foil. Pours a cloudy brown with small beige head that diminishes to nothing. The aroma is strong caramel, dark fruit, molasses, toffee, wood, bourbon. Medium mouth, similar flavors to nose, very boozy, held up well, shocked when I saw what the bottle was, thank you for this rare treat.
Bottle: Holy shit. Thanks, Anthony. Dark ass brown pour, almost black with barely any head, tiny beige collar. Aroma is huge, super thick. Caramel coated raisins, molasses, sweet toffee, vanilla, dense brown sugar, prune, & a strong oak underbody. Almost not oxidation but a strong bourbon aroma still lives. Flavor follows through with a huge river of caramel, toffee, brown sugar, thick wood, vanilla, cocoa dust, & more dark fruit in the finish. Booze flows from beginning to end. Awesome stuff.
Bottle cellared since 2009. Pour is hazy brown/red with a thin tan head. Aroma of sticky caramel, dark fruit, raisins, burnt caramel, brown sugar, and molasses. Flavor is similar with some added alcohol warmth and slight hop presence. Medium body and carbonation.
65cl, retired exclusive American brew, thx alot to Dirk for sharing this rarity!, very complex brew, woody/alcoholic/sweet and slightly malty/fruity, yet not too heavy, balanced, cloudy, nearly no head, very good brew, yet not worth all the hype!, ’Sadly some signs of oxidation...’
Bottle. Brown pour with an off white head. Caramel and bourbon bouquet. Big bourbon, tasty caramels, oak, and vanilla notes. Mild dark fruit low lights. Not overly sweet but with depth. Good body with a fabulous mouthfeel. What a treat. Big tip of the cap to my friend in Southern Cali....
Bottle big thanks to 50belair for this gem. Pours a dark amber. The nose is oak, vanilla, bourbon, malt, and sweetness. The taste is very smooth, quite delicious. It’s damn sweet but still very good. A little booze but nothing overpowering. Damn good!!!
A- Pours a ruddy brown hue with a thin, light brown head that sticks around for quite a while.
S- Smell is intoxicating. Lots of dark fruit, raisin, oak, residual sweetness, caramel, brown sugar.
T- Taste is very oaky, dark fruits as in the nose rounded out by a huge brown sugar presence and a small hop bite. Hints of prickly well masked alcohol push through a little and round it out perfectly. Absolutely phenomenal.
M- Thick with medium carbonation.
D- This is VERY similar to another favorite of mine Central Waters BBBW. The deep fruit, oak and bourbon notes all come together so well.
660 ml bottle - kindly shared by Kraddel - thank you man! Very sweet aroma, subtle bourbon, oak, vanilla, cinnamon. Medium body with full round taste, slight sour notes. Taste is harsch bourbon with sweet raisins.
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Re-rated after a tasting at Jeffo’s place. Compared to the Flossmoor Hi-Fi Rye 2010 and the Fireside Chat, I reviewed this one to 3.2 and lowered it with 0.3
thnx to mlefevre ! epic trade !!!
Pours dark brown , very small white foam .
Smells sweet , barleywine , not too much of the barrel
Taste is a very complex mixture of sweetness ( barleywine ) and oak , bourbon , very balanced .
Nice !
but given its EXTREME status and being this expensive .... i dont know