Heavyweight Barrel Aged Old Salty
Bourbon Barrel aged verson of the standard Old Salty. Released in 750 ml bottles.
4
267 reviews
Ocean Township, United States
Community reviews
2005 vintage, 75 cl bottle at tasting. Ruby red pour with a small rim of khaki head. What stroke me about the aroma was that it isn’t in your face at all. Subtle dark fruits - esp. dates, figs - lush caramel, slight notes of coconut and vanilla. Dried apricots, slightly oxidized. The oxidation complements the other elements really well. Not very complex, but very pleasant and well balanced. Taste is high on the sweetness, lots of caramel (quite fudgy, actually), raisins, port like, figs. Huge coconut element, some vanilla. The funny thing is that it isn’t bourbony, but it has the coconut and vanilla from the barrel. Well balanced and quite easy drinking for a barrel aged barleyed wine. The mouthfeel is very thick, soft carbonation, which makes the texture velvety and very pleasant. I mind this beer.
A thank you to my cousin for cracking this open for sushi night. This was my first from now-defunct Heavyweight, and given quality like this, I am sorry they are not in business any more, altho apparently the people who ran the place are still in business as Earth Bread & Brewery in Philadelphia. This was from 2006 or so, but still tasted great. Vinous aroma with some vanilla notes. The flavor is complex and sweet - lots of malt, some raisin, spices, and bourbon. It is kind of punchlike, but a very good punch indeed. Excellent!
This poured a murky medium brown color with a beige head. Aroma was lots and lots of sweet malts, lots of caramel, fig , and boubon. Flavor was nice vanilla from the oak and bourbon, lots of sweet caramel malt and light dried Fruit. Oxidation is there a ittle bit but hasnt completley taken over yet.
750 ml bottle shared by shigadeyo. Pours a cloudy copper color with no head to speak of at all. The aroma is big sweet caramel and toffee, ripe fruits, vanilla with only mild bourbon notes. Oxidation is there, but seems to be doing pretty well for its age. The flavor has sweet ripe fruits, sweet caramel malts, toffee, cherry notes, vanilla and hints of wood. This is very smooth and although sweet, a treat to see how this has held up. The oxidation notes don’t hurt this too much. I wish I had more.
Bottle generously shared during the RBSG grand tasting. Pours a murky tan, headless. Aroma has classic barley wine notes of sweet toffee and marshmallow and a whisky background. Flavor is syrupy, syrupy toffee. This thing is massively sweet. Appears to have held up reasonably well.
Received this in White Whale IV BIF from mikeyv35. Served in a Michigan Brewer’s Guild tulip.
A - Pours with surprising carbonation. A finger-plus of tan foam settles to a thick ring and partial cap, but minimal lace. Transparent dark brown body with some transparency when held at the right angle. Swishing the glass totally reactivates the foam.
S - Butterscotch, coconut, and oak - definitely a lot of barrel present here. Base beer provides brown sugar, molasses, and light oxidation notes. Gets increasingly woody as it warms up. Still pretty potent and defined after 6 years.
T - Taste is a little sweeter, with less overt oak character. Port-like oxidation, brown sugar, raisins, molasses, and butterscotch. Not much whiskey or overt alcohol - I’m guessing these have mellowed out over the years.
M - Carbonation is much too high - somewhat harsh and spritzy. It actually takes a while to settle down enough so that one can objectively evaluate the taste properly. Medium body seems a touch thin for 11%. Some tannic oak in the finish, but minimal alcohol warmth.
D - Had the unfortunate position of being consumed concurrently with M. Still it was quite tasty for a 6-year old barrel-aged barley wine. Once the bubbles dissipate a bit it’s a nice treat that any lover of the style should get to experience. Seems to be aging gracefully if cellared properly, although it’s not going to be better with additional age methinks.
750ml bottle, 2005 vintage, shared by beastiefan2k, thanks Eugene! Pours darker caramel with some burgundy highlights. Aroma is loaded with rich malts, toffee, caramel, ripe dark fruits, and some subdued barrel notes of oak and vanilla that are nicely complimentary. Flavor is more full flavored malts, caramel, toffee, ripe dark fruits and some light oak and vanilla to add to the sweetness, but mostly the barrel is fading away. This one is big and rich, and impressed with how it’s holding up, thanks again Eugene!
750ml bottle. 2005 vintage. Malty, caramel, slight oxidation and moderate barrel aromas. Rich maltiness, toffee and light caramel with a little bit of barrel at the end. The barrel character is nicely balanced.
750 bomber shared with Ratman and Irishboy (Thanks greatly!) Loved the cartoon label on this one. Poured into a BA Fest snifter. Starts out with a rich cola color and a decently thick tan head. Surprisingly for it’s age, it still has a full nose of darker fruits, leather and caramel apple aromas. First sips have rich malts and a slight oaky flavor. This is a big barleywine - robust with flavors of sticky prunes,,vanilla beans and a simple syrup backbone. Nice stuff. I didn’t get much of the bourbon barrel in the finish, but expect it has diminished over time. Still holding its own as a terrific brew. So glad I got to try. Thanks again for this treat Richard!.
750ml courtesy of the baldwizard, huge thank you for this one! nice cloudy dark amber pour with desent head and retention. sweet, salty, dry, syrupy, just a touch of funk. completely delicious! holding up very well.
750 ml bottle shared by Irish Boy (Thanks Richard!) poured a clear dark brown with a lasting amber head. Aromas of bourbon, oak, vanilla, dark fruit, carmel and toffee. Palate was light to medium bodied and smooth. Flavors of bourbon, oak, carmel, dark fruit, light earthiness and light toffee with a smooth lingering bourbon finish.
Bottled shared at the LCBS 10. I don’t know wtf was going on hear. Crazy oxidation, apple, raisin turd, and cardboard flavors. Disappointing.....
2005 bottle. Dark brown color. Pedro Ximenez sherry, salty notes, maple syrupand a hint of oak in the aroma. Sweet, almost sugary oaky flavor with dried plums and figs, cognac, PX sherry. Slightly alcoholic, but complex and delicious.
Bottle shared by Jimmack at Jimmack’s invitational. Pours clear amber brown. Nose and taste of figs, raisins, dark fruits, oak, molasses and brown sugars.
BCTC 2010, Ratebeer tent, big thanks to the generous donor. 2005 vintage. caramel color pour. loads of rich maltiness, seems a little past its peak, bourbon barrell aging seemed to be fading. medium notes of vanilla, wood, bourbon, still quite flavorful & complex. would like another stab preferably this one not being after a long beer binge like the one yesterday in Cooperstown
750ml bottle, probably 5+ years old. Pouring a hazy, dark, golden-amber hue, the dense body is topped with just a thin beige film. Though no lacing shows, it does give some nice, drippy sheeting on the glass. The aroma is big on caramel and light toffee, showing complimentary notes of vanilla and sweet buttercream. Rich bourbon warmth has settled in nicely at this age, lending weathered oak and brown sugar notes behind. Flavors sport the same caramel base, this time hinting at some dark, rich fruits, like cherries and dates. Mellowed by time, the bourbon element is subtle and approachable, lending an even-keeled warmth of vanilla, brown sugar, and faded oak. There is no semblance of hop bitterness to be found at this advanced stage of life, but that is quite befitting of this luscious malt monster. Med-full on the palate, some sherry-like oxidation has certainly set in, though that’s no necessarily a bad thing in a brew of this magnitude and style. Overall, this is a very nice brew that has held up quite well over time. I imagine it was probably pretty damn impressive a few years ago.
2005 Vintage
3/10/2010: Heavyweight Barrel-Aged Old Salty Barleywine Ale... Aroma: Caramel, lots of sugars, notes of oxidation though; subtle vanilla; faint barrel notes. Appearance: Minimal carbonation; somewhat cloudy, but uniformly so; coppery orange-amber color; shiny. Flavor: Sweet, sugary, rich caramel and toffee; dates, fig, plum, cherry, other fruits; hint of barrel char; LEATHER; tobacco; very much like a refined Belgian Quad; alcohol completely hidden; subtle bourbon notes when warmer and after letting it breathe awhile... Palate: Medium-full, not as thick and chewy as the regular version; very smooth; slightly creamy. Overall: Definitely different than the "regular" version, but not quite as good, but still delicious; DRINK NOW!
1 pint 9.4 fl. oz. capped bottle from luiss via trade. Thanks! Rating #233 for this beer.
Bottleshared by shigadeyo. Poured clear brown color with a minimal fizzy off-white head that mostly diminished with fair lacing. Moderate to heavy dark fruit, bourbon, wood and small alcohol aroma. Full body with a sticky smooth texture and flat carbonation. Moderate to heavy dark fruit and light bourbon sweet flavor with a medium to heavy sweet finish of moderate to long duration. This is another standout beer.
Sampled at RBWG 2010, possibly courtesy JW77. The barrel characteristics are there but somewhat subdued, perhaps the age. Under that, however, is an amazing barley wine.
Big thanks to jw77 for this one.
A: Pours a hazy amber hue with a small off white head. Lite retention and lace. S: Aromas of dark fruit, caramel, toffee, vanilla, and light wood. F: Very much the same. Sweet candy malts, dark fruit, wood, and vanilla. Very light booze can be picked up but everything seems to meld together so nicely. M: On the fuller side of medium, light carbonation, smooth easy mouthfeel. A real wonderful brew that has aged gracefully! Thanks Jon.
Shared by jw77 at tpd975’s throwdown in December, 2009. Pours a dark amber to caramel color with thin off-white head. Aroma is sweet and malty with notes of toffee, caramel, bourbon, booze, ripe dark fruits, raisins, hints of molasses. Flavor is about the same, stronger notes of bourbon, vanilla, light wood and smoke. Medium to full body with a pleasing malty, sweet finish.
Closer to an amber than an orange in colour with a ring of a just-off-white foam. Very aromatic with lots of dark fruits and sweet caramel, maybe a hint of bone dry wood. Tastes about the same with nice ripe date sweetness, has come chewy caramel and a hint of barrel. Finishes long with a coating sweetness.
Bottle courtesy of jw77. Poured a hazy copper color with a thin off white head. Nose on this one is insane with big notes of caramel, raisin, fig, malt, oak, and vanilla. Full chewy body with an ultra smooth mouth feel. Flavor is a blend of dark fruits, brown sugar, and caramel, fairly sweet but still balanced. As it warmed I picked up some light barrel notes which blended perfectly with the dark fruit and caramel. This beer is yum, imo better than M and maybe the best barley wine I have tried to date.
Big thanks to jw77 for sharing this one. It pours big hazy brown with copper hues and thin tan head. The aroma is amazing with rich smooth musty creamy dark fruitiness of prunes, sugar stewed raisins, figs, brown sugar, ripe plums, some earthiness and chewy aged malts in the background. I think I could just smell this all night. The taste is smooth blended sweetness punctuated by near creamy dark fruitiness like prunes, stewed raisins, plums, figs and dates. Midway the barrel notes well up and bring addition complex smoothness from a modest amount of oak and vanilla. This is just plain yum. Wow!
05 Bottle from JW77. DAMN! Pours caramel brown with a white head. Nose is plum, brandy, bourbon, vanilla, malt, caramel, sweetness, and depth the caliber of Dante’s Inferno. Flavor- up to the challenge. Had bourbon, malt, booze, sweetness, fruit, brandy, raisins, plums, all manner of dark fruit, and more character than a hungry boy at fat camp. The barrel and the beer are both extreme, but the finish gives it a lingering sweetness. Amazing beer. A new permanent want.
POurs brown. Nose is ripe dark fruits, sweet booze, mild oxidation, bourbon, alcohol, mild roast, cherry, raisins, vanilla and coconut. Flavor is warming alcohol, prune/raisin, bourbon, cherries, sweet vanilla, wood, hints of roasted malts. pretty remarkable.
cheers to jw77 for opening this one.
pours dark brown, white head.Aroma & flavor, aged quite well, caramel & dark malts, strong dark fruits, light barrel with hints of vanilla adding a hint of sweetness, load of grain and thin bitter finish. Retained a good carbonation.
2005? Bottle thanks to Paul for sharing. Light brown pour with huge white head. Dark fruits, bourbon, and oak notes. Just happy to get a chance to try this.
Rating number 1100. Bottle at Paul’s place for Kan’s visit, courtesy of Paul himself I believe. 2004 bottling. Pours a just hazy ruby brown with a thin beige head. Bourbon, vanilla, wood, malt, prunes, plum. A bit boozy at first, but smooth and delicious after that. Soft smoke, vanilla, caramel, plums. Finishes sweet with a little lingering prune and caramel. Tasty.
Damn good. Big rich. Massive flavor. Reminded me of these french caramels you can get that are crusted with sea salt. 2005 btl. too bad these guys went under.