Schlafly Reserve Barleywine Style Ale Aged On Oak

This beer is aged on new Missouri oak. The wood has a medium toast, which helps to caramelize the sugars in the oak and adds a nutty character to the beer as it soaks into the wood. Leave the corkscrew in the kitchen drawer and pop open a beer that will reward you with more flavors than most wines can dream of.

3.8

458 reviews

St. Louis, United States

Community reviews

4.0 14/II/15 - 75cl bottle from a trade @ RBBWG IV (Beerlover_Ben’s place) - BB: n/a, 2013 vintage (2015-222) Thanks to ajax25g for the bottle! Clear reddish brown beer, creamy huge white to beige irregular head, little stable. Aroma: lots of caramel, sugary. caramel, sweet malts, banana, bit sweet, more caramel. MF: soft carbon, medium to full body. Taste: alcohol, banana, yeast, sweet fruitiness, little lemony, sourish, sugary, caramel, pretty boozy, dried fruits, some resinous hops. Aftertaste: lots of alcohol, caramel, sweet and sugary, bit boozy, hoppy touch.

4.4 Thanks to tderoeck! Bomber sampled @ RBBWG IV. Dark amber, little head. Nose is oxidized, caramel apple, lots of sugar, lightly herabL. Taste is oxidation, sugar, herbal, cooked brown apple, lots of tea, caramel. Little in the way of carbonation, melted candy sugar body. Rather nice.

3.7 Bottle @ RBBWG 2015. Lightly unclear dark orange color, small white head. Smell and taste malts, a slight sweetness, some alcohol, oak, caramel, wood. Medium to full body, medium carbonation.

4.4 Pours rather clear dark amber . Smell is sweet , forest leaves . Taste is sweet, fruity ,bit booze . Caramel in the finish . Very nice !

3.7 Keg @ Meridian Pint. Deep caramel color with a small head. Nose is strong tofdee and twirlers candy. Old cherry preserve. Some pepper and bread. Flavor of strong toffee and coffee cake. Caramel. Smooth and easy to drink.

3.6 Bottle at RBBWG shared by tderoeck. Amber colour, high alcoholol, caramel, malts, some chocolate, little bourbon and vanilla. Nice but wouldn't want to drink a whole glass.

4.2 Bottle, cellared for 2 years, then shared with Grippitis and heavylaevy while watching the Ducks completely embarrass Florida State in the Rose Bowl-- wow! I believe that beer voodoo played a role in this record setting victory, because this beer was amazing. Deep orange-tinted amber, hazy, with a soft creamy off white head. Sweet toffee malts, chewy and rich, hints of plum and field flowers. There is an unexpected elegance to this barley wine-- absolutely loved it!

3.9 Large 2011 bottle. Pours clear dark copper with a decent head. A faint tart note along with low sweetness, distinguished this from other barleywines in a tasting session. O: Excellent but not superb in all respects.

3.9 750 ml bottle at home from backlog notes. Pours a caramel brown color with a small beige head. The aroma and flavor have caramel malts, dark fruits, raisins, some citrus, oak, some earthy bitterness, warming alcohol, medium plus body, solid bw.

3.5 Tap. Pours clear reddish amber, small team had, minimal lacing. Aroma is heavy vanilla, oak, toffee, jack Daniels. Flavor is oaky, lots of vanilla and whiskey, orange. Fully sweet, light bitter, just a touch of astringent. Medium body, little carbonation.

4.0 2013 bottle, label says 10.2%: Pours copper color with slight red tone, small amount of tan, quickly disappearing soapy bubbles, no lacing. It smells of toffee, chocolate, bourbon. After warming a bit, delicious flavor of lightly roasted barely, vanilla cookie dough, whiskey. It’s just a touch syrupy. It finishes sweet, with caramel, a touch of roasty bitterness, a hint of orange, with gentle carbonation.It’s a very fine barley wine.

3.6 Brown bottle, 1 pint 9.4 ounces, 2012 vintage, via Importations Privées Bièropholie (merci Hughes!), savoured on November 28 2014; eye: dirty brown with caramel hue, hazy, nice beige head that turns into a tiny ring, light lacing; nose: bittering hops, malt, caramel, slight fruity; mouth: bittering hops, malt, caramel, acridness, nrown sugar, light astringency, alcohol, toffee, slight fruity, rum, acrid finale with presence of caramel, medium-full body, average carbonation, mildly bitter, mildly sweet, mildly harsh texture; overall: correct FRANÇAIS Bouteille brune, 1 pinte 9,4 onces, millésime 2012, via Importations Privées Bièropholie (merci Hughes!), savourée le 28 novembre 2014; œil : brun sale avec une teinte caramel, trouble, belle mousse beige qui se transforme en un petit anneau, légère dentelle; nez : houblon amérisant, malt, caramel, très léger fruité; bouche : houblon amérisant, malt, caramel, âcreté, cassonade, légère astringence, alcool, toffee, très léger fruité, rhum, finale âcre avec présence de caramel, corps moyen-corsé, carbonatation moyenne, moyennement amère, moyennement sucrée, texture moyennement râpeuse; en résumé : correct

3.6 Bottle: Poured a brown color ale with a medium size off-white foamy head with OK retention and minimal lacing. Aroma consists of caramelized malt with some toffee notes and some residual sugar. Taste is also dominated by caramelized malt with some light toffee notes with quite a bit of residual sugar with light oak notes. Body is a bit light for style with medium carbonation and light warming alcohol. Not bad overall but too much residual sugar for my own taste.

3.7 Pours light brown with a dry sweet aroma. Flavor of nothing but oak up front with a sweet caramel finish.

4.0 750ml bottle of 2013 vintage. Pours deep Amber almost mahogany color with almost no foam. Very sweet aroma with hints of vanilla and caramel. Heavy malts with a bit of oakiness that's overshadowed by the alcohol sweetness.

3.9 2009 bottle, from Trey. Pours hazy brown, with no head. The aroma is oak, caramel cloves, syrup, and some earthy notes. Very sweet, with just a light bitterness. Heavy, syrupy, and a little chalky. Overall, this is an excellent, very complex and rich beer. Thanks a bunch, Trey!

4.2 2011 bottle. Dark brown pour with a light khaki head. Aroma of brown sugar, dark fruits, and oak. Just smells awesome. Flavor is oak, vanilla, and caramel with hints of fruit. Very complex. Opens up nicely as it warms. Abv is completely hidden. Great beer.

5.0 Best beer in a while of my memory. Has been sitting in my cellar for about 6 months. Aroma is a mix of whiskey, caramel, and bread. Looks like a thick brown malt. Tastes amazing. Mix and match of oak and caramels. Mouth is acidic and sweet. Great beer!

3.9 "Very prototypical barleywine...even with the barreling. Would be a good one to give someone and say this is what the style is supposed to be like. I’ve had better, but also much worse. This was a purty pour. 2011. Smelled of the barrels, caramel, oak, and spicy hops. Flavor much the same. "

3.6 Absolutely delicious. Pours dark brown with minimal head. Malty, with notes of bourbon and vanilla. Heavily alcoholic.

4.2 750ml bottle, 2012 vintage cellared for about 1 year. Thanks sevenhokie! Sweet caramel malt aroma with notes of dark fruit and some oak. Pours dark caramel colored with a large tan head and excellent lacing. Starts with great caramel malt sweetness and dark fruit flavor. Finishes quite smooth with a bit of oak and just a hint of alcohol burn. Nice barleywine.

3.8 2011 bomber (woohoo store aged vintage!) into snifter glass, dirty dark ruby red color with minimal light tan head (more lacing after a minute). Aroma of heavy rich caramel malt sweetness, dark dried fruits (raisins, prune), berries, toast, some wine and faint sour vinegar. Taste adds more sour-vinegar-like notes (in a good way), honey, more fresh fruit (pear, apple), booze, vanilla and faint oak. Heavy body, low carbonation, syrupy, sticky with lingering sweet-oaky finish. Interesting 3 year old monster, vinous notes abound. Overall quite tasty.

2.8 Pours a clear amber with a short-lived khaki head. Not much going on in the nose. Some light roasted, nutty aromas. A bit of a sticky mouthfeel with more than adequate carbonation. Smooth, mild flavors. The oak does come through, but slightly. Nonetheless, oak is the predominant flavor. Roasted flavors and light caramel are underneath.

4.0 An oldish 750, bottled with love on 10 12 12 , consumed here in July 2014. Nose is sweet with caramel and earth, but mostly wood, oak with faint vanilla and stronger spice on top. Additional fruit as it warms. Inviting! Pours a deep, dark blood red that still lets some light through, has a densely-bubbled tan head. Soft, fruity body with heavy oaken overtones, vanilla and spice, earthy, beautiful malt flavor with good depth and blending with caramel and fruit. Full body is only lightly carbonated and tremendously soft and enjoyable. There are some warming, slightly fuming alcohols, but they lend a classy, upscale note rather than an amateurish or youthfully aggressive one. Some really nice, strong Doppelbock malt character but instead resting on a featherbed of supportive hops.Sticky lips! Semi-sweet, low in bitterness, light phenol and ester contributions, and a vinous finish. Somewhat straightforward as these things goes, but at this age has balanced all its bits and pieces without losing any intensity. Soothed and invigorated. Dreamy!

4.0 2011 bomber shared by my friend Josh. Pours the color of an amber bourbon. Nose of red wine, oak, prune, and other fruits. Taste is sweet, medium viscosity, and has a sharp and tannic, wine-like finish. Flavors of caramel, red wine, lemon, oak barrel, and dark fruits.

3.9 Bomber from the bottleworks. Pours reddish brown with minimal foam. Aroma is strongly of caramel malt and something almost like dried cranberry. No oak in the nose that I can detect. Lots of caramel, toastiness, and a hint of nut in the taste, but still no oak to speak of. Some decent bitterness to balance all the sweetness in the early and mid palate. Nicely done, if a bit on the sweet side. Great ABV burn.

3.8 On tap at Magnolia on the Mill in Purcellville, VA. Hazy, mahogany with a creamy khaki head and very good lacing. Aroma of caramel, butterscotch, fruitcake, honey, whiskey, pears, vanilla, oak and toffee. Taste of raisins, toffee, whiskey, dates, apple, pear, oak and caramel. Medium body and medium/high carbonation.

4.0 Draft at Tuscarora Mill in Leesburg, VA. Dark caramel brown color. Aromas of caramel, toffee, syrup, light booze. Tasting notes of dark fruit, caramel, toffee, booze. Medium body with a dry finish. Syrupy mouthfeel, medium carbonation.

3.8 Pours a nice brown with a medium offwhite head that sticks to the side of the glass. Nose is of caramel and green hops, typical american barleywine. Taste is surprisingly not too sweet and offers a ton of oak and some caramel. Alcohol is warming but I find it to be fitting. Body is full, carbonation moderate. Mouthfeel is sticky. Good barleywine, really well executed.

4.3 This beer is a clear orangeish garnet with a small, creamy off-white head, and the aroma blends dark fruit, alcohol that is slightly solventy, caramel malts, and oak notes. The taste is complex with slight bitterness, mild sweetness, slight umami, and touch of sourness with definite oakiness, but the finish is decidedly boozy and astringent; there is also a slick texture, average carbonation with a bite, medium-full body, and a long and warm aftertaste.