Blithering Idiot - Weyerbacher Brewing Co.

    Blithering Idiot is an English style Barleywine brewed by Weyerbacher Brewing Co. which is located in Easton, Pennsylvania. I find this label interesting, as I normally think that clowns are somewhat freaky. However, it seems that if you make a clown into a dark/evil clown, suddenly it's not nearly as frightening. This change must have something to do with the trust children put in normal clowns, only to have them mangle the child into a macabre balloon animal. At least if the clown looks evil, we might expect something like that to happen!

    This beer was donated to Amulets and Ale by Emily Hohman.

    Blithering Idiot pours a cloudy, brown-amber color with a finger of thick, tan head. The head persists for a short while, before fading down into a thick foam over the top of the beer.

    The Barleywine's scent is mainly sweet English style malts such as toffee and caramel. There is a sweet, dark fruit scent to the ale as well that makes me think of figs. There is also a strong ethanol smell to the ale, which makes me worry about the alcohol/flavor balance in the ale.

    This ale isn't "clowning around" when it comes to body. A thick mouthfeel with only a slight bit of carbonation makes the ale feel smooth as it crosses your tongue. This is definitely a hearty ale! I'm surprised that there isn't much of an alcohol warmth to the ale, as I really expected it after smelling the ethanol, not to mention that the ale has an alcohol content of 11.1% ABV! Drink too many of these and you'll be the one cracking terrible jokes!

    Blithering Idiot's flavor is made up of most of the same things that were present in its aroma. The beer first hits with its dark, sweet malts, followed by the sugary sweetness of dried dark fruits. The toffee malts are most pronounced, though a mellow caramel flavor is definitely present as well. There is only the slightest bit of hops bitterness right at the front end of the beer, and it is quickly overtaken by the sweet flavors. At the very back end of the beer I can taste a bit of strong alcohol. It's almost as though you feel it more than you taste it.

Now here's a clown you'd expect to kill you.

    I can't help but be reminded of Kefka from Final Fantasy VI when I look at this beer's label. In case you aren't familiar with this entry in the Final Fantasy series, Kefka is the "big bad guy" of the game. He is also likely the most insane and evil of all the Final Fantasy villains, and surprisingly, also the most successful. Kefka definitely falls into the category of clowns that you know to stay the heck away from! I'd have to guess that this would likely be his favorite beer as well, seeing as its deceptively sweet flavor hides a huge, sinister alcohol content that could turn even the smartest of his enemies into, well, blithering idiots! Who knows, with this beer on his side, Kefka might actually succeed in destroying the entire world! (wink, wink)

    Blithering Idiot is a great example of the English Barleywine with only one flaw, its failure to better hide, or balance, the unpleasant alcohol character. It's not an easy thing to do, especially in an ale with such a high alcohol content, and Blithering Idiot does better than many other Barleywines that I have tried. If you can forgive the alcohol astringency on the back end, I'd definitely recommend this ale!

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Winter Warmer - Upland Brewing Company

    Winter Warmer is a Barleywine brewed by Upland Brewing Company which is located in Bloomington, Indiana. We are definitely out of the Winter Warmer season, but this was sitting in the refrigerator and wouldn't stay fresh through the summer and into next winter. I picked up this bomber at the Upland tasting room in Indianapolis, IN.

    The ale pours a gorgeous garnet color with a decent light-khaki head. There are a lot of bubbles visible in the glass, seeming to hint at a high carbonation level. The beer leaves some light lacing on the glass. A warning to future purchasers: there is a good amount of sediment at the bottom of the bottle, so be careful to decant when pouring!

    Winter Warmer smells strong and sweet. There is surprisingly a decent bit of hops scent to the beer for this style.

    Upland's Barleywine is light to medium bodied with a similar level of carbonation. I'm surprised at how thin this beer is as barleywines are usually thicker than this. There is a nice alcohol warmth to the 8.5% ABV ale.

It warms you from the inside out!

    The Barleywine has strong flavors of an aged ale. Sweet caramel and toffee malts make up the majority of the flavor with a bit of an alcohol hit at the end. There is a slight piney hops flavor at the end of the flavor which sticks around as a bitter aftertaste.

    Winter Warmers are one of my favorite beer types. I love how the warmth of the alcohol is featured in a pleasant way in this style. Upland's Barleywine seems as though it is a bit lighter than others I have had. While the body is somewhat disappointing, the warming properties are done very well in this beer. It's not easy to balance alcohol character with sweetness to the point that the beer no longer tastes like jet fuel. Pleasant sweet flavors are the main feature of the beer.

    There is clearly a bit of fine-tuning needed to make this beer a great, but it's well on its way. I would love to have more of this on a cold winter, or even just rainy, day.

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Griffin's Bow - Boston Beer Company

    Griffin's Bow Oaked Blonde Barleywine Ale is Samuel Adams's take on a classic Barleywine. Brewed by Boston Beer Company (Boston, Massachusetts), this ale differs from regular Barleywines by being aged on oak as well as having more hops in the mix than one might usually see in the style. This is the final 22oz bomber that was included in the "Small Batch Collection" I received for Christmas.

    Griffin's Bow pours a bright golden-orange color with a huge frothy head on top which leaves lots of lacing on the glass. The ale is quite clear.

    The Barleywine smells slightly sweet and much more hoppy than I would have expected. There are some fruity notes to the smell such as pineapple and grapefruit. There is also a slight scent of alcohol which reminds me of dark red wine.

    The ale is medium-thick bodied and has an almost syrupy feel to it. There is a very mild level of carbonation in the ale. A slight alcohol warmth can be felt when the ale is held in the mouth. The Barleywine has a high alcohol content (around 10% ABV) which is common to the style.

Ten pints for Giffin's Bow!

    Griffin's Bow is sweet, but not overly so. Much more bitter hops flavor is present than in most Barleywines which I have tasted. The hops aren't overpowering, however, and add a nice counter-balance to the normally extreme sweet presented by Barleywines. The oak that the beer is aged on definitely lends a bit of its flavor to the brew, but it is quite subdued. There is a huge amount of malt sweetness as well as a bit of honey flavor to the ale.

    I often joke about Sam Adams making beer which is somewhat in-between craft and macrobrews. The "Small Batch Collection" really isn't much different, though Griffin's Bow seems to be the most legitimate take on an ale that Samuel Adams has created so far. I am a huge fan of Barleywines, and I am a huge hophead. Therefore, I must admit that I am quite a fan of this beer.

    With its sweetness and bitter hops balance, as well as its slight oak character, Griffin's Bow Oaked Blonde Barleywine Ale is a very enjoyable take on the classic Barleywine. While I wouldn't recommend that this be the first Barleywine that someone would try, I definitely recommend that fans of the style give this ale a chance.

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