So balanced. Reminds me a lot of Avery's Maharaja, though not quite as much of a hop bomb. Very balanced, not particularly bitter. Lost of dregs in the last pour of the 750.

Held up remarkably well, much better than the 2016 I opened the same night. Rich malty depth and retains more barrel than bourbon. Still, it showed its age, not a beer that needs cellaring. Sad to see CW let this one go.

I like it chilled a bit, now, but not 44 degrees or anything. As good as it gets for me.

The best.

This is just my favorite beer. So rich and sweet, but not alcohol sweet. Smooth and delicious.

Bourbon had faded significantly after 9 months. It's still there but more in the background. It's smoother overall but I really liked the big bourbon presence.

Past its prime by this point, less than 18 months old. Not much chocolate left. I get bitter coffee and molasses finish. I'll have a 2017 soon to compare. At 1 year old this was still nearly identical to the fresh batch.

Smoother mouthfeel than the 2017 but coffee has dropped off significantly. I like the 2017 better already and I expect it to smooth out quickly as ot settles in the bottle.

Extremely citrusy aroma, huge head with great retention and lacing, slightly orangy amber, tastes of citrus peel.

Cinnamon and chocolate at cellar temp, not as smooth as I'd like, has a bit of a bite but very tasty. Bourbon rounded out the edges with some booze and really present in the aroma. I forgot this hat coffee in it until it warmed up and the coffee bitterness came out.

Smells like hot chocolate at cellar temp. Vanilla and cinnamon come through as it warms.

Unexpectedly thin mouthfeel. Tastes like ice cream at about 50 degrees. Changes tremendously as it warms. Cinnamon really comes to the fore. Not a strong bourbon presence and the coffee is pretty subtle, other than giving some bitterness at the end.

Extremely citrusy aroma, huge head with great retention and lacing, slightly orangy amber, tastes of citrus peel.

Extremely citrusy aroma, huge head with great retention and lacing, slightly orangy amber, tastes of citrus peel.

It's good. But don't age. Still, CW is better at about the same price...

OK, not a great candidate for aging. Still OK. It kind of tastes like a barrel aged Old Foghorn. Of course I hadn't had any OF before drinking the other two bottles of Barrel Chested. Has more underlying sweetness. I think the barrel has faded somewhat, or my palate has barrel fatigue. Reasonably priced and solid barleywine.

Carbonation much less pronounced. Still smells AMAZING (though my sister said it smelled like dill? and caramel). Very dark red, alcohol had a bit of a bite. Still tastes great at 6 months but might not gain anything by age. Only 6 months, though.

Garnet red, poured with more carbonation and thinner than I expected. Big malty bourbon aroma, much like a bourbon barrel scotch ale. Carbonation not a problem while drinking. Caramel and pecan notes. Delicious, with some heat. Last 1-2 ounces was very different. Smelled purely of whiskey and not much flavor. Like the watery stuff that runs down the sides of a glass of whiskey, or the residue that collects after finishing a glass? Not sure it would age well. Will see.

Extremely citrusy aroma, huge head with great retention and lacing, slightly orangy amber, tastes of citrus peel.

Extremely citrusy aroma, huge head with great retention and lacing, slightly orangy amber, tastes of citrus peel.