Note to self: give up on NEIPAs. It smells great but I'm a west coast guy.

Cocoa powder. Less bourbon than I remember from the other bottle, wouldn't mind a little more. It also needs another month, at least, to settle in the bottle. But maybe the best vintage that I can remember.

The 2016 took a few months to get this good. This one is ready to go out of the gate. Chocolate bomb on the nose and tongue. Some coffee at the backend, too. More than I remember in other vintages. This is simply great. Reaffirms that I don't _need_ any other barrel stout.

So, this takes 2 or 3 years of aging to get it where I want it. The bite is gone, the heat is gone, so smooth and rich. Tastes unmistakably like a barleywine, and an American barleywine at that, but so well integrated. One of the few worth the cellar space. Sigh, not quite Straightjacket but half the price.

Life.

This was a little more woody tasting earlier on but now the sweeter stickiness is coming out just like you want from a barleywine.

Note to self: give up on NEIPAs. It smells great but I'm a west coast guy.

Note to self: give up on NEIPAs. It smells great but I'm a west coast guy.

They pretty much nailed this one. Maple is there. Nutty, dry bitterness is there from the old ale. Light on the bourbon, no big deal. A dessert beer for sure, very sweet. But good for the right situation/mood.

Very heavy on the apple from the Teku glass.

Blows me away, every time. The wrong food pairing can wreck this beer, though. First glass was amazing. After a salad with vinegar mustard dressing, all I could taste was the apples and a little cherry tart and cranberry sour.

Again big malt, less fermented cherry than I remember. Smells like vinegar but more of a moderate sour on the tongue. Carbonation is delightful as ever. Not sure I can put this up there with my favorites any more. Cran-bic is so good. And I still have an Oud Bruin left. Wished New Glarus would put out more in this vein instead Weiss beers.

So much maltier than I remember. Gives it a lot more depth, although it's not as crisply refreshing. Mutes the cherries a bit, too. Oddly reminds me of BBQ now, even though I don't like that beer.

Such a drinkable sour. New Glarus sours work for me. Less cherry and less carbonation than I remember.

Five years was just a bit past its prime. Great to know. Maybe just this vintage or this bottle, but no reason to sit on this for longer than 4-5 years.

Thick and rich, but definitely improves with a few years under its belt.

Tootsie Roll chocolate stout.

Like drinking chocolate milk. But better.

Shockingly, not as balanced as I expected. When I drank the 2013 last December it was liquid caramel. This had a woody harshness that reminded me of how the CW barleywine can be. Definitely better at room temp. Shows every bit of the 13+% abv. Nice viscosity and aroma but I expected it to be smoother and sweeter.

This might be the best sour I have ever had. The acidity never overwhelmed my palate. The spot on carbonation contributed to a delightful soft mouthfeel. And I had no trouble finishing a 750 on my own at 5.6%. I consider it pricey at $17 but I have paid more for less. Would crush again.