Time for a quick review of the 2010 Sisyphus Barleywine from Real Ale Brewing out of Blanco, TX. I found this one at Spec's in mid-2011 so it might still be available to anyone heading to Houston? If not, this is their winter seasonal so the 2011 batch should be out around the end of the year.
Now, on to this beer... I served it up from a 12 oz. bottle into a Chimay goblet. This vintage has a gold label with the 2010 clearly marked. It's a hazy deep orange color with hardly any head, but that's kind of typical to a strong barleywine and this one is listed at 11.5% alcohol, so it's definitely a strong beer.
The aroma is rich with malty toffee notes and very warm. There's a little hop presence there but not insane and overpowering on the nose. The hops are much more strong on the tongue, very bitter with floral notes to start out the sip. The toffee malt is there but overpowered by the hops. It's a bit of a role reversal from the nose.
The bitter aftertaste leaves a slightly less than ideal mouthfeel. This one is a good barleywine but not the best I've tried. I'll still be more than eager to give the 2011 a try when I see it in store!
The aroma is rich with malty toffee notes and very warm. There's a little hop presence there but not insane and overpowering on the nose. The hops are much more strong on the tongue, very bitter with floral notes to start out the sip. The toffee malt is there but overpowered by the hops. It's a bit of a role reversal from the nose.
The bitter aftertaste leaves a slightly less than ideal mouthfeel. This one is a good barleywine but not the best I've tried. I'll still be more than eager to give the 2011 a try when I see it in store!
My Rating: B
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