Pike Old Bawdy Barley Wine
An 07 bottle. Pours a cherry stained wood brown that is opaque. Reddish orange highlights and some sediment that looks to be suspended in the liquid. The head is white yellow and is thick and sticky. Nice retention and some fantastic lacing. The nose isn't as bold as I would expect from a barleywine but at least it has all the right characters. It is a sweet sticky malt smell with a very noticeable hop nose. Not one that hints at hop flavor but more one that points towards bitterness. Taste is big and sweet. The malts are the dominate feature of the taste and it is followed by a damn decent bitterness. Caramel notes and a chewy mouthfeel. The hops aren't as present in the taste except for the bitterness, but that is to be expected in a bottle that is potentially a year or two old. I can imagine the hops being an abrasive part of a young Old Bawdy. Aging has really matured this beer and it shows in the flavor. I like the semi muted bitterness and hops because it really lets you taste the other parts of this beer. However I wonder how big and adventurous those hops are fresh. Big chewy and bold this medium to full bodied beer is bigger then your dad and can kick his ass. Worth trying and worth aging. This beer is smooth like Lando Calrissian, check it out..