XS Old Crustacean
2002 Vintage. Ruby/amber body with little traces of carbonation. Sweet, fruity, malty nose, with a good dosage of alcohol in there as well. Despite this having some age under its belt, it hasn't mellowed much. Actually I think it's kind of out of balance. Still tastes pretty good, but its dominated by a toasted malt character and the alcohol seems to take over too much in the finish. The hops are there, but not enough of them to keep things in balance. This is still a decent barleywine, but there are so many better American interpretations of the style.