Beer – #149 – Renaissance – Tribute Barley Wine (2011)
Renaissance – Tribute Barley Wine (2011) , at 10.8% ABV in a 330 0ml bottle (2.81 standard drink units) this is a bit of a finisher. Brewed by Renaissance Brewing in the style of a Barley Wine from Blenheim, New Zealand
Tribute is brewed by hand using an Elizabethan ‘DoubleWort Mashing’ process that yields very high gravity wort. In this process the mashing and sparging process that yields a normal beer is repeated a second time. The second mash and sparge is done using the wort collected from the first mash instead of water.
Tribute is an intense and rewarding vintage ale, made to be sipped and savoured slowly, preferably after a few years maturation in the cellar.
Crikey, they call for matching this with Rich venison dishes, Hearty beef stew, Belgium truffles, or even Crème brûlée.
I think I mentioned previously, or not, that my youthful experience with Barley Wine (I’m talking 18 years old) was on a Sunday in the public bar of the Blythe Tavern in Catford, having Guinness for lunch session and finishing with Barley Wine added to it just before closing for the lunch. (I may not have mentioned that before)
Anyway. Expecting full body, full malts, heavy, layered, dark beer.
You get a very dark, somewhat cloudy pour, and for me, no head, but you know I’m a novice. VEry low on carbonation, it’s not flat but it’s very under-stated.
Fruit aromas, I get cherry (!) chocolate from the roasting, more fruits, – raisins? Strawberry? You could probably just sit and inhale this and be happy. I went to taste it. smelt it, smiled and put it down again.
Taste is heavy, dark treacle, sweet, syrupy thick, stunning! Lots of length to go with the body too.
I’m not going to let the pdubyah-o-meter dither on this it’s a 10. Straight up. Dead set fair square this is a bit special in a bottle. There’s a lot of drinking in a such a small bottle, this is sipping beer 🙂 Perfect for a strongly matched food, end of an evening, not something you should take lightly or drink quickly.
You’d probably find the intensity of the overall taste that would stop you quaffing this. Which is a good thing, it hides the alcohol easily, and you’d be wanting to pay attention when drinking this, as you could get it all wrong, and that leads to you saying things that you either didn’t mean, or things that end up with you declaring love unbounded. Enjoy it.
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A life just as ordinary 
Just tried this, and I must say it is a confusing taste, I just can’t place it, there is almost a hint of green ginger wine in there but that might just be the extremely small carbonation bubbles.
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