Third homebrew, received as a gift. I saved this last. For a good reason. It's a Barley Wine, obviously an American BW as it's dry hopped with Cashmere and Centennial. The post-it sticker details it 15 % and aged for 9 months. Whaaaat?? The beer looks sticky and oily, the color is murky, deep dark brown. Carbonation is oppressed. A lacy haze forms on the top for a momentary lapse. Soon the surface is flat still. The beer looks professional in the snifter! The scent is multifaceted and complex: abundant raisin and prune, a tad date, bags of caramel malt and dark chocolate. An intriguing nuance of oak barrel emanates seductively in the air. I'm trying hard to recognize the aroma behind it... could it be sherry? Or port? The taste profile continues on the promising path. Powerful sweet malt mingles with licorice and is accompanied by raisin and prune. Date has slipped to the darkness. Alcohol can be spotted but it's by no means aggressive, neither chemical. The barrel aging points now much more directly to Bourbon, though, without a twist of vanilla. An unexpected, yet reserved piney twist hits the taste receptors occasionally. Amazingly full and nicely complex indeed! The body is full. The finish tweaks a bit towards bitter nuances. Still, the same mellow sweet malt and prune constitute the end. Raisin is fermented and soaked in Bourbon barrel. The finish is substantially long-lasting. The mouthfeel is full, viscous, appealingly velvety, truly warming and undoubtedly barrel aged. Astonishingly enough, this lip-glueing and oily homebrew offers layers and a good degree of complexity. Wow, this is a bingo!