Ryan brought this to SOTS for us to try. Not allowed to be an entry. He knows me too well. A barley wine beer is a somewhat rare beer for me and it will great or crash and burn. Aroma gives a thick malt with a sweet caramel and mild bourbon alcohol. Color is a dark copper, the color of whiskey, totally clear. First sip......oh! This is heaven in a glass. Just out of the Guadalupe, sitting on the deck at Whiskey River, nice sunshine, listening to Willey, and now a beer fighting for the elusive 5.0. Velvet soft, smooth, mild burn, raisin, caramel, faint cocoa, bourbon in the background. Nice. Finish evolved with mild dryness. Awsome!!!!!

While at SOTS and the Whiskey River Ranch. we are having a special stout, brought by Ryan. Small head in my glass. Entered the snifter as a dark brown body with the head, a deep tan. Aroma of dark chocolate malt, a dark fruit probably raisin, and a whiskey with it's wooden barrel. The texture brings a cloud like softness. The flavor first gives me that woodsy barrel aging then a creamy European style chocolate, surprisingly a real natural pecan appears. Middle adds the 11% but it's gentle and not offensive. Finally the finish brings a sand storm dryness. This is a great beer and it went to battle but did not quite across the finish line for a 5.0. .

Malty sweetness with a tart bitterness I don’t know if it’s the bottle design with an apple on it that’s subconsciously making me taste apples but I think it’s there No idea where I bought this as it’s been sat on my shelf for a few years so having a clear out and of course this isn’t as fresh as it should be

Disappointingly weak flavour but could be that it was served too cold

A standard APA, an ok beer from a small brewery. I will try others from this brewery in Hertfordshire.