Welcome to Beer Tastings, a weekly series in which Utah Beer News highlights a particularly tasty local brew. This week, we go big — Barrel Aged Barley Wine Ale (13% ABV) from Kiitos Brewing. What are you drinking? Let us know!
Beer Tastings: Barrel Aged Barley Wine Ale
A complex richness and a candied-fruit stickiness serve to fortify beer drinkers during the colder winter months.
As its name suggests, Kiitos Brewing’s Barrel Aged Barley Wine Ale is aged in whiskey-soaked oak and is bursting with flavor.
My buddy Dave, who wrote about this one in our Utah Holiday Beers roundup, calls the 13% ABV delicacy “good fruitcake in a cup.” It’s packed with plenty of candied dark fruits. I also perceive some aromas of maple and molasses.
In terms of flavor, I pick up more of the dark fruit and a caramel-y sweetness. The booziness isn’t overpowering (I get more of the “hot” notes in the aroma than in the taste).
Take a big initial gulp and let it warm the inside of your mouth. But after that, definitely sip and savor.
The Barrel Aged Barley Wine Ale is a perfect candidate to share over dessert. A can is also a sufficient amount — 16 ounces — to sip over the course of an entire evening (you’ll likely pick up different nuances as it warms).
- Brewery: Kiitos Brewing
- ABV: 13%
- Serving Style: Can (16 ounce)
- Date Tasted: November 17, 2018
- Purchase Location: Kiitos Brewing
Kiitos Brewing: A Gold Medal Winner
Kiitos Brewing, at just over a year old, is developing a strong reputation in and around Salt Lake. And now, others are starting to take notice as well.
Clay Turnbow, the head brewer, isn’t a stranger to the Utah beer scene. He cut his teeth at Epic Brewing and 2 Row Brewing before moving to Kiitos.
In September, the brewery earned Gold for its Coffee Cream Ale, a 4% brew that pours a pale yellow but that is teeming with coffee aromas and more subtle coffee flavors.
Barrel Aged Barley Wine Ale — Kiitos Brewing
Product Name: Barrel Aged Barley Wine Ale
Product Description: Released in September 2018 for Kiitos Brewing's one-year anniversary party, the Barrel Aged Barley Wine Ale (13% ABV) is a real treat. It delivers aromas and flavors of candied dark fruit and some molasses/caramel sweetness. It's a mouth-coating and -warming beer that could help fortify you on cold winter nights.
- Aroma
- Appearance
- Flavor
- Mouthfeel
Overall Impression
A barleywine is a definite treat. It could easily replace dessert (or accompany dessert) after a special-occasion meal. The Barrel Aged Barley Wine Ale from Kiitos Brewing delivers decadent notes of candied fruit and rich caramel-y sweetness.
- Aroma: Some whiskey booziness, candied dark fruits, molasses
- Appearance: Dark caramel brown, minimal tan head
- Flavor: Dark fruits, some cherry, caramel sweetness
- Mouthfeel: Thick, mouth-coating
But you don’t have to take my word for it.
Notes: The tasting notes format is adapted from a Homebrew Academy Beer Tasting Mastery course I took in 2017. Utah Beer News is not compensated in any way for beers mentioned in the Tastings series.
