Duck-Rabbit Barley Wine

My husband, parents, and I went out for lunch over the weekend, so I just had to try to Duck-Rabbit Barley Wine, since it was on tap:

Vittles:

English Barleywine

11% abv

Appearance: 9/10

It looks darker in the picture than it really was, since the bar we were in was very dim.  This barleywine appeared to be a dark burnt orange, almost a nutty brown color, and it had a thin head by the time it got to our table.  My husband took a sip while I was getting my camera open on my phone, but you can see the nice lacing on the glass.  I even saw some legs after I took a sip, which is nice to see in this style.

Aroma: 23/25

It starts off with a complex roasted malt nose with caramel notes.  Very bready on first sniff, which I love.  The hop character balances very nicely with the maltiness; neither one seems to dominate.  Dark fruit aromas, especially raisins and figs, become more apparent as you swirl the glass.  There's a touch of something muskier, maybe vanilla, on the tail end, too.

Taste: 37/40
This is what I look for in an English barleywine.  The flavors complement the bouquet pretty squarely, with the bready/biscuity tastes dominating up front, blending into a fruity, floral, citrusy, not quite resiny hoppiness, which gets overtaken by the dark and dried fruit flavors on the back end.  The aftertaste is a combination of roasted malt sweetness and dark fruit flavors -- very appealing.

Mouthfeel: 9/10
It's a smooth, velvety, and full-bodied beverage, which adds quite a bit to the impression this brew leaves on me.  I also liked the moderate alcohol-warmth that followed each sip.  Luscious is an apt descriptor here.

Style: 5/5
For an English barleywine, this brew is pretty much spot on.  The flavors are balanced very nicely, and the hoppiness isn't over the top.

Drinkability: 9/10
For hopefully obvious reasons, I'd never drink more than one barleywine in a sitting, nor would I drink it quickly.  This is absolutely a beer that's meant to be sipped and enjoyed slowly.  I did appreciate how the flavors altered and a little more complexity developed in the fruitiness as the barleywine warmed to room temperature, which made this all the more delicious of a drink.

Overall: 92/100
I love barleywines, and this one is no exception.  I've never had any Duck-Rabbit beers before, but if this beer is an indication of the kind of quality I could expect from the rest of this brewer's offerings, I'd gladly take a shot at the rest of his beers.

Looking forward to sampling the next one from my ever so modest beer cellar!  Cheers!