Cellared 2013.10.20 650ml
Drank 2015.04.03
The mouthfeel is spot on for a barleywine. It is rich and thick. It isn’t hoppy but it tastes if it used to be. It is bitter but there is a bit of a hop sharpness to the bitterness. Maybe a bit like an older IPA. I like the old hoppiness. It adds complexity.
Cellared 2013.10.20 750ml
Drank 2015.03.22
Nice Quad flavors. Deep and rich. Thin mouthfeel. A bit thinner than I think is optimal for a quad. But the flavor is rich.
Cellared 2013.10.20 22oz
Drank 2015.03.17
Lots of orange on the nose. Not much or none on the tongue. Great mouthfeel. Bitter. Great overall stout base. Could be roastier. Nothing like Passion Abduction. It is good to great but not standout.
I’m glad this wasn’t oxidized as I’ve heard early Pipeworks bottles don’t really hold up well.
Cellared 2013.10.20 12oz
Drank 2015.03.14
Very smooth. Very bitter. Not hoppy. The bitterness probably comes from all those faded hops. Not very roasty. I enjoyed it but I am not sure it is worth the 1.5 year wait. It was also very alcoholic. More perceived alcohol than I remember it fresh.
I doubt I will get much more Storm King since Victory moved from 6 packs to 4 packs. I hear the case price is the same as before but the 4 pack price is much higher so I will take a pass and stock up on Bell’s and Founders instead. Year round Imperial Stouts are important but not at this price point.
Cellared 2013.10.20 22oz
Drank 2015.03.06
This was bad. I really disliked the what I assume is pumpkin flavor. The beer was also too thin. It was perhaps not an ideal cellar candidate at 8.6% ABV. I got through most of it. Then I drained poured it. I could have finished it. I rather disliked it but I could have gotten through it. But there is no incentive to. No more pumpkin beers.
Cellared 2013.11.17 12oz
Drank 2015.03.02
I’ve had one and a half 4 pack of this in the past. I recall being a but disappointed due to the reputation this beer enjoys. I found it a bit lacking.
With over a year on it, I am liking it more than I recall. The mouthfeel is still great. It is sweet and roasty and bitter. More bitter than I remember it being. It is very good. But it isn’t distinctive nor does it stand out. With a year on it, I think it is like a fresh Expedition. This beer is rather costly at about 16 for a 4 pack. I don’t expect to get this again. I would much rather have the good stuff from Michigan. And much of that is due to price.
Cellared 2013.11.17 12oz
Drank 2015.02.20
I was not sure I would ever buy another Dragon’s Milk. From remembering it being not particularly great and the high price point and the possible allergic reaction… it was looking bad for New Holland’s widely available barrel aged beer. But filling out the cellar took priority and I got another 4 pack.
I remember being unimpressed with this beer. After a year, I am getting TONS of barrel flavor. Much more than I remember fresh. Mouthfeel is OK. But the base beer I cannot taste. All I get is barrel. And it took a year in the cellar to get this much barrel. At least to the best of my recollection. It might not even be that much barrel flavor but there isn’t much else. And that’s not negative. But still a poor value. I’d rather get 6 Expedition than 4 Dragon’s Milk.
Cellared 2013.11.17 12oz
Drank 2015.02.16
I have to assume this is what it means to be oxidized. It was a bit sour and metallic. Not at all delicious or even good. Mouthfeel was great but the taste was bad. I wonder how many of the other beers this happened to…
Cellared 2013.11.17 12oz
Drank 2015.02.11
I’ve gotten this a few times. I don’t remember what it tasted like. One year in, it is still hoppier than I would have expected. But it might be bitterness and not hoppiness. It is an English Barleywine so it shouldn’t be very hoppy. It is very flavorful. Certainly more so than the Great Divide Hibernation Ale. But I don’t think I want what flavors are here. I mostly expect and want a malt bomb. Seems a bit like a quad.
Cellared 2013.10.20 22oz
Drank 2015.02.01
Part of my first batch for the cellar. Never had this fresh. I didn’t like it. Great mouth feel. Crazy thick. Very creamy. But there were some fruit flavors. I did not expect anything like that and it was a bit off-putting. Not a drain pour. But definitely off. I’ve heard that early Pipeworks bottles oxidized easily. Maybe this is heavy oxidization.