Ellen and I had the opportunity last night to sample the Rare Beer Club's December selection. The selection this month was Old Saguaro Barleywine and was brewed by Sonoran Brewing Company in Scottsdale, Arizona. Old Saguaro is in exclusive bottling available only locally in the greater Phoenix area or to members of the Rare Beer Club.
The barleywine was brewed in mid June 2008 and then aged in tanks until bottling in mid November 2008. Interesting tidbits about Old Saguaro from the brewmaster include:
A boil of three hours for natural carmelization.
1.16 pounds of malted barley per bottle. (My biggest beer, an old ale, has approximately .8 pound per bottle. Wow!)
Two people spent three and a half days to bottle and package for the Rare Beer Club. That is one bottle ever 37 seconds per person.
SG was 1.097. 58 IBUs.
And now for a quick review:
Appearance - beautiful copper color, low carbonation/little head, and crystal clear.
Aroma - no specific hop aroma that I can detect, plenty of malty sweetness.
Mouthfeel - medium bodied, low carbonation and appropriate for style (and the way I prefer it).
Taste - robust caramel, medium bitterness that mostly offsets sweetness, pretty smooth with a touch of alcohol warmth.
Overall - excellent barleywine, love the caramel flavors, maybe up the IBUs a touch. Highly recommended! Wish I still had that client in Mesa...
Cheers.
I agree, the color on that beer is fantastic.
ReplyDeleteUsing that much malted barley does what? Increase % alcohol?
Truly a wonderful beer. I'm a big fan.
ReplyDeleteTo answer your question, it increases the potential alcohol in a beer.
So, what was the percent alcohol in the Saguaro? Over 10?
ReplyDeleteThey didn't say. Nor did they indicate what the final gravity was (so I could figure it out on my own). Certainly over 9%.
ReplyDelete