Green Flash - BarleyWine!

Why go for a BarleyWine? Because I'm feeling festive. Do you need to be feeling festive to try a new barleywine? No, not really, but it helps influence my taste buds' decision to purchase a barleywine. Danny and I headed to our local watering hole at the Hop & Vine Tap House to celebrate the job I got a few months back (we haven't had time), and crack open a special bottle for a new brew review.

We decided on the Green Flash Brewing Co. BarleyWine (ABV 11%), because I wanted a good buzz with a little bit of beer, so I could order food and be ultra-satisfied. Now, I didn't order food to pair with the beer, because my stomach was feeling like salmon, but my taste buds wanted barleywine. So, I finished my beer first, and then proceeded to eat my grilled salmon burger (which was delicious).

Green Flash Brewing Co. BarleyWine @ Hop and Vine Tap House
Photo courtesy of Danny Yan

On first pour, it glows with a rich, reddish amber colour, and a lacy white head top. I sniffed this beer like some people sniff flowers (I unfortunately am allergic to pollen). I took in a lot of deep malty scents, and hops, and...that's about it. But not in a bad way, this brew smelled righteous, knowing ahead of time that something big was going to happen. It's like a referee calling a penalty shot in overtime, going in for the big sip was the shot, and the overall taste determined whether or not the deke attempt worked.

Taking the first sip, I expected a train wreck of malty hops. However, I was greeted by a strong, pleasant malty tone, followed by a nice transition into an intense malty flavour, and a crisp, clean after taste. I was so impressed by the after taste, the clean-ish feeling that I got, that it made me want more. This is finally a brew over 10% that will leave you wanting more! Imagine Datsyuk with a highlight reel goal on a breakaway...naturally you'd want more (so long as he's not scoring on your team).

The first, middle, and end tastes are phenomenal. There are no complaints, as everything flows together, while still leaving a memorable taste that would definitely make me want to order this again. If you (or your friends) are new to barleywines, this is a definite first step into the world of 10%+ beers.

Danny really liked the beer, and he gives it a very strong and reputable 9.2 / 10. Overall, I agree with his decision, but as I base my ratings on 0.5 increments, I might have to round up on this one.

The Green Flash Brewing Co. BarleyWine gets a phenomenal penalty-shot-goal-in-overtime 9.5 / 10