This English barleywine from Sun King Brewery pours deep mahogany and has a thin head which dissipates quickly. Caramel and dried fruit notes with hints of vanilla and maple syrup. A viscous mouthfeel with a nice malt driven fade. A chewy dry-yet-fruity medium full body and a powdered sugar-dusted, hard candy finish. Canned naysayers beware: I enjoyed this in a snifter at cellar temperature and was thoroughly satisfied.
It was the first beer the brewery ever made and cellared immediately (in 2009) and named in honor of a friend of the brewery who is no longer with us. They released it on draft-only last year for their anniversary and now canned it (on a limited run) to celebrate the brewery’s second anniversary. A great beer with a good story behind it.
