[BEER REVIEW] A Top-Class Barley Wine from Sweden

Today we'll be trying a Swedish craft beer from Västerås, namely a barley wine with the name of "Baronen" from Hantverksbryggeriet. Feeling lost in translation? Let me help you with that. The name of the brewery, Hantverksbryggeriet, simply translates to "The Artisan Brewery." The name of the beer, "Baronen", translates to "The Baron."

In 2003, when Hantverksbryggeriet saw the light of day, there were only around 15-20 microbreweries in Sweden. Today there are nearly 300. This makes Hantverksbryggeriet to somewhat of a pioneer.

Barely Wine is a type of top-fermented beer with an ABV between 8 and 12%. Barley wine is usually the strongest in terms of alcohol, richest and most prestigious beer that a brewery produces. The name arose in the 1800s when the English breweries wanted to market their strongest beer to wine drinkers. Today barley wine is divided into the English traditional style and the modern American. English barley wine is full-bodied, sweet, fruity and sometimes quite fiery because of the high alcohol. The bitterness is also high but is balanced by a distinct malty taste. The American style is also full bodied and high in alcohol, but with a significantly clearer hop character. The bitterness is often in the roof. 

Barley wine is a vintage beer and ideal for storage, much due to the high alcohol level, but also due to the high hop content (hop is a natural preservative). If a young barley wine feels somewhat rowdy and alcohol-fueled, it will be much more balanced and well-rounded in a few years. A sweet barley wine goes perfectly with salty and strong cheeses, such as Stilton or Roquefort. It would probably also accompany a duck dish nicely.

Since Hantverksbryggeriet ferments their barley wine in room temperature with varying recipes from year to year, the difference is great between the various vintages. What we know about this year's version is that it lands on a steady 9%.

Hantverksbryggeriets Barononen, vintage 2015

Origin: Västerås, Sweden
Brewery: Hantverksbryggeriet
ABV: 9%
Style: Barley Wine
330 ml bottle

Nose: Dried sweet fruit. Imagine a freshly opened pack of raisins. I read on the bottle that they actually brew it with raisins. Dried apricot, toffee, raw sugar, mulled wine, Christmas spices and a vinous freshness. There's also a light shade of chocolate and cigars. It's all very inviting and enchanting.

Palate: The mouth-feel is creamy, rich and quite lovely. The liquid is really thick and soft, a bit like drinking syrup or possibly an old port wine. The lips almost become sticky. The carbonation is very mild. Initially very fruity and sweet, with a taste of fruit cake and candied nuts. The raisins are very distinct. Also light notes of Christmas spices and mulled wine, and some notes that revolve around the tobacco-leather-wood spectrum. Chocolate truffle. Then a fairly marked bitterness that attacks the root of the tongue. This is immediately balanced by a slight saltiness. This is very complex and a veritable flavor bomb!

Finish: The aftertaste has notes of cedar and oak, some hazelnuts, raisins, prunes and dates. The finish is soft, sweet and with a hint of alcohol and varnish.

Conclusion: Already at a young age this is incredibly delicious and well-balanced. This is pure liquid luxury. I have to get a few more bottles for aging and see how it develops in 4-6 years. The score lands at a whopping 4.7 out of 5.

—  SteemSwede

Image sources:
www.vinochgastronomi.se
www.vinepair.com