Max Lager's Old 320 Barleywine

Review Date 7/10/2004 Last Updated  12/17/2017  By John Staradumsky

  Style: Barleywine   Brewery: Max Lager's   Country: USA   State: Georgia   $ Per OZ: $.38 (D)   ABV: 10%

It was Sunday afternoon, the Fourth of July 2004,when I got the call. More correctly, I got the voicemail, from one very talented Epinions writer named Tom Barnes . Tom indicated that he would be in Atlanta for a few days, and would I like to meet up with him? I called him back and replied that yes, I would very much like to do so. And so our little informal Epinions meeting was on, and we were to be joined by the charming ElaineHN .

Tom asked me for advice on where to meet. He should have known we’d end up at a brewpub, and we did. Max Lagers American Grill & Brewery it would be, and I though this an excellent choice since the food is very good, the beer even better and the restaurant-pub is not for at all from where Tom was staying at the Westin Peachtree Plaza Hotel.

Tom is a very prolific traveler and if he comes to your town, I suggest you meet with him when you get the call. He rattled off the names of those Epinions members he had met in his various wanderings, a veritable who’s who of Epinions contributors. Before long, the beers were flowing as freely as the conversation, and a great time was had by all.

One of the most memorable beers was Georgia’s first legal barleywine style ale, Old 320. Max Lagers certainly had some great beers pouring, as they usually do, but this one was my personal favorite. Very malty and very hoppy, Old 320 is patterned after West Coast examples of the style such as Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Barleywine.

Barleywines are, of course, among the very strongest of beers, and Old 320 is no exception. At 9.5% alcohol by volume, it’s about twice as strong as your standard lager. Beer enthusiasts don’t drink them for their potency, however (well, most of the time we don’t). Such beers are prized for their enhanced complexity and flavor. Max Lagers suggests you enjoy this one by the half pint, though I find it too delicious to do that. At $5 a pint, it’s about $1.25 higher than the rest of their line. It’s worth it, though, and our entire party each enjoyed one.

Max Lagers Old 320 Barleywine pours to a deep orange amber color with a light creamy head formation and a very hoppy nose. The palate is full bodied sweet malt and lots of it, very chewy and satisfying. There are notes of fresh bread and sweet caramel and an intense, rather citric hoppiness. That hop character builds into the finish, where it becomes very bitter and lingers on the tongue nicely after sipping, balancing the brew perfectly.

Though modeled on Bigfoot, this beer isn’t quite as big. It’s just a tad lighter in body and less hoppy. But it is a very close effort, and a very tasty one. The big malt and hop flavors stood up nicely to slightly spicy Georgia Peanut Strips, chicken tenders rolled in peanut strips and served on sticks with Udon noodles and dipping sauces; semi-spicy Buffalo Wings; and onion rings tossed with roasted jalapenos and served with a creamy side sauce.

Old 320 is a great beer to share with friends, old or new. If you don’t live in Georgia, try the aforementioned Bigfoot Barleywine or a Rogue Old Crustacean for a similar experience.

Update 12/17/2017: I was disappointed. We were off to see the Nutcracker and Atlanta, and we left early enough to stop at Gordon Biersch for a mug of my beloved Winter Bock. Then it was off to Max Lagers for dinner and a beer or two more before the show. There was to be no Winter Bock, sadly, as Gordon Biersch was closed for a birthday party. My misfortune was to be, however, happily short-lived.

I was with my daughter (she got a sampler), and we got there and ordered beer while browsing the dinner menu. I decided on an IPA of a name I can’t now recall, because when I selected it our server told us we had an old beer menu. She promptly brought a new one, which did not have said IPA. But had replaced it with-Old 320 Barleywine!

Old 320 Barleywine is one of my very favorite examples of the style. It is wonderfully done, and although since moving to Canton I don’t get to enjoy it as much as I used to, I was very excited to see it on tap. It is quite reasonable at $6 a pint, and a little stronger at 10% than it used to be. IBUs are high at 79.

Max Lagers says:

What happens when you take an American style Barley Wine and cross it with a Triple IPA? Deliciousness! Big tropical and citrus aromas of Amarillo, El Dorado and Cascade hops dominate with malty notes of caramel, raisin, and honey.

I say:

Old 320 Barleywine. So glad they had this on, my favorite beer here and one of the best barley wines I’ve ever had. Rich malt and massive hops in the nose, thick malty palate with fresh bread, caramel, juicy fruit gum, raisin, citrusy grapefruit, big warming alcohol, and a massive hop bitterness. The best $6 you can spend downtown.

The last of it went divinely with the magnificently decadent deep fried cheesecake here.

Glad I tried it?  T

Would I rebuy it??