Webster’s defines “bawdy” as follows: obscene, lewd, boisterously or humorously indecent. Fitting, then, that Seattle’s Pike Brewing Company names their barleywine Pike Old Bawdy Barley Wine Style Ale. Because you know, after several of these, you just might end up acting a bit bawdy yourself.

Back in 2005 I traveled to Seattle and visited the Pike Brewing Company. They operate a brewery/brewpub not far from the Pike Place Market, and it’s worth a visit for any serious beer enthusiast in the area. The atmosphere, food, and of course beer are all superb. I enjoyed a number of fine beers while there, although Old Bawdy was not one of them.

Still, a few years later Pike beers started showing up in Georgia with the arrival of the Total Wine liquor chain. Since then, I’ve enjoyed Old Bawdy a few times, and tonight I’m imbibing from a bottle with about two and a half years on it.

Pike offers an interesting bit of history on the style on their website:

When Pliny the Elder, the famous Roman doctor, bon vivant and writer, visited what is now Germany 2000 years ago, he observed that people made “barley wine.” High gravity, high alcohol barley wines became popular as a substitute for whiskey in Victorian England. They had almost disappeared by the time that Pike and other craft breweries re-introduced the style. Poetry in a glass; barley wine is the finest product of the brewer’s art.

A few facts about Pike Old Bawdy Barley Wine Style Ale. The beer is never the same from year to year, as Pike changes up the hops and malts they use to brew it. Pike has a spec sheet on its website that says it is made with:

MALT VARIETIES: PALE,WHEAT CRYSTAL, PEATED

HOP VARIETIES: COLUMBUS, MAGNUM, CASCADE, CENTENNIAL

It’s not clear if that is the 2007 or 2009, though. Old Bawdy is fermented with English ale yeast, has a whopping 90 IBUs and 9.9% alcohol by volume. One of the very nice things about Pike beers at Total Wine is that they are so reasonably priced. I got this bomber of Barleywine for just $5.99 back in 2011.

Pike Old Bawdy Barley Wine Style Ale pours to a dark reddish amber color with a light head of creamy foam and a wonderfully bready, doughy malt nose. Taking a sip, I get more of that delightful fresh bread maltiness with lots of chewy caramel malt piled on top. Add to that candied fruits and spice cake, citrus fruits, raisins, and a long dry grassy bitterness and we have a winner folks. A big alcohol warmth in the finish seals the deal for me.

Pike Old Bawdy is stronger than most English barleywines, but not as hoppy as many American versions. To be fair, it’s probably a lot bitterer fresh, and has mellowed with a few years of age. I have, however, aged bottles of Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Barleywine far longer and still ended up with a hoppier end product, so I think this one was a bit mellower to begin with. I know 90 IBUs sounds like a lot, but you have to balance that off against all the sweet malt here.

However you slice it (and this beer is almost thick enough to cut with a knife), Pike Old Bawdy is delightful, and at the bargain price definitely a 5 star beer for me.

And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.

*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.

(B)=Bottled

(D)=Draft

Home