Hey look what I found in my beer fridge! A bottle of Thirsty Dog Bernese Barleywine. There is no date on the bottle but I know it’s at least two years old. Maybe three. But hey, if you can’t age a barleywine, what the hell can you age? I know this much: the beer, like many brews from Thirsty Dog, is named for a canine breed, the Bernese mountain dog.
From the label:
Like Mr. Buck, the Bernese Mountain Dog on the label, this is a BIG beer. A complex, dry-hopped, and unfiltered barley wine ale that will only get better with age. The malt aroma, possible only in a barley wine ale, together with deep malty flavors melds perfectly with the hops for a truly unforgettable experience.
The aging, of course, will diminish the hop aromas from dry hopping, although I did get a citrus character that would be hop originated. Thirsty Dog Bernese Barleywine has an alcohol content of 10.5% by volume with 75 IBUs. I got this in a beer trade so do not have a price paid to give you. It is available at Total Wine in Charleston, SC for $5.95 a bottle. That seems high, but the beer is sold in 4-packs. I won’t hold Thirsty Dog to that as the true price.
Thirsty Dog Bernese Barleywine pours to a murky orange color with a medium head of foam and a lovely bready nose. Taking a sip, the beer is full of rich caramel malt, fresh doughy bread, orange citrus, toasted nuts and a warm alcohol finish. Hops have faded but there is still a balancing bitterness. Very nice to enjoy a malt forward beer for a change, and age has been kind to Bernese.
I will try to find two more bottles (at least), one to sample young and the other with age (again). Barleywine named for a dog. Would that make it barkeywine?
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