December 1 - Weyerbacher Blithering Idiot

December 1st - Weyerbacher Brewing Co. - Blithering Idiot

So right off the bat I'm going to bend the rules slightly.  I hope that's OK.  I have had this beer before but it was during a time where I didn't know what the heck a barleywine style beer was (nor that it existed) and IPAs were just god-awful (which is definitely no longer the case).  Since I haven't reviewed it officially, I feel that I'm safe here.  

The first time I had this beer was about 8 or 9 years ago when my brother and sister in law lived in the Lehigh Valley, near the Weyerbacher brewery.  One night, my brother in law decided to purchase the Weyerbacher Box of Big Beers and was kind enough to share.  Since I was accustomed to drinking Miller Lite and our go to beer, Lionshead, I decided to drink this like those...very quickly.  Very bad idea.

I've seen this locally at Keller's for those of you who are in the same region as I am. 

So, now that I've matured slightly in taste and responsible consumption, I feel better suited to give you a review of this beer via my 2015 palate and not my 2006-2007 Miller Lite and Lionshead one.

We used to stock up on this stuff at Shangy's in Easton, PA.  Those were the days...or, maybe not...

I poured this beer straight down the middle of my brandy snifter glass and there was virtually no head on the top, which is normal for a barleywine style ale (11.1% ABV).  The beer was a cloudy mahogany color.

As for the aroma, I got malty, boozy, figs and sweet prunes.  The beer itself tasted very boozy with a warming alcohol finishing bite.  There was a ton of caramel sweetness in the middle of this beer as well.  I'm sure there were some added, but there isn't a hop bitterness whatsoever, in my opinion.  The finish was a lingering sticky one (you'd have to try it to see what I mean...) and there was a very indistinct finishing flavor that lingered on my palate, which as the beer warmed slightly, reminded me of tobacco.

On the whole, this is obviously a sipping beer best suited on a full stomach, after dinner.  This would be a great compliment on a cold winter night to warm you from the inside out.  If you've not had it, I'd recommend this barleywine ale for sure.  It's not a perfect 5, but it's pretty respectable in my opinion.

3.75 out of 5 Jesters