I’m enjoying a bottle of the 2004 vintage, in honor of ten years in Illinois and my current job. There’s still some hop presence and it’s got nice carbonation. It’s got a dry finish, with some honey and sherry notes and lots of malt character. I’m having it at cellar temp, on the advice of the tour guide at the brewery. I think colder would mask some flavor.
I’m going to have to buy this every year moving forward. I bought this at the brewery and they had a lot of different years available. Sad to say, it will be a while before I can visit there again.
Haven’t had it in years but always a nice treat. I brew 5 gallons of a beer I call “Bruised Bare Knuckles” barley wine every year that I loosely based off my experience with that beer.
