My aunt has family members that lives in France, so when she went on a trip to visiting them, she asked me if I would like something from there. Craft beer from around the world is hard to get where I’m from, so it seemed like the logical answer. After doing a little research, I found out about O’Clock Brewing & told her that I would love to try something made by them. She brought me back this little gem & I decided to make a review of it.
Baden Power Warley Bine Rye Bourbon
Brewed by O’Clock Brewing
Type: Rye Bourbon Barrel Aged Barleywine
Region: Bois d'Arcy, Yvelines, France
ABV: 10.5%
Hops: N/A
Cereals: N/A
IBU: N/A
Appearance: 8.5/10
The beer comes in a brown bottle, with a frugal label containing the minimum information possible. It mentions the basic ingredients as well as the style, a barrel-aged Barleywine. I’m unaware as to the usual vessel used by this brewery, but this brown bottle is satisfying. Even though it’s considered essential, it’s always appreciated having dark glass to prevent any funky aromas from UV rays. When poured, the beer offers an orange-copper colour, similar to rust although in an appealing way. In fact, the colour was so mesmerizing I couldn’t stop talking about it all through the tasting. A weak head forms & then quickly vanishes, leaving a thin off-white rim & a nice lacing on the sides of the glass.
Nose: 15/15
On the nose, some very intense candied fruit aromas of orange peel, peach jam, orange marmalade, ripe stone fruits & mild strawberries take the lead. Not far behind, there are waves of butterscotch, milk chocolate, brown sugar, caramel, toffee & subtle notes of vanilla. The malt also delivers bread crusts, toasted rye, light smoke, gingerbread cookies & graham biscuits. This is possibly the most complex Barleywines I’ve ever had the chance to try. It’s very aromatic with a decadent inviting bouquet that I couldn’t stop from smelling even when the glass was empty.
Mouth: 14/15
The first thing that hits the palate is this mouth-coating sweet sensation, quickly balanced by a powerful bitterness. This Barleywine is rich, structured & bold, the perfect characteristics for a full-bodied beer. The flavours correlate with the aromas perceived on the nose. There is this intense orange marmalade, overripe stone peach & pineapple fruitiness. Then comes the caramel & the honey. There’s definitely a rye presence with some rye bread & graham biscuits, although the barrel-aging is well-integrated, some might even say discreet. Even if Barleywines are mostly sweet by definition, this one is particularly high in residual sugars & more intensity from the barrel-ageing would have been appreciated to tone it down.
Finish: 8.5/10
Very bitter on the finish, leaving you wondering if it was really that sweet (it was). The flavours are reminiscent of orange marmalade & apricot jam spread on rye bread with some dulce de leche & raisin macerated in rum. Weirdly delicious.
Overall: 92/100
O’ Clock Brewing did fantastic work with this powerful Barleywine that has tremendous balance. The complexity is very pleasant, I couldn’t stop discovering new aromas as I kept on nosing it. It’s the definition of a meditative beer. Thanks to my aunt who brought me this back from her trip to France. It makes me appreciate it even more knowing I’ll probably never have another one.
3-word Description:
Sweet, Complex & Malty.
The Reference:
More information@oclockbrewing.fr
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