on THE TAPHANDLE

Old Nick Barley Wine Style Ale by Young's

This was my first experience with a barley wine. I rather enjoyed the experience. It reminded me of a fruitier version of a brown ale.

A somewhat creamy, somewhat frothy, light brown head didn't care to hang around for too long, but did leave some nice lacing behind. The color of Old Nick was beautiful. It was a rich brown with a ruby red tinge at the edges.

The aroma was of molasses at the forefront with a slightly sweet background that seemed to be a mixture of pine and floral notes. It also smelled more like red wine than a beer. The flavor also tasted of molasses, with hints of dried fruit—raisins, dates, currants, perhaps even cherries (although very subtle on the cherries, if so). The beer sat mid-palate in the mouth, and started slightly sweet, becoming drier as the finish progressed.

I ate this with the wife's chilaquiles, which may have been just a tad too spicy for the richness of Old Nick, but it worked well, nonetheless. I imagine this would be another ale that would go well with roasted meat, potatoes, and carrots.

---

Aside number one:

The child has been observing me spending a lot of time checking out the beers I drink for appearance, aroma, flavor. She watches me as I sniff the beer, sometimes many times, or for a long moment. She watches as I take a small sip to run around my mouth before taking a larger quaff. She watches me taking notes.

So, she is sitting in her highchair watching me savor my Old Nick, and she is playing with her Halloween candy. I told her she could eat one piece. She chooses a small Hershey's chocolate bar.
She tells me she is tasting it (trying to be like me). I ask her what it tastes like. She replies, "A door!" She should know since she licks everything!

---

Aside number two:

From the website of the Department of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms:

However, an increasing number of "flavored malt beverages" have varied and diverse characteristics which distinguish them from traditional malt beverages. Further, these characteristics are so diverse that the demarcations between "flavored malt beverages" and distilled spirits or wine products are becoming increasingly blurred and undefined.

Which is why Old Nick is called a barley wine style ale rather than just barley wine. Even though Old Nick is a barley wine, the strange hybrid drinks (flavored malt beverages), have made brewers more wary about how they package their products. Adding "style ale" to the description ensures that it is in the category of ale rather than being confused with wine, which is unacceptable to ATF. Beer and wine are separate categories and must remain such.

Therefore, brewers argue from a historical perspective. This or that type or style of ale has a history, unlike "flavored malt beverages." I find the sense of history and historical "connectedness" fascinating.