Real Ale Brewing Co’s Sisyphus Barleywine Ale ‘08

As the name indicates, this one is a Barley Wine style ale. Brews of this type are usually not for the meek and this one is of the American barley Wine tradition. Characteristics are usually that of hops, fruity undertones, mild malt and sweetness. These tend to be some of the most intense brews around with a heavy alcohol punch to them.

This one comes from the Real Ale Brewing Co. the same folks that brought us Fireman’s 4 and  it’s doppelganger Alamo Golden Ale (brewed under the pseudonym Alamo Beer Co). The Real Ale Brewing Co calls Blanco, Texas its home. A quaint little town nestled in the Texas Hill country. A favorite destination of locals and visitors alike and a great area for cycling.

The appearance of this once was quite nice. It poured a light to medium copper color into a tulip glass. It looks almost as if it starts out light at the bottom and gets deeps as it goes up. A very minimal head is produced by what is visually very light carbonation, a product of warmer brewing I’d think. Lacing left on the glass, leave a little to be desired.

Aroma is nice though. Some malt, medium amount of hops and yes, some malt. A second whiff gets me a definite alcohol aroma with a yet to be determined spice.

Upon first sip, the alcohol and hops hit you good, although not as hard as I would have expected. I like a good Barley to knock my socks off. If you wait a minute, the alcohol comes out a little more, as does a mild malt flavor. Spices definitely present, although I confess i am not sure what they are.

Let this one linger a little and the alcohol continues to come out. Not as crisp as I would expect from a Barley, but not bad at all.

Overall, this one is worth a second bottle, although there are better Barley’s out there. I have had their ‘06 and ‘07, and this does compare. It weighs in around 11% ABV, so sip this one slowly and enjoy it. I would have enjoyed more of an alcohol presence, but it went nicely with the homemade vanilla ice cream I had for dessert.