Alaskan Barley Wine brewed by Alaskan Brewing - Juneau, Alaska            

Alaskan Barley Wine is a full bodied ale, deep mahogany in color and brewed with an array of complementing malts to achieve its high original gravity. Multiple hop additions in the boil and dry hopping during fermentation provide contrast to the big malt character resulting in the smooth balance that distinguishes this specialty brew. Like many fine wines, Alaskan Barley Wine may be aged in the bottle and gains deeper malt complexity and smoothness over time.
  

       
Alaskan Barley Wine has been produced in limited edition vintages each year since its introduction in 2003. A big beer for big winters, this brew has garnered a steady following in Alaska. Bottled for the first time in 2007, the balanced flavor collaboration between hops, malt and high alcohol showcases the barley wine style, winning first place at the 2007 Toronado Barley Wine Festival and bronze at the 2008 World Beer Cup.
 
Beer Review by Beer Advocate
Appearance: Pour is a solid mahogany color with some deep caramel brown notes; starts with a fair 1/4 finger light tan head that fades quickly to a thick ring around the surface and a thin island of skim; body is dark, pretty murky so that it's fairly difficult too far into it; tiny strands of carbonation are present near the sides; a few spots and random swaths of lacing stick around.

Aroma: Nice citric hop notes -- some grapefruit, perhaps orange peel; some nice big caramel maltiness is in there too bringing about a nice touch of sweetness -- reminiscent of a candied orange when it blends with those hops; touch of booziness but it seems pretty well blended.

Taste: Fantastic -- nice bitterness that's big and not entirely tamed by those big malts, but fairly well balanced by them; flavors match the scent profile to a T, but the only difference is the alcohol has a much more pronounced presence here, but at nearly 11%, that should expected, and welcome.

Mouthfeel: Between medium and heavy in terms of weight; a nice, thick and sticky coating is left all over the palate; carbonation is still plenty strong and brings life to the body but allows it to be smooth; tingling on the roof of the mouth from the vaporous alcohol, and it also leaves the belly a little warm.

Overall: I would be happy to have this in my fridge every damn night. Great hop presence keeps this one on the American side of the pond when it comes to the Barleywines, but it's not too over the top and has a pretty good overall balance. Bit of a sipper with the big body and ABV, but I'm not going to have any problem polishing it off on my own, and I might be hesitant to share such an awesome offering.

  
 
Alaskan Brewing Company
Alaskan Brewing   has been making award-winning beer in the remote, coastal community of Juneau, Alaska, since 1986. The Alaskan Brew Crew bottles the unique character of the Last Frontier with historic recipes, local ingredients, and glacier-fed water. The pristine location and popularity of Alaskan beer has inspired the brewery to apply innovative thinking and a respect for the local environment to their growth, making Alaskan an industry leader in sustainability. Alaskan Brewing handcrafts Amber, Pale, White, IPA, Stout, Winter Ale, Summer Ale, Black IPA, the award-winning Smoked Porter, and an array of limited edition beers in the Alaskan Pilot Series. Visit www.alaskanbeer.com to learn more and connect with Alaskan at Facebook.com/AlaskanBrewingCo and @AlaskanBrewing on Twitter.