GLACIER BREWHOUSE BIG WOODY BARLEYWINE
STRIKES GOLD AT SAN FRANCISCO’S
2009 TORONADO BARLEYWINE FESTIVAL

Our Big Woody Barleywine has struck gold in San Francisco! But not just any gold, this gold comes from the world famous Toronado Barleywine Festival. The annual Toronado Barleywine Festival in San Francisco is one of the premier high gravity beer festivals in the United States. It is touted as the undisputed champion of barleywine festivals as well as the biggest barleywine festival in the world. It is truly an honor to receive such an award especially in light of the 55 other great barleywines in the competition.

On tap at the BrewHouse now!

THE TWELVE DAYS OF BARLEYWINE

December 10, 2008 through December 21, 2008

It is the season of giving, and the BrewHouse brewers give to you a phenomenal collection of their most prized possessions – TWENTY-FIVE vintage barleywines and other high gravity bombs straight from the brewery vault. 

THE 1ST DAY OF BARLEYWINE – DEC. 10, 2008

1.  2004 Big Woody Barleywine aged in steel.  (10.75% abv)

2.   2004 Big Woody Barleywine aged 1.5 years in Jim Beam barrels.  (10.75% alcohol by volume)

3.  Cask conditioned selection.

THE 2nd DAY OF BARLEYWINE – DEC. 11, 2008

1.  2005 Big Woody Barleywine aged 2.75 years in Jim Beam barrels.  (10.75% abv)

2.  2008 Blueberry XXX, aka Blue Christmas.   (10.00% abv)

3.  Cask conditioned selection.

THE 3rd DAY OF BARLEYWINE – DEC. 12, 2008

1.  2006 Big Woody Barleywine  - Double Barrel.  Aged 1.5 years in Jim Beam barrels and then one year in American oak wine barrels from the Silverado Winery that were re-toasted to our brewer’s specifications (11.16% abv)

2.  2005 Raspberry XXX aged 3 years in Jim Beam barrels.  (10.50% abv)

3.  Cask conditioned selection.

THE 4th DAY OF BARLEYWINE – DEC. 13, 2008

1. 2006 Big Woody Barleywine  - Triple Barrel.  Aged 5 months in Jim Beam barrels, then 5 months in Ukrainian oak, and then 7 months in additional Jim Beam Barrels. (11.16% abv)

2.  2006 Big Woody Barleywine aged 1.5 years in American oak wine barrels from the Silverado Winery.   (11.16% abv)

3.  Cask conditioned selection.

THE 5th DAY OF BARLEYWINE – DEC. 14, 2008

1.  2007 Big Woody Barleywine aged in virgin French oak barrels for 1 year.  (9.85% abv)

2.  2007 Big Woody Barleywine aged in steel.  (9.85% abv)

3.  Cask conditioned selection.

 THE 6th DAY OF BARLEYWINE – DEC. 15, 2008

1.  2007 Big Woody Barleywine aged in Jim Beam barrels for 1 year.  (9.85% abv)

2.  2007 Russian Imperial Stout aged 10 months in American oak wine barrels from the Silverado Winery.   (9.20% abv) 

3.  Cask conditioned selection.

THE 7th DAY OF BARLEYWINE – DEC. 16, 2008

1.  2007 Big Woody Barleywine aged 1.5 years in American oak wine barrels from the Jlohr Winery.  (9.85% abv)

2.  2007 Russian Imperial Stout aged 8 months in Ukrainian oak barrel.  (9.20% abv)

3.  Cask conditioned selection.

THE 8th DAY OF BARLEYWINE – DEC. 17, 2008

1.   2007 Big Woody Barleywine - Double Barrel.  Aged 8 months in Jim Beam barrels and then 2 years in American oak wine barrels from the Silverado Winery that were re-toasted to our brewer’s specifications  (9.85% abv)

2.  2008 Big Woody Barleywine aged in steel.  (11.03% abv)

3.  Cask conditioned selection.

THE 9th DAY OF BARLEYWINE – DEC. 18, 2008

1.  2008 Big Woody Barleywine aged in Jim Beam barrels for 10 months.  (11.03% abv)

2.  2008 Big Woody Barleywine aged 10 months in American oak wine barrels from the Honig Winery.  (11.03% abv)

3.  Cask conditioned selection.

THE 10th DAY OF  BARLEYWINE – DEC. 19, 2008

1.  2008 Big Woody Barleywine aged 2 years in American oak wine barrels from the Honig Winery.  (11.03% abv)

2.  2008 Russian Imperial Stout aged 8 months in Jim Beam Barrels.   (9.20% abv) 

3.  Cask conditioned selection.

THE 11th DAY OF  BARLEYWINE – DEC. 20, 2008

1.  2009 Big Woody Barleywine aged in steel.  (9.00% abv)

2.  Cask conditioned selection.

THE 12th DAY OF  BARLEYWINE – DEC. 21, 2008

1.  2009 Big Woody Barleywine aged 9 months in Jim Beam barrels.  (9.00% abv)

2.  Cask conditioned selection.

CASK BARLEYWINE 

Cask conditioned selections will be poured each day. We will rotate through the following three different cask barleywines.

1.  2008 Big Woody Barleywine aged 2 years in American oak wine barrels from the Honig Winery.  (11.03% abv)

2.  2009 Big Woody Barleywine aged in steel.  (9.00% abv)

3.  2007 Big Woody Barleywine - Double Barrel.  Aged 8 months in Jim Beam barrels and then 2 years in American oak wine barrels from the Silverado Winery that were re-toasted to our brewer’s specifications  (9.85% abv)

 ON STYLE: BARLEYWINE

 If the old master Rubens were to paint a beer, barleywine would be his subject. Certainly such a match would be no accident; both portray a full body, appreciate with age, and critics never regard them lightly. Indeed, the classic canvas of barleywine presents the most sophisticated of beers. 

First appearing centuries ago in small house-breweries, a brewer's motivation for producing these strong ales was probably a combination of preservation and bragging rights. They counted on these statuesque beers to increase their standing with the brewery's patrons and were cellared over a considerable period of time. 

Use of the modern name - Barleywine, can be attributed to the high alcohol, which rivals that of wine, along with the practice of maturing in wood. Fermentation produces both products, but no other connection exists. 

Tasting these beers can evoke descriptive words such as big, bold, huge, massive, full, and assertive. Older versions will often be described in appropriately subtle terms. These include malty, sherry-like, estery and complex. At times they will exhibit a richness of deep fruit-like flavors from cherries to plums, raisins, and prunes. Finer examples, aged in the customary wooden cask, will also present wine-like notes of a viney, woody, slightly tannic nature.  A few breweries produce light colored versions of deep golden hues. However, most Barleywines range in color from amber to deep reddish browns. 

Served in a tulip shaped glass or snifter, barleywines are unchallenged by any other beer in the role of a relaxing nightcap. Consume them like a fine scotch, cognac or sherry, and slowly savor the strong malt and alcohol with underpinnings of subtle complexity. They make a picture perfect companion on a deep winter's night.

BEER TO GO

We sell kegs and growlers of all flagship and seasonal beers to go. Barleywines, oak aged beers, cask conditioned beers, and other small batch beers are not available to go.