Name: Schlafly Reserve Barleywine Style Ale (2008)
Style: American Barleywine
Brewery: Saint Louis Brewery / Schlafly Tap Room. website
Country: USA
Region: Saint Louis, Missouri
ABV: 10.2% Abv
How served: 750ml capped bottle poured into a Dogfish Head snifter.
My Overall Opinion: Amazing. 
I paired this beer with: A spicy Italian pasta dish with Italian sausage. Great pairing too!
Tasted on: Monday December 6th, 2010
Note: It poured a deep opaque amber with a thin white head leaving an extremely thin & minimal lacing on the glass. The nose was sweet of caramel, vanilla and oak. The taste was initially sweet of caramel and candied apples, prunes and vanilla, near the end this brew became drier. The mouthfeel was a medium body in which the sweetness never got out of hand to make it too syrupy. The drinkability was as good as it gets for a sweeter 10.2% abv brew & is one in which you would like to enjoy a few sips at a time. This is one of the beers whose taste will improve as it warms up.
On the Label: This Barleywine-style ale was aged on oak, adding a nutty, roasted-flavor to the sweet bready character of the ale. This 2008 vintage will age well for several years but is ready to drink now. Enjoy it with spicy dishes and grilled meats-especially game-to bring out its best flavors.
From their website: Schlafly Barleywine is aged on new Missouri oak. The wood has a medium toast, which helps to caramelize the sugars in the oak and adds a nutty character to the beer as it soaks into the wood.
ABV: 10% IBU: 75
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