Insanity

Today I'm drinking Insanity, a barleywine aged in oak barrels brewed by Weyerbacher Brewing Company in Easton, Pennsylvania. The artwork depicts what appears to be a crazy person screaming in a doorway while his reflection shines on the floor of a dark room. It's pretty hard to tell though as the entire scene is just a thumbnail. Speaking of Weyerbacher beer label art, I just saw a post in the Beer Street Journal that shows the new label for Weyerbacher Imperial Pumpkin Ale. And it's awesome! Love that these guys are upping their game in this cool facet of the beer world. Anyway, my bottle has a 030612 and 030617 stamp on it stating a bottled and enjoy by date.

Boozy apple and cherry aroma, with sugar and toast and oak also present. Excellent sweet flavors in the beginning, like a caramel-apple type butter. Rich with vanilla flavors also prevalent. Toffee, maple and oak are also noticeable throughout. Is that cinnamon I taste? Yep! SO smooth. SO rich. But the 11.1% alcohol is clearly preventing this from tasting anything close to syrupy.

The beer is definitely boozy, no doubt, but the alcohol is dangerously incorporated. Yes there is heat and sure my lips are a little tingly, but there is control despite persistence. It's "fab"! Sweet but not overly sweet. No hoppy balance. Rather the booze keeps the sweetness in check. Low carbonation. Great body. Loved it!

Note: Weyerbacher had the smartness to put this big beer in a reasonable 12 ounce package, one I didn't need to share to prevent overt drunkenness and one that didn't require that I have any friends. Along with that decision, they priced a fourer around $16 and I think Total Wine charged me $4 for one of the four, can't remember. Regardless, I am pleased to say I didn't find this as a $12 bomber, the norm for many breweries that brew awesome big beers! Remember #BoycottBombers (because of price) and if anyone else is serious about that, please let me know. I could use a sponsor for my addiction.