February 29th, 2008
Review of the week: Weyerbacher Brewing Company’s Insanity
“Insanity, first released November 2004, is Weyerbacher’s latest creation in the world of cutting edge beers. Insanity is made by aging our perfectly balanced Blithering Idiot Barleywine in oak bourbon casks. This incredible combination creates a melange of flavors such as malt, dates, oak, vanilla, and bourbon just to name a few.†— Weyerbacher Brewing Company
After recently enjoying bourbon barrel-aged Insanity at the Night of the Barrels, our interests perked when we decided to include the Insanity into our Barleywine event. It pours a medium amber hazy body. The light brown frothy head lasted for a short time, while leaving a thin layer of lace around the glass. With a light bourbon and red wine aroma, the nose also detected a fruity, sour raspberry notes with a soft alcohol burn. The initial heavy sweet taste softened over time for a moderately sweet finish for an average duration. It was rather malty with a honey and licorice notes. Being 11%, the alcohol strength was not hiding. The medium bodied ale left an oily film and a slight alcohol burn on the tongue.
This would be tough to drink as a pint, but was very tasty. We recommend giving this beer a try, but don’t expect it to be balanced. It is over the top and can easily sneak up on you.
Reviewed on February 17th, 2008
Style: Barley wine-style ale | ABV: 11.1% | Source: 22 oz bottle | Rating: 20/30