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BREW REVUE: Heavy Seas Below Decks Barleywine
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BREW REVUE: Heavy Seas Below Decks Barleywine
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| A chalice of Heavy Seas Below Decks |
| Photo l Michael Persico |
A cheeful, wry bartender at Prohibition Taproom, Christina, poured us her favorite-of-the-moment: Heavy Seas Below Decks.
Brewed by Baltimore's Clipper City Brewing, this malted barleywine is a super-bomb at 10 percent ABV, but the rich, mellow flavor bears no telltale burn. The warmth spreads through your belly as you sip, a 10-ounce, $5 goblet lasting longer and providing far more savor than a similarly priced, quickly downed yellow pint.
The garnet-brown ale poured with a moderate cream head that dissipated rapidly, leaving little lacing on the glass. The nose was of nutty roasted malts and sweet, yeasty baked bread. Typical to the barleywine style, the mouthfeel is full and heavy on the tongue, but initial malt sweetness gives way to a freshening dryness. The finish is quite clean and dry for such a big, strong beer.
Below Decks was brewed to celebrate Clipper City's 10th anniversary, with Pale, Crystal and Carapils malts; Magnum, Fuggles and Goldings hops contributed aroma and flavor with mild bitterness. The complex ale is the perfect partner for Prohibition's massive pub burger crowned with a bacon-wrapped, roasted Vidalia onion.
This winter warmer is pouring on draft at Prohibiton Taproom while it lasts. It's ARRR-guably the best barleywine you can get for your five gold pieces.
RELATED: Temper, Temper: Prohibition Taproom brings great food and drink to an under-the-radar neighborhood
Prohibition Taproom, 501 N. 13th St., 215-238-1818, theprohibitiontaproom.com
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