Moon River Tripka’s Big Barleywine

Moon River Tripka’s Big Barleywine is an English-style Barleywine aged one year in Heaven Hill Bourbon Barrels, 13% ABV. Product provided for review. I had a chance to try this at Moon River’s epic 2016 holiday shindig. It was so tasty I had to hit up Moon River brewer Aaron for some to properly review!

The beer has that wonderfully murky reddish brown color that you love to see in a barrel aged Barleywine, the head is a thin light tan color and fades quickly. The Heaven Hill barrels are leaving their mark all over the aroma of this beer. Big bourbon hits the nose immediately while some sweet cherries and figs linger in the background. Complex and boozy on the taste, I’m getting notes of dark fruit, caramel, hints of chocolate, huge bourbon, vanilla, and about the perfect amount of dry oak. This is a big beer and it does taste like it, there is no hiding that 13% ABV.

Tripka’s Big Barleywine paired perfectly with a rare Savannah evening when the temperature dipped below freezing. Nice work on this one guys, seek and enjoy!