What's the difference between a viscous tawny port and this barleywine from Cupitt’s Estate?
Not much.
This beer is classy decadence in a wax-dipped bottle. In 2019’s barleywine, we noted vanilla custard and dark chocolate notes, but the 2020 Anniversary Ale is really all about boozy dried fruit. The fumes are more pruney than fingertips that have been soaking in the bathtub for two hours, and more figgy than a pudding in a Christmas song. Unrefined sugar, smooth molasses and a hint of honey tie together in a thick, rummy warmth that lingers in your throat in the best possible way. I don’t know how long this was aged in ex-pinot barrels, but it was certainly the correct amount of time.
As a friend put it: "This is the beer you crack open after the birth of your first child.”
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