O’Hara’s excellent barrel aged series continues with Number Three, a Barley Wine Aged in Irish Whiskey Barrels. A barley wine is really just another name for a strong English style ale. Aging it in barrels doesn’t decrease that already pretty hefty alcohol content. In keeping with it’s name I would suggest that you drink it in the same way you would a fine wine, that is, slowly!
This is a drink that has more layers than an onion. First you get that plummy, cakey fruitiness, then there is some mellow biscuitiness (sic) and lastly you get a similar warmth that you get with a good Irish whiskey. I decided to go a bit mad and break out the blue cheese.
Cashel make great blue cheese and I reckon it was a good match for the barley wine. Two great Irish products forming a fantastic union. There are only 1700 bottles of this edition available so don’t waste time seeking it out.
Sounds good. Nice touch with the wine glass!
Slainte! The glass is Irish as well, from Jerpoint if I remember correctly.
Blue Cheese and Barleywine, such an unusual yet wonderful combo. Blue Stilton also makes for a good pairing. How did you find that the Irish Whiskey barrels added to it versus a standard non barrel aged version? I have only had Innus and Ginn aged in an Irish Whiskey barrel before, as their St Paddy’s Day beer, and I thought it added an interesting sweetness similar to and Irish whiskey flavour (hard to describe it)
As you say it’s a bit hard to describe but I’d say that it makes the barley wine warmer, richer and adds depth of flavour. That said, I don’t think you can get O’Hara’s barley wine that hasn’t been barrel aged so it makes comparison difficult! 🙂