Weyerbacher Blithering Idiot
A maniacal jester abroad its jacket, Blithering Idiot may not strike the casual beer drinker as a great 'impulse buy.' Chances are the folks over at Weyerbacher, known for their eclectic take on style and bizarre label art, may prefer to keep it that way.
Weighing in at just over 11% alcohol, Blithering Idiot certainly makes a statement, and is hardly a casual beer by any standard. This is a rich, complex, warming and powerful beverage crafted for slow sipping on a cold winter's day.
Well, winter is a way's off, so we thought a preemptive strike might be in order.
The names "Barley Wine," "Barleywine," and "Barley Wine Style Ale" are synonymous; and no matter the variation (we'll stick with "Barley Wine"), all barley wines are beers. These beverages are not wines because the alcohol comes from fermented malt, and not fermented fruit.
Barley wines are in fact top-fermenting ales made with barley malt, further characterized by a notably substantial body and a significant percentage of alcohol. American brewers of barley wine are required by law to label their brews "Barley Wine Style Ale." There are two major variations of the style: English and American.
American style barley wines do vary greatly from their English counterparts. While all barley wines are crammed full of malt (extra malt creates extra sugar for a high alcohol yield), American style barley wines are usually quite bitter, and powerfully hoppy. Blithering Idiot is an American beer, but brewed in the traditional English style- a milder, maltier alternative. [Read More: Barley Wine Styles]
Despite a juvenile label, this beer is extremely complex- enough so for a discriminating palate. Like most barley wines, this one should get even better with age. Proper cellar aging for a year or more could bring this beer into a whole new realm, putting critics' claims of overwhelming alcohol presence to rest. The brewer recommends a maximum shelf life of 2-3 years, warning that anything beyond may do more harm than good. Over at BrewBasement.com, blogger Jason is finding out exactly what impact aging has on this particular brew, with featured tastings at both 6 months and 1 year's time (with more to come). His consensus: cellaring greatly improves this beer's drinkability, mellowing its character while pronouncing some of the otherwise more muted dark fruit flavors.
Experience
This is a beer that your trusted tour guides had the pleasure of stumbling over in a local pub about a year ago. Since, it has become a member of regular rotation in our lineup; a dependable stand-in for the boring beer blues. A quick Google search returns dozens of reviews for Blithering Idiot, some of them highly critical of the hot alcohol burn on the finish- saying it overpowers the complex malt and dark fruit flavors. Beer Advocate gave it dismal marks (Update: The Alstrom Bros. of BA gave this beer a C- while the users rate it a B+ as I was corrected by the brewer), a bit unfair in my opinion.
Of course, if you require some positive reviews to perk your interest: RateBeer's rating is currently 92/100, the Beer Babe likes it, and Al over at Hop Talk did a complete 180 with this one- so if nothing else, it's worth finding out for yourself. I may have missed it, but I don't believe Weyerbacher tags their bottles with a date. To be honest, I am not entirely sure how old the beers I have been drinking are. I was a little surprised when I brought a six pack to the register at a small shop and the cashier asked me, "You like this beer?" "I love it," I told him. "You're the only one who buys it from here." "That must make me your best customer," I replied.
Considering the purchase price of the six-pack I was wielding, I was being only slightly facetious. There is indeed a point to all of this, a couple of things perked my interest about this exchange. First, the guy at the liquor store is starting to recognize me, perhaps I should diversify my hobbies. Second, slow turnover of specialty beer implies their product must be old. Old, spoiled beer is disappointing; but old, spoiled, expensive beer is disconcerting.
Alas, all was not lost. For some reason the guy gave me a free beer: a 15th anniversary barley wine from Uinta Brewing. Only one problem - Uinta, a microbrewer out of Salt Lake City, was founded in 1972. Okay, kidding... 1993. It was a nice gesture. Thanks, guy.
The story of Blithering Idiot is a positive one, and my experience with it has been exceptional. I suspect, however, that the beer I enjoyed from this particular store may have been subjected to some inadvertent 'cellaring.' Considering the storage was probably done at less than ideal temperatures, these beers turned out for the better.
Indulgence
However you want to paint the picture, this beer packs a lot of punch. While it may not hide 100% of its bold alcohol content, my wife and I did not find the alcohol to drown out the other prevalent flavors. The fruity, candy-like aroma is mesmerizing.
A ton of dark fruit notes (figs, plums) compliment a rich, thick almost syrupy body- ripe with complex layers of malty goodness and a hint of sweetness to balance equal bitterness. The flavor is not at all roasty like a black beer, but not as sweet as other supremely malty, dark brews. The finish is warm but satisfying, alluring and lasting. I recommend you do yourself a favor and seek out a pungent, explosive bleu cheese to enjoy with this beer.
We found Roquefort to be a fine choice- a luxurious, creamy, velvety texture with neither player over-powered. Nothing can quite describe this perfect marriage of complimentary foods on the palate, the combination of barley wine and bleu cheese is truly decadent.
Final Thoughts
Blithering Idiot is a great introduction to the barley wine style. This isn't an every day drinker, nor a beer for a sensitive palate. Best sipped slowly and at room temperature, some proper aging turns this warming, malty treat into a real gem. Enjoy responsibly.
America (Pennsylvania) - 11.1% ABV
Weyerbacher Brewing [website]
English Style Barley Wine
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Reader Comments (2)
Nice Site layout for your blog. I am looking forward to reading more from you.
Tom Humes
[...] Blue cheese and Old Foghorn. No surprises here, I’ve long sung the praises of a strong blue with English style barleywine. I was glad to have shared it with friends, and I [...]