Review: Nonsuch Barley Wine (2025 Vintage)

I could probably count the amount of different (non cellar) Barley Wines I've sampled post-COVID, definitely less than a handful, they're rare to see, so when they do pop up I get really excited.

I recently reviewed Nonsuch's Wheat Wine and it was a solid product, so now I'm sampling their Barley Wine (2025 Vintage). Winnipeg used to have the GOAT of Barley Wines (Half Pints' Burly Wine), so I have high expectations, but knowing Nonsuch.. I'll for sure like this one.

From the label: Barrel-aged in oak grape Brandy barrels for over 12 months, this big, bold ale fuses a bittersweet medley of dark cherry, rich raisin, and toffee flavours. Complemented by oak tannins and tangy citrus hop bitterness. 10% ABV

Appearance: Deep peach-to-copper kind of body to it, almost like a Brandy. There's an ever so slightly hint of clarity to it but you just can't see right through it at all at the same time. The head is of moderate thickness with a light beige hue to it, tiny amount of lacing on the glass.

Aroma: The first thing I get for the aroma is notes of the Brandy barrel, giving off a sweet, dark fruit presence of raisin, figs and a hint of red wine. It's fairly sweet and has a syrupiness to it, lightly oaked, a bit of a candied orange kind of presence in there. Surprisingly not overly boozy at all. 

Taste: Okay, now it tastes boozy. There's a rich Brandy presence to it that gives off caramel/toffee, raisins, figs, candied orange. It's not burning my palate/throat at all but it does have a bit of a booziness to it. It's got a hint of a syrupy sweetness to it, a bit of oak, and lastly has a fairly dry mouthfeel and a bit of an oak/apple aftertaste at the very end.

Overall Thoughts: Solid release by Nonsuch - I'm overly exhausted as a beer writer after all these years but something like this still gets me excited, and Nonsuch does a great job to keep me from fully quitting this side gig job. It's pretty much what I'd expect from a Barley Wine, sweet, boozy, a tad complex, definitely something that'll warm you up on a cold Manitoba evening (as I'm writing this in February with a temperature of 1C - strange, huh?!)

This isn't the first Barley Wine Nonsuch has ever made, check out my review of their collaboration with Saskatoon's 9 Mile Legacy Usra Major Barley Wine back in 2020. Apparently I have a bottle of it still somewhere? I'll have to do a side-by-side comparison sometime