REVIEW - 2019 American Barley Wine Beer
On a beautiful Monday Melbourne autumn morning, we met up with Shaya Rubenstein, Head Brewer from Urban Alley Brewing in Docklands, VIC. The 2019 American Barley Wine is what Shaya, currently, is the proudest of. And we get why he takes so much pride in this beer; it is an impressive experience. Although titled 'wine', it is a beer and boy, is it a big one. A whopping 9.9% in 500ml bottles immediately compels you to spend a good 2-hour session by yourself. Even if you share it with someone (not our recommendation), this is a challenge and a half for your palate. It is big, and it is bold; it is the insane beautiful chaos of chocolate, toffee, caramel, oak, hops, and malt, changing with every sip and every swirl. It's a beer you smell as much as you drink, while it heats up in that big red wine glass resting in the palm of your hand. Heck, it's probably the first beer we had that we could pair with a cigar.Get yourself a set of the 2019 American Barley Wine before they sell out - only a handful of bottles left.As always, we seek the story and passion behind the people making a beverage to create a deeper and more meaningful connection. That day at 10 am, albeit too early to drink, we went the whole nine yards - story, passion, and product in harmony. We sat in a perfect moment too; we sat in the sun, birds chirped, and not a wind was blowing. Those situations always makes us question whether the beverage was only enjoyable then. But after trying it again under different circumstances, this time a dark podcast studio, it did not disappoint. In fact, more flavours started to emerge and another beautiful experience enjoyed.If you're looking for inspiration on how to enjoy more moments in life, here is an article for you.This episode takes you on Shaya's journey from living all over the world, to meeting his wife from Melbourne, to how he went from doing 30 Litres a month home brewing to 10.000 Litres per week, from one day to the next. He gives a bit of himself through his life philosophy, and our hosts take you on the journey of how yet another great Australian drop came to be.