Schlafly Reserve Barleywine-Style Ale

This is the 2011 vintage of this 10.2% ABV barleywine ale aged on oak from Schlafly Beers, the St. Louis Brewing Company of St. Louis, Missouri. 

The beer pours a deep and dark brown, burnt orange, and amber, a touch hazed. There is a relatively short and thin head of very light tan foam. The aroma is vanilla, oak, fruits both dark and tangy, and a bit of brown sugar. The taste follows the aromas quite directly, with fruit both tangy and sweet, lots of oak, and then vanilla and brown sugar type notes. It drinks smooth, round and full. The finish is dry wood more than sweet. It warms, but the alcohol is subtle enough. An interesting beer.