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Emelisse Barley Wine

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Raisins and licorice root dominate the aroma, the raisins carry on into the palate alongside red fruit, and a light roasted touch hums in the background. The finish is soft, and at 12.0% the alcohol brings a warming glow. The style takes its name from a strength that sits closer to wine than to beer.

ABV
12.0%
Bitterness
Lightly bitter25 IBU
Roasted bitterness
SRM
amber14
PaceSipper
Where this beer sits
Body
lightfull-bodied
Sweetness
drysweet
Bitterness
mildbitter
Texture
crispcreamy
What makes this beer itself
MaltHop
dark fruitroastedcaramel
dark fruit
roasted
caramel
malty
Aroma
The nose opens with prominent dried fruit—particularly raisin and prune—alongside a subtle licorice-root note that adds herbal complexity.
not found:hoppy,bready,fruity,smoky

Tasting Notes

AI-generated sensory profile for Emelisse Barley Wine

◎ Appearance

Deep amber to copper in color, with excellent clarity and a fine, persistent head that clings to the glass with visible lacing. The body is full and rich, supported by a gentle, sustained carbonation that belies the wine-like strength.

deep amberclearpersistent headfull-bodied

◌ Aroma

The nose opens with prominent dried fruit—particularly raisin and prune—alongside a subtle licorice-root note that adds herbal complexity. A light roasted element threads beneath, grounding the sweeter aromatics with gentle depth and restraint.

raisin, prunelicorice rootlightly roasted

◐ Taste

Raisins and red fruit dominate the palate, carrying from the nose with consistency and warmth. A caramel and malty sweetness fills the mid-palate, while the low bitterness (25 IBU) allows the dark fruit and subtle roast to shine without harshness. The alcohol presence—12% ABV—brings a gentle warming sensation that rounds rather than burns.

dark fruit forwardcaramel maltlow bitternesswarming alcohol

◑ Finish

The finish is soft and lingering, trailing dried fruit and a faint roasted note into a smooth aftertaste. The warmth persists gently without sharp edges or harshness.

soft finishfruit aftertaste
82
hopIQ score
Aroma
84
Taste
83
Appearance
85
Finish
78
Serve at 12–16°C

Serve at 12–16°C for the best flavour balance and aroma expression.

Pint glass

The classic — versatile, comfortable to hold and keeps the beer cool. No frills, no distractions: just the beer.

Excellent cellar candidate — can age 3–10 years, developing dried fruit, toffee and sherry notes.

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Food Pairing

What to eat with Emelisse Barley Wine

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About Barleywine

Style guide · what to expect · how to find alternatives

What is a Barleywine?

Barleywine is a distinctive beer style with its own characteristic flavour, aroma and colour. Discover what makes it unique and find similar beers on hopIQ.

Finding a similar Barleywine

hopIQ matches by flavor profile — not just style label. A beer with the same dark fruit, boozy, rich character as Emelisse Barley Wine will score highly even if brewed in a different country or under a different sub-style name.

Compare with another beer →Explore all Barleywine beers in hopIQ →Browse Netherlands beers →