Beard of Zeus Barrel-Aged Barley Wine

A big ol’ beer deserves a fun bottle, and the 500mL bottles of Beard of Zeus Barrel-Aged Barley Wine are definitely that—they feature a mirror-eyed thunder god wielding a bolt and the label has a cool metallic rainbow tint. The beer is an 11.8% bruiser with 28 IBUs. It’s a cloudy brew, ruddy to the point of dried blood, with a thin cream head. BoZ is produced by Toronto's Great Lakes Brewery.

BoZ has complex aromatics, with notes of dried fruit, red wine, clove, and just a hint of bubble gum. The flavour is extremely woody, sweet, with date and raisin notes, ample boozy bombast, and a spice-rich back end. The beer has a thick texture and a very warm finish.

BoZ is potent and punchy. It’s got loads of complicated flavours and a whole lot of booze. Perhaps too sweet, but so it goes with barley wines. Commendably, despite all of its complexity, this beer lists only four ingredients—water, barley, yeast, and hops—making it Reinheitsgebot approved.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10.