Old Reynard by Social Fox Brewing is a somewhat mild and approachable rendition of the BJCP Category 17D English Barleywine style from the 2015 BJCP guidelines. While it checks most of the boxes when it comes to the style, its relative subtlety really doesn’t allow for it to stand out in a style where character tends to count. 

The aroma is that of plum, raisin, old leather, caramel and cherry esters. Overall very attractive! The beer is an amber color with fantastic clarity and a white, small-bubbled lacy head with fantastic retention. This is probably the most attractive barleywine that I have ever experienced.

The flavor has moderate malt complexity up-front with raisin and caramel character predominant. The overall intensity of this malt character is somewhat subdued for this beer style. The hop character is also rather subtle, with very little hop flavor and a somewhat light/moderate hop bitterness. That said, the balance is quite good, since the malt character is also low. The middle and finish retain the same character, with somewhat subtle malt flavors lingering through the finish and cleaning up in the aftertaste. The body is a somewhat light/medium, which is a bit thin for the style, and the carbonation is moderate.  The overall fermentation character is quite clean, but there is a definite clean ethanol bite noted.

Old Reynard is a clean, approachable English Barleywine, which would be perfect for those who are not enamored of more complex examples of the style. Cheers and enjoy!