Troubled Monk in Red Deer has had a busy, eventful first year or so. World Beer Cup medals, surprising consumer demand. And they finished 2016 off with a release of their first attempt at a Barley Wine, which they call Oblation. Oblation is a religious term meaning an offer to God/the gods. Seems appropriate.

I got a bottle which sat around my cellar for a few weeks before I finally got around to tasting it a few days ago. I say that because I fear I am offering this review after the beer is gone – but if I am lucky there are still some bottles hanging around somewhere.

Barley Wines can be challenging beer to brew. They require a bold touch combined with the art of subtlety. Big alcohol – Oblation kicks in at 11.5% – requires managing full flavours while keeping alcohol heat from getting to big. Naturally they are a great style to age, so sampling a young one isn’t necessarily the best time to evaluate it.

But, that is exactly what I did.

It is packaged in a 650-ml bomber, which is most unfortunate given its alcohol strength (good thing as a homebrewer I possess a capper to re-seal for enjoying the last half the next day). It pours dark amber verging on reddish-brown. It builds a full off-white head. It also possesses good clarity. The carbonation seems a bit light but appropriate for the style.

The aroma brings out a rich, full caramel and toffee, along with some dark fruit reminding me of cherry and plum. I also get touches of nut and sugary sweetness.

The sip starts with dark fruit, caramel, toffee, some treacle notes and a touch of molasses. Rich malt character dominates the middle. The middle also brings out a touch of fruity esters, licorice and rich sugar. The finish is tantalizingly balanced, with a hint of hops, some subtle alcohol warming, a fruity linger and a gentle warming. I can say without equivocation that there is alcohol in this beer. The finish is fairly sweet with a caramel, fruity note.

Oblation is a full-bodied and complex barley wine. It finishes a bit sweet but marks its territory as a substantial, interesting beer. It is not perfect – there is maybe a bit too much heat right now, but that should mellow and the fruit esters are rather forward –  but it presents as an interesting, flavourful attempt at a challenging style. As interesting as it is now, it seems like a beer that given a year or two of aging could end up with it being quite memorable.

Too bad I don’t have another bottle on me – I only got one. Maybe I need to beg to someone to get a second to age for a couple of years to see how it goes?