Bright Brewery Decadence

It's easy to overindulge on your birthday and that's even more true when you hit a major milestone like turning 18. Bright Brewery have certainly seen fit to mark their own coming of age with something that's fittingly sweet and boozy; a 16 percent barleywine (16? Yes, 16!). First released as part of Carwyn Cellars' Black Box 2024, at the time of writing, it's a beer that brings a somewhat lighter shade compared with the rest of the box, although it's certainly not lacking any warmth or complexity.

The aptly titled Decadence is a fitting one and coincidently, it's a word that's banned from The Crafty Pint each winter due to its overuse so I'm going to enjoy the rare freedom of being able to write it. This barleywine is indeed decadent from every angle, with ripe and decadent fruit notes of banana, pineapple and apricot immediately making their decadent presence known. There's also decadently sweet layers of honeycomb and golden syrup while a somewhat oxidative quality and further dark fruits notes brings the beer into decadent dessert wine territory.

Will Ziebell

Published July 11, 2024 2024-07-11 00:00:00