Having never tried a commercial English Barley Wine, we are pleased how this one has turned out.
After a long discussion with a local BJCP, he described the profile as "sophisticated".
My analogy is this:
American Barleywine is like, you are at a bar, and Brutus walks up to you, and in a gruff voice says, "Let's go out back, and I'll show you a thing or two."
English Barley Wine is like, while sitting at the bar, an attractive lady comes to you, and while gently stroking your face, says... "Why don't you come up and see me sometime?"
This brew has a great color, amber ruby-red. A candy like aroma, with a hint of caramel and molasses. Malt forward, with a bit of sweetness in the finish that is balanced by the warmth of the alcohol.
We suspect that it will age well, with improvements anticipated. It is not killer ABV, at only 8.8%.
My plan is to brew this again in a couple weeks, with minor mods to the grain bill.
Never brewed one of these before, but we are happy with the initial results.