Fulton Patience Barley-wine

So, we're looking at looking breweries and how I've cataloged their beers here on this blog. As for Fulton, I've logged five of theirs here, from growler, bottle, and on tap. What have I missed? Tap-only beers, taproom-only beers, one-off casks and such. Beers like Batch 300. Two Gingers Barrel-aged Libertine, Expat Rye Saison, Insurrection, and The Ringer. If I were a better customer of Fulton, I might've snagged some of those. Ah, well, life goes on ...And here's a new one in a bottle, and I got one, and I drank one...Here it is, and here are my notes...

Patience. Clearly, I have none.

Fulton went and made a barley-wine. Very small batch. 200 cases went out to stores. Don't know how many barrels that is. And I like the barley-wines, so I can't wait, I'm gonna drink it. (This was purchased Saturday last, was released that week.)

Dark ruby coloring, hazy, with active carbonation, very little head.

Aroma: sweet and fruity, deep and complex. Oak and orange. Leather and lime. Malty meets hoppy meets everything.

Taste:  Full fruitiness floods the palate, buoyed by hop bitterness. A beautiful blend. But, you've got to up for it. 13.2% alcohol by volume. That's a touch on the high side. Never really leaves the stage, but the fruity malt flavors, and the bold bitterness try their best to match it. Big stuff, amazing ale.

Let's read the label. "Garage Series. It's been said that in addition to malt, hops, water, and yeast, a fifth essential ingredient is required when crafting a barley-wine: time.  Time to brew, time to ferment, time to condition. Enjoying barleywine calls for the same deliberation. So slow down, Sit down, Power down. Set the world aside. Sip, reflect, and repeat. Your patience has been rewarded."

So, yeah, I wanted to drink this "young" and judge it as it was turned in to market. But, I really ought to show some patience, after a find another bottle, buy it, and sit on it for another year or so, and see how it cools, and mellows. It's pretty "hot" right now, as it is. I used to love big, burly, massive malty monsters like this, young and fuzzy, growling and hissing. Now, not quite as much, not as much as I'd like them to cool and hum and purr. Big, but not punishing, not overbearing, not smothering.
That's what patience will do.