Berkshire Brewing Company Farmstand Raspberry Barleywine Style Ale

Farmstand Raspberry Barleywine Style Ale

 

Berkshire Brewing Company in South Deerfield, Massachusetts, United States 🇺🇸

  Fruit Beer Regular Out of Production
Score
6.76
ABV: 9.0% IBU: 20 Ticks: 17
This special ale is inviting with its ruby hued appearance from the generous use of half a pound per gallon of fresh raspberries from a local farm only a few miles from the brewery. Luscious malts and a balanced hop bitterness support the rich sweet/tart character of the fruit. This brew is dangerously drinkable, challenging the notion of what a “fruit beer” is.
 

Sign up to add a tick or review

Join Us


     Show


7.2
Appearance - 10 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7

Can (1/30/20) pour from Harvest Market, Bedford (R.I.P.). Appearance is lightly hazy, golden orange with tons of sparkle, 2-finger white, foamy, crackling head with decent retention and decent lacing. Aroma is bittersweet raspberry and caramel. Taste is moderately strong sweet raspberry with a background malty fullness. Mouthfeel is medium side of light-to-medium bodied with smooth texture, soft carbonation and mild, crisp finish as taste. Overall, I'm glad this is classified as a fruit beer that has barleywine qualities than a barleywine that has fruit in it. More full and hearty than the typical fruit beer but this isn't real complex. Better than I expected.

Tried from Can on 07 May 2020 at 03:32



7
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7

This was poured into a chalice thinking it was an actual barleywine. Actually, initial aroma and taste makes me think, there’s none of the sort.
The appearance was a ruddy red to amber color with a one finger white foamy head that dissipated within less than a minute. Light foaminess glazes along the glass nicely.
The smell has some sweet red raspberries with a stealthy tartness underneath. Light cocoa enlivens the aroma as it warms.
The taste was mainly sweet through the red raspberries. The cocoa makes a sly presence sweetly. Tartness is minor. There’s a nice little combination of the cocoa to raspberry in the aftertaste and that leads to a sticky finish.
On the palate, this one sat about a light to medium on the body. It makes for a decent session and is somewhat dry on my tongue.
Overall, its a fruit beer through and through. I wish BBC wouldn’t have slapped \"barleywine\" on the label, there’s no such qualities. Still, its good for what it is and I could see myself having it in the warmer months.

Tried on 21 Aug 2015 at 21:43


7
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 8

22oz bottle, labeled as Raspberry BarleyWine, from AirForceHops
Appearance: Pours Slightly hazy ruby/amber with a medium sized off-white head and some lacing
Aroma: Toasted malts, caramel and raspberry
Taste: Lightly roasted malts, raspberry with a nice mild bitterness in the finish
Nice, semi-sweet with a lively mouthfeel.

Tried from Bottle on 02 Dec 2011 at 20:04


6
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6

22 oz. bottle. used a pint glass. The color is deep clear ruby. Nose is heavy raspberry with a light tart cherry in the background. . Taste is all raspberry, lightly tart in the finish. A bit of caramel. Mouthfeel is slightly tart with a bitter alcohol bite to finish. Over all the raspberry does a great job hiding the high alcohol. It’s an ok brew if you like raspberry, otherwise I would say skip it. Nothing to get anyone excited here. Maybe it would do better aged.

Tried from Bottle on 18 May 2011 at 17:24


7.4
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 6.5

I suspect this bottle is from 2008, but I can’t be sure. Pours a deep reddish brown color with a short, tight, bubbly off white head. A constant carb stream rises from the bottom of my glass like bubbles in a fish tank. Smells sweet and malty with layers of caramel, raisins, cherries, toffee, lightly tart raspberries. The flavor starts off sweet with caramel and toffee, but almost immediately is overcome by raspberries. The raisins, cherries and prunes battle to be the dominant flavor half way through and linger with a bit of fusel alcohol in the finish. Sweet sticky mouthfeel, medium body and level of carbonation. Nice sipper if not a little sweet. A little less raspberry and fusel heat would help this one immensely.
7/4/2023 22 oz bottle shared by Paul, thanks for the opportunity! Hazy light gold color with a thin off white head that slowly dissipates. Rich bready malt light alcohol and sweet bready maltiness. Hints of berry and light butterscotch. Glad to try again but unimpressive.

Tried from Bottle on 01 Apr 2011 at 18:20


7.5
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 8

Sampled from the tap at EBF. Poured a clear amber with a white head that dissipated to the edges. Aroma had a good amount of raspberry with sweet bread and biscuit backing. Flavor started with sweet grains and breads with a nice growing raspberry note that balanced the beer.

Tried from Draft on 19 Mar 2011 at 16:14


7.2
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7

22 ounce bottle courtesy of CrellMoset and aimeefausser. Thanks! Pours a hazy strawberry color with a medium offwhite head. Decent head retention and lacing. Aroma of raspberries, caramel and a bit of nuttiness. The taste is tart raspberries, caramel, toffee, leafy hops. Medium bodied. Decent.

Tried from Bottle on 02 Jul 2010 at 21:16


7.1
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 6.5

bottle pours pinkish amber. Thin raspberry and bread/nut malt aroma. Flavor is rich biscuit, caramel malt, lots of raspberry in the finish. Slightly medicinal, but good.

Tried from Bottle on 21 May 2010 at 16:34


7.9
Appearance - 10 | Aroma - 9 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5

Reddish amber pour. Very fruity malt nose. Taste is strong raspberry preserve, resin and spruce. Rated 5/14/05

Tried on 04 May 2010 at 11:23