Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8
Barley’s flirted with the IIPA style back in 2003 with the Kiss My Bitter Ass IPA. That beer was stronger than a normal IPA, but not quite an Imperial. Now they have finally ventured into the style fully and the results are pretty good. Served in a snifter. Murky dark orange/amber color with a medium off-white head with fair retention. Spotty lacing. Citrusy hops aroma with a good amount of malt. Medium-bodied and smooth yet bitter. Citrus and hops dominate the flavor, with some pine and malt thrown in. The finish is bitter on the tongue, with a piney hops aftertaste and a mild alcohol burn. Pretty good all around.
Dogbrick (24210) reviewed Blueberry Ale from Smokehouse Brewing Company 20 years ago
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6.5
On tap at the Smokehouse. Pale golden color with noticeable carbonation and a thin white head. Very little lacing. Light hops and blueberry aroma. Light-bodied and bubbly with the blueberry flavor surprisingly subdued. There is really only the merest suggestion of the fruit, as well as a small amount of malt and hops. The finish is straightforward and clean with a bit of blueberry and hops. Overall a decent fruit beer, but putting aside the novelty there is not much to make it stand out.
Appearance - 10 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7
2004 bottle hand bottled by JCW, thanks! Deep brown cola color to the body and even had some head left in it. Aroma gives some hint of the spices used, ginger and cinnamon being somewhat prominent, with a very dry roast as well as as some burnt characteristics. The body has a soft, lazy carbonation, watery at the end, with a fluffy texture to it. Light toffee, dates, licorice and more burnt malt in the background. No hops are apparent, nor is the orange zest. Flavor is initially sweet, but then trails off in to a watery nothingness. If you told me this was 6 percent alcohol, I would believe it. I should have drank this sooner, in all fairness to the beer, but I wanted to share it. I have to give it some credit because I know the beer would taste better fresh on tap. Near the top of my "need to rerate list".
Dogbrick (24210) reviewed Pint O Joe from Smokehouse Brewing Company 21 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5
This anniversary beer pours like a cold cup of coffee. Dark brown but it lets quite a bit of light through. Medium thin and rocky sandpaper colored head that dissipated quickly. Thin, spotty lacing throughout the glass. The aroma is all coffee, all the time. A light touch of malt in the nose as well but it is minute compared to the blast of java. Medium-bodied, roasty and very smooth, with coffee at the forefront, especially as it warms. It makes for an enjoyable drink although the downside is that it is one-dimensional. Malt and chocolate are present at times but at no point will you forget that coffee is the name of the game here. The finish is dry and roasty like espresso. A good offering from Barley’s, and I am interested to try the ice-cream made from this.
Appearance - 10 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 8
On draught at the Smokehouse. I think I like this one a little better than Ol' Ron's. Pours a pretty blackish-brown with a thick dark beige head. Decent lacing through the whole glass. The aroma is malt, along with a little chocolate and hops. Rich body, with a nice grainy/nutty flavor. You can also taste malt, coffee, chocolate and raisins. The finish is smooth and a little more carbonated than a lot of Oatmeal Stouts. I like this one quite a bit.
Dogbrick (24210) reviewed KMBA IPA from Smokehouse Brewing Company 22 years ago
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7.5
From the firkin at Barley's Mini RAF on March 27th. Pours a cloudy orange color with a thin orangish-white head. Aroma is a pleasant hops and fruit concoction. Not as good as the Buckeye '76 but still a good IPA, especially out of the firkin. Strong hops flavor up front but kind of a muted flavor as the glass progresses. Not sure what the ABV is but the alcohol seems to mellow out the hops bite a little. I still like it a lot better than their Centennial IPA.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 9 | Flavor - 9 | Texture - 10 | Overall - 9
Tasted at Barley's 4th Annual Robert Burns Dinner & Robert Burns Scottish Export Ale Tapping Jan 25th. The lower-ABV Robert Burns was one of my favorite beers when I first tried it last year. What a difference a year and 2% more ABV will make! Pours a hazy dark orange with a thin to medium light beige head. Aroma is malty and slightly smoky. Unbelievably drinkable, with a stong malt flavor and a warm alcohol presence. Three snifters of this and I was happy to be toasting the man for whom this near masterpiece was named. Amazing.
Dogbrick (24210) reviewed Cherry Porter from Smokehouse Brewing Company 23 years ago
Appearance - 10 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5
Yet another good brew from Barley''s. Pours almost black with a thin off-white head and minimal lace. Aroma of black cherry was not as strong as I was expecting. Flavor was on the sharp side with cherry and malt present in good harmony. Dry, lightly hopped finish. Not bad at all.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 9 | Texture - 10 | Overall - 9
This beer absolutely rocks. It is honestly better than the "standard" lower-ABV Christmas Ale. Draught version: Hazy dark orange with a thin beige head and decent lacing. Aroma of cinnamon, hops and malt. Warming flavor of alcohol and malt. Cask-conditioned version: This is the pinnacle of Christmas brews as far as I am concerned. An absolutely fantastic brew that has all of the qualities mentioned above. This version pours a more hazy unfiltered color and a thicker head. Flavor is much more mellow and warming, with the alcohol and spices just oozing out. Excellent!
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7.5
This beer isn't really breaking any ground in the Brown Ale family, but it is another solid offering from Barley's. Maybe the fact that I had one on the way home from the OSU vs. Indiana football game caused me to give it a more favorable score than it deserves...Nah, but I found it to be rather enjoyable. Dark brown color with a thin beige head. Sweet malt and brown sugar flavor. Maybe a new tradition after OSU victories?