Clare's Right Hook - Lemon Zest
Haymarket Beer Co. Pub & Brewery

Beer Geek Stats
From:
Haymarket Beer Co. Pub & Brewery
 
Illinois, United States
Style:
American Barleywine
ABV:
13%
Score:
Needs more ratings
Avg:
4.21 | pDev: 12.11%
Reviews:
4
Ratings:
8
Status:
Active
Rated:
Jun 27, 2013
Added:
Jan 02, 2012
Wants:
  1
Gots:
  0
A huge 13% Barley Wine aged for 6 months in Woodford Reserve barrels with zest from a whole case of lemons. It took Bieber all day to zest them!
Recent ratings and reviews.
 
Rated: 4.25 by Drucifer from Illinois

Jun 27, 2013
Photo of jegross2
Reviewed by jegross2 from Illinois

3.16/5  rDev -24.9%
look: 1.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.25
Reviewing Clare's Right Hook (aged with Lemon Zest) from Haymarket Pub & Brewery out of Chicago, Illinois. This beer is a bold American style barleywine (13% ABV) aged for 6 months in Woodford Reserve Barrels with zest from a whole case of lemons. Sampled along side the cocoa nibs version.
Score: 82

4 oz sample served in a taster glass and enjoyed at Haymarket's 2nd Anniversary Party on 01/12/12. Review is from iPhone notes.

Appearance: Much uglier in color than the cocoa nibs version. Still looks like hazy homebrew, but this brew is more of a slightly reddish chestnut brown color. 1.5/5

Smell: Leather, fig, oak and lemon in nose. More caramel in nose and smells "sweeter" than the chocolate version too. The lemon does not particularly mix well here. 3.5/5

Taste: Tastes like a sweet malty English barleywine with a lemon twist in finish. Fig, leather, oak and lighter vanilla than nose. Molasses too. Pretty malty sweet -- more so than the cocoa nibs version. I frankly do not care for the lemon flavor here. 3/5

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied, minimal carbonation. Dry finish. Borderline cloyingly sweet. 3.75/5

Overall: The lemon did not work in tandem with the other qualities in the taste or smell. 4 oz of this was more than enough for me.

Recommendation: Skip this one.

Cost: $2 for a 4 oz pour or $6 for a 12 oz pour.
Feb 06, 2013
 
Rated: 4.25 by rjacobs6 from Illinois

Jan 23, 2013
 
Rated: 5 by funhog from Illinois

Jan 16, 2013
 
Rated: 3.75 by Gonzoillini from Illinois

Jan 13, 2013
Photo of joshuaseresse
Reviewed by joshuaseresse from Minnesota

4.47/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
On-tap at the brewpub over the New Years. Served into a 12oz snifter. I had two of these before the keg kicked.

A - Pours nut brown that is pretty cloudy looking. Decent quarter inch of foam head with murky clouds and large bubbles in the middle. Pretty decent lacing.

S - Really mellow leather and brown sugar. Touch of caramel, oak and bourbon but nothing over the top or offensive. Smells really smooth.

T - Again really smooth and creamy. Great bourbon flavors with that lemon coming through nicely but it is not too zesty. Oak, some vanilla and smooth leather. I'm enjoying this one quite a bit. No presents of the 13% at all.

M - OK. This one ends up really smooth and creamy. No hints or burn from the booze. Low carbonation, but that's ok considering the style and ABV.

O - I really enjoyed this. I'm more of a fan of English barleywines, but this one turned out nicely. I was worried that this one would be too sweet/tart with the lemon zest; I was also worried that this would be really hot and bourbon forward considering it was aged for 6 months, but quite the opposite. I wish I could have got a growler of this but I was denied...twice. Nice brew though.
Jan 05, 2012
Photo of Sean9689
Reviewed by Sean9689 from Illinois

4.35/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
On-tap at Haymarket.

A - Pours a orange/yellow color, white head, thin collar, wisps.

S - The base barleywine and lemon zest really work well together. Caramel, burnt sugars, oak, citrus, and lemon zest. I really wasn't sure about how this would work, but for some reason, it does! The alcohol is really well-hidden for 13% and is really smooth.

T - Similar to the nose, but perhaps a bit better. The burnt sugars and caramel notes from the base beer really compliment the Woodford Reserve barrels and the lemon zest helps blend it all together (this probably sounds crazy, but it does). Finish is sweet booze and caramel.

M - Medium, soft carbonation, rich, creamy finish.

O - A really nice BA Barleywine that I would definitely have again in the future. The booze is super-smooth and the lemon zest just works wonders for this beer. Recommend.
Jan 04, 2012
Photo of MasterSki
Reviewed by MasterSki from Canada (ON)

4.42/5  rDev +5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
On-tap at Haymarket. Served in a taster glass next to the Cocoa Nib version.

A - Half-finger of white foam settles to a partial cap, thick collar, and plenty of lacing. Lightly hazed golden bronze body.

S - Lemon character is light, but the base beer has mellowed a bit since September and displays an enjoyable blend of oak, bourbon, vanilla, caramel, and brown sugar.

T - The taste is quite similar, and the harsh booze of the base beer has been cut significantly either through age or due to the lemon zest. Big caramel, vanilla, oak, and bourbon flavors, with a lightly sour lemon twist in the finish that is actually surprisingly refreshing.

M - Medium-full body, chewy texture, tannic finish, and shockingly well-hidden alcohol in this version. Carbonation is moderate, and lower than the cocoa nib version.

D - This was a confusing experience for sure. I initially thought the beer had smoothed out due to the additional age on it, but when I tried the cocoa nib version I began to suspect that the lemon zest had somehow blunted the alcohol instead. In any case, this version was delicious and I'd gladly have multiple pours in the future if they (hopefully) decide to make it again.
Jan 02, 2012
Clare's Right Hook - Lemon Zest from Haymarket Beer Co. Pub & Brewery
Beer rating: 4.21 out of 5 with 8 ratings