6 Knot IPA
Barley John's Brew Pub

Picked this one up when I was in Wisconsin for the Heartbreakers/Stapleton show at Summerfest in 2017.

Pours a dark color for an ipa, this looks solidly brown. I'm talking darker than heavy crystal malt usage will get you, straight up india brown ale here. 1/2" off white head. Aroma of maltiness and bittering hops. At this juncture, my eyes are starting to water, because I know this ain't gonna be a good time.

Taste, ok, this is like equal parts English ipa, but as if there was a bunch of Simcoe thrown in. We have a pretty similar ipa out here that makes a killing (Icky IPA) but I am not a big fan. Has the toffee, tea and caramel aspect for days. Nothing juicy going on, the grapefruit is all rind pith. I can't really get down with any aspect of this beer. Its below average for an American ipa in this day and age. Perhaps it would have been merely average 20 years ago. For me it was like a bitter brown ale, which is neither what I want in an ipa nor a brown ale.

 

 

 

 

Dark amber and clear, moderate carbonation. 1/2 inch off-white, creamy-looking head, receding at a moderate pace. Citrus aroma. Substantial mouth feel, excellent malt presence in the initial taste, balanced with citrus hops flavor. Bittering, a bit piney, asserts in the finish and lingers into the aftertaste nicely balanced with bready somewhat fruity malts. This beer is pleasant and refreshing. It is not hopped in the style of most American IPAs. The brewer says he is going for more of an English style. He succeeded admirably.

 

On Tap,pours a clear golden color with a 1 finger white head , smell of fruity hops and bready malts, taste is fruity hops first with some pine bitterness followed by some roasted , caramel and toffee malts, mouth feel is smooth with fruithops offset equally with malts, drinkable and good this IPA is.

L: Pours brilliant copper amber under a 2” cream colored foam collar that is moderately persistent.
S: Fruity, spicy nose that suggests iced tea and light grains.
T: Fruit and citrus with a moderate to moderate high bitter accent on the finish. Has a real British character. The fruit and citrus are medium high, traces of malt and caramel are medium. Flavors are well balanced. Has an iced tea type bitterness.
F: Creamy, medium to medium light body, medium to medium low carbonation.
O: A flavorful and easy to drink beer with a pleasant English character.

 

 

 

Wow. Lots of floaters in this. Otherwise, amber color, nice off-white head, solid lacing. Smells and tastes kind of soapy. Lavender from cascade hops? I have no idea. I guess it's balanced, taste wise, and (perhaps) more of an English-style IPA. But I don't really like it, even though I've been a Barley John fan for ages (the brew pub is near my house). Guess I'll stick to the Wild Brunette and find my IPAs elsewhere.

 

 

(Re-review 3-14-17, original score 3.88)

This beer pours a murky light amber color. The head is a half inch in height, and recedes slowly into nice lacing. The aroma is grapefruit, pine, and hints of oranges. The taste is somewhat juicy with oranges, and grapefruit. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with appropriate carbonation. Overall, this is a decent IPA, but decent doesn't quite go over well in the IPA world these days. I can't see myself buying this again.

 

 

Poured from 16oz can. Copper color with over a finger of head that had good retention before settling to a thin cap. Heavy lacing is left down the glass. A lot of suspended sediment in the beer that is not that attractive. Tropical fruit fills the nose that is very similar to Juicy Fruit. Not much from the malt but maybe some biscuit and caramel type aromas. Flavor is balanced compared to most IPAs nowadays. Plenty of malt sweetness to counter the hop bitterness. Notes of tropical fruit, caramel, and toast. The fruity esters that permeate makes me wonder if they used an English yeast and not a clean American one. The body feels a little thin for an IPA of this size but it does have nice carbonation that is lively but not harsh. I did not like all the sediment in the can but otherwise a solid IPA.

16oz can. Poured out a clear, golden color with a small, white head of foam. It smelled very piney and malty with hints of citrus. Fairly malty with bread crust, pine and a sharp bitterness.

 

 

Serving glass: Poured from can into IPA glass.

Quick review: Amber with decent head and lacing. Taste and aroma are similar, but the aroma is more muted - lots of hop flavors (earthy, spicy, herbal, piney, citrusy) with caramel and toasted malts. Creamy body with moderately low carbonation and dry finish. Good, balanced English IPA.