Winter Ale
Barley John's Brew Pub

 

Pours a dark copper to medium amber in color, barely a skirmish of white foam pops up and fades immediately. Aroma is raisins, berries, breadiness. Taste follows with a lite cola and malty sweetness up front, some floral and berry notes mid taste and follows with some toasty breadiness and a decently dry and bitter grassy hoppiness. Mouthfeel is medium in body, low carbonation, decent peppery hoppiness and bitter burn at the back of the tongue. Definitely a nice beer to spend some time with in the cold of winter, does me well on a cold rainy april day as well. Thanks to Eben for the opportunity!

Originally reviewed on March 21, 2006. Growler. Pour of siennaed ruby, with a rim of off-white. Light aroma of shrimp scampi and fresh mexican oregano, seared sclopps and fresh italian cherries. Wow. Very rich and seductive, very creative aroma blend. Flavor blast! Interesting savory spiced and sweet flavor, very rich with notes of woody chipotle, backed with a little gruyere, Akcohol shows a little on the nose and on the tounge, but it’s gentle, warming and pleasent. Continues in true complex fashion with a menagerie of warm spicy bready yeasty flavors, that move gracefully and equivocally into a mind melding bite of terse lemongrass hops, in a more european tradition. It’s a big dose of fresh grasses. This is my new favorite ASA, without all those typified west coast hops. Flavor continues to develop, with a dash of nutmeg in a field of rosemary. Delicious. Thanks Rob!

with lunch on National Mandatory Shopping Day...
tawny brown color, with light peeking through the bottom, beneath a toasted tan head, utterly terrific looking.
Wondrous aroma, getting hints of espresso, anise, dark fruit and more, richly roasted, simply gorgeous...I held this up to the nose and breathed it in so often, onlookers wondered just what queer nonsense I was up to...Silky smooth in the mouth, with a trickle in the throat going down, very nice mouthfeel, finely textured, slick and supple, coating the palate with great flavor. Slight alcoholic kick, as well, but well matched by the abundance of character that carries through. Very warm, very welcome, just right as winter barges into our realm, expected, but unbidden.
This was a fine take on the winter ale style, better than I'd expect from any average brewpub, but Barley John's is not one of those...I'll have to go back for more, it's just too good!