BBHCFM
Barrier Brewing Company

From a 16 oz. can into a whiskey/tumbler glass, this beer pours out very dark brown with ruby highlights running throughout while forming a finger width of khaki colored bubbles to rest on top. 4.75

As soon as the can cracked, I get whiffs of pine and resin. Putting my nose in brings them with more prominence while also introducing me to notes of grapefruit and hints of milk chocolate. 4.25

The taste starts in by showing you pine, clean resin and a bit of that grapefruit before it gracefully transitions into notes of caramel, milk chocolate and ever so slight roasty, charred malts. Really well balanced between everything going on. 4.25

Scarily smooth at a touch over 11%. Offers a touch of bitterness but hardly any of that alcohol shows through. Not syrupy, or too sweet and doesn’t sit too heavy on the body for the style, despite the ABV. 4.5

Overall, this is a very nice and enjoyable brew in the style that they went for. Let alone the high ABV and dangerous smoothness of it. 4.25

Love black DIPA. Thrilled to be 5th Reviewer on BA.
a) As expected but darker, wine like, modest tan cap, low carb.
s) All the anticipated notes including cedar, cinnamon, chocolate, caramel, fruit. citrus, lemon rind. Again wine like.
t) Massive hop start off the line - fresh pineapple and pine tones with caramel malt, chocolates, and clean roasted finish.
f) Full heavy wine like body.
o ) right balance of masculine ash and pine and feminine hops. Sum greater than parts.

 

 

 

 

 

To me, this was perfection. Dangerously strong Black IPA, and a MUST have. My favorite from Barrier thus far.

 

 

BBHFCM, the 11% black ipa that drinks so so smooth. pours black with nice tan head, smells of roasted malts with some hops coming through. Hops really come through in the taste, nice and citrusy, well balanced by the chocolatey roasted malts to make this ipa dark.

 

 

 

 

Big Black Furry Creature from Mars

Appearance: Arrives pitch black with a modest tan head; some squiggly lacing lingers

Smell: Citrus and tropical fruit tempered by chocolate and caramel tones

Taste: The hops lurch forward, bringing pineapple and grapefruit tones with the malt adding chocolate and caramel in the mid-palate; nicely balanced through the finish and there is no hint of the high ABV

Mouthfeel: Medium to full body with moderate carbonation

Overall: I can't say enough about this beer; I find the charred malt clashes with the hops in many ABAs and I think this is the first one that I have had that doesn't go all roasty and ashy on me; the malts here are chocolate and caramel and they perfectly complement the citrus and tropical fruits in the hop bill; other brewers should take note of what Barrier has produced with this beer