O-Ren Rishi
Barrier Brewing Company

 

I had to take a break from my previously scheduled deep-dive into Barrier's collabs due to yet CANother beer with NO approved pic in place! 8={} One of the main tenets of The CANQuest (tm) is NO Crack!ing open a beer until a pic exists for posterity. I have SO many photos to my credit that I do not mind doing so, but I would really prefer others to join me in taking, resizing & submitting pics. At least it gives me an opportunity to delve deeper into the mysterious Barrier BC.

From the CAN: "India Pale Ale brewed with Peach Blossom White Tea from Rishi"; "'O-Ren is delish and best served cold.' - Ancient Barrier Proverb"; "Japanese Translation by Maasa Kawana-Muelhaupt"; "Illustrated by Daniel F. Birch".

I gotta say, the transition from a paper label on a glass bottle (in the approved pic) to even a crack & peel label on a CAN makes the art really POP!

I Crack!ed, not Pop!ped open the vent on this gorgeous CAN & beCAN a slow, gentle C-Line Glug into the awaiting glass. The foaming action was magnificent, creating two-plus fingers of dense, foamy, rocky, bone-white head with excellent retention that resembled the snow cap atop Mount Fuji or at least the meringue on a lemon pie. I watched in rapt fascination as it slowly fell away, leaving a sea of lacing in its foamy wake. It made me think of my Japanese girlfriend on Okinawa with whom I would take long walks on the beach. The nose was soft, delicate & very fragrant with peaches! OMFG! I am now ravenous for some Oriental takeaway of any stripe! Mouthfeel was equally soft, medium if you will. The taste put me in mind of one of the Hokkaido Happoshus that I sent to @jkblr recently. It was soft, subtle, lightly bitter while redolent with peaches. I would not have guessed it to be an AIPA, which will hurt it when rating to style, but them's the breaks. Finish was dry & mellow, very mellow, very tea-like. どうもありがとうございます YMMV.

 

 

 

 

 

Pours an unclear light orange with high, soapy foam.

Smell is grassy with strong notes of peach, tea and melon.

Taste is grassy and earthy with hints of peach and white tea. Medium bitterness and some melon and grapefruit on the finish.

Mouthfeel is medium and well carbonated.

Overall,a nice IPA, with some pretty unique flavors.

 

 

A: The beer is somewhat hazy yellow in color and has a slight amount of visible carbonation. It poured with a finger high frothy white head that died down, leaving a layer of bubbles on the surface and some lacing down the sides of the glass.
S: Light aromas of white tea are present in the nose.
T: The taste follows the smell and also has notes of herbal hops, some hints of grainy malts and a slight amount of bitterness.
M: It feels light- to medium-bodied on the palate and has a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: Apart from the herbal hops in the taste, you wouldn't really think that this beer is an IPA—it's a unique style but seemed a little closer to tasting like a saison. It was easy to drink, but the aromas and flavors of tea weren't that strong.

Serving type: can

Proud to be 5th reviewer of O-REN Rishi which is out of retirement and full force May 2018.
A) Hazed golden body w white head that lags and laces too little for a 4.
S) Aromas of white tea sweetened by tangerine, lemon, pine, flowers, and honey. Nectar like but too faint.
T) Taste is the winner here. With all the above plus rare floral, peach, blossoms, spring, that is tempered with subtle bright crisp bitterness.
F) Finishes with light bitterness, and dry. Medium bodied with medium carbonation.
O) My bodega wanted to charge me $10 but settled for $6. Barrier is currently the most creative brewer I regularly sample along with Carton. Barrier & Carton are a great pair of NY Metro brewers.

Can dated 4/18/2018

 

 

 

 

-cloudy orange bottle pour with thin white foam. Aroma is delicate and slightly citrus. Flavor is floral and peach with a touch of mint. Hop profile is a pleasant compliment. Finish is a bit sweet with a slight hop bite. This tasted better as it warmed. (I was called away, so there was a time gap). I'll pick up another.

 

A soft orange color, on the pour, with a slight haze, and a white fluffy head. The nose is sweet, fruity and herbal. A rather tangy start on the drinking with a mix of sharp fruit tones and herbal undertones. Slightly bitter and hoppy on the finish with another hit of the herbal tea feel. Pretty good fruit notes of peach, melon, and orange. The mouth feel is light/moderate.

Overall, it's an ok beer but I'm just not in love with it. An interesting take on the style and worth trying but the herbal tea mixed with the fruity hops just has a strange after taste.