Groove Angle
Barrier Brewing Company

 

Promising visuals--hazy gold pour portends something juicy. The generous, long-lasting head also gave optimism. The taste payoff however, was a bit underwhelming. There is a fruit presence--very mild kiwi, along with a little citrus peel and pine. But these tastes were subtle to the point of being somewhat bland, and just okay. Truthfully expected more from a collaboration with the usually great Grimm.

 

16 ounce can into tulip glass, canned on 10/18/2019. Pours very hazy deep golden amber color with a 1-2 finger dense and rocky off white head with fantastic retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lasts. Thick foamy lacing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Fantastic appearance. Aromas of big lightly tart/tangy kiwi, strawberry, grapefruit, tangerine, lemon, peach, pineapple, passion fruit, mango, honeydew melon, guava, berries, citrus peel/rind, wood, peppercorn, pine, wheat, cracker, white bread dough, lightly toasted biscuit, and herbal/floral/grassy earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of citrus/fruity/tropical/earthy hops, kiwi, and bready malt notes; with big strength. Taste of big lightly tart/tangy kiwi, strawberry, grapefruit, tangerine, lemon, peach, pineapple, passion fruit, mango, honeydew melon, guava, berries, citrus peel/rind, wood, peppercorn, pine, wheat, cracker, white bread dough, lightly toasted biscuit, and herbal/floral/grassy earthiness. Light pine, citrus peel/rind, herbal, floral, woody, grassy, peppery bitterness; and fruit tang/tartness on the finish. Lingering notes of tart/tangy kiwi, strawberry, grapefruit, tangerine, lemon, peach, pineapple, passion fruit, mango, honeydew melon, guava, berries, citrus peel/rind, wood, peppercorn, pine, wheat, cracker, white bread dough, lightly toasted biscuit, and herbal/floral/grassy earthiness on the finish for a while. Awesome complexity, robustness, and balance of citrus/fruity/tropical/earthy hops, kiwi, and bready malt flavors; with an awesome malt/bitterness and tart/tangy fruit balance; with no astringent hop/fruit flavors after the finish. Lightly increasing dryness from lingering bitter/tart/tangy. Medium carbonation and medium-plus body; with a very smooth, moderately creamy/bready/grainy, and fairly sticky/resinous/rindy/acidic/tangy mouthfeel that is great. Minimal warming alcohol for 8%. Overall this is an awesome fruity IPA. All around awesome complexity, robustness, and balance of citrus/fruity/tropical/earthy hops, kiwi, and bready malt flavors; very smooth and easy to drink for the ABV with the modestly bitter/resinous/tart/tangy/drying finish. Nicely soft and not overly aggressive/tangy. Awesome balance of juicy/vibrant hops/fruit, with some dank/earthy hops; and a nice sized wheat/oat/malt backbone. Light residual sweetness with lingering dryness. A really enjoyable offering, and impressive hazy style example as expected of the breweries.

 

-foggy tap pour with an light berry aroma and 2 cm foam cap. The flavor is odd and thin, some kiwi and green grape is noted.
After noting other review dates it seems they was likely brewed in 2017. It is not so surprising that this DIPA did not age so well.

This was yet another beer that I traded for a while ago, as the date on the bottom of the can read 7/10/17 with MCFU written underneath it. After having a few of Barrier's collaborations with Other Half while in line in Brooklyn, this was the first beer from them that I was able to have and review here at the house. While not a bad brew, this didn't break any new ground if you like your IPA's with turbid kiwi, then you've certainly found your match here!

The pour to this was alright as the liquid was very turbid and dark with quite a bit of sediment at the bottom - although that was probably my fault and no one else's. Could have been a bit brighter shade of goldenrod but that was irrelevant as the lack of lacing was more of an issue for me. It wasn't on par with the head as a faint half-ring remained on the back side of the middle of my pint glass. Kiwi, guava, and deep tropical fruit pith filled the nose as the taste was just as dank and juicy. This could have been more slick and bright as it was as bit too unripe for me - even after all of this time. Some milkshake sweetness saved the day and kept this from feeling too heavy or ripe but it wasn't enough to sway my opinion on this as the beer finished like swamp water...

There was enough booze to this as well and although it wasn't a deterrent, it didn't add to the heavy-handed nature of this. Love the brewers that were involved in this beer's creation but the sum of their parts was not greater than their individual efforts. Worth a go once for their fans but this didn't break any new ground for me whatsoever...

 

Pours a dull, hazy orange with a tight, 1/8th inch white head embedded with ringlets and bubbles. Nose is all citrus pith. Taste follows nose; however, I get more guava than kiwi. Mouthfeel is light-medium in body with an assertive carbonation. Overall, decent, but too much pith.

 

 

 

 

 

 

big thanks to my man robbie for the hookup. heard good things about these collabs.

definitely a juice bomb from 2 of the better NY breweries. the sum of the parts is as good if not better than what each does on their own but this definitely carries more of a barrier vibe than grimm. very nice beverage. little boozy but kiwi gives a nice fruity sharpness.