Kickin' Knowledge (Strawberry)
Barrier Brewing Company

 

 

A thanks to the sultan of strawberries, woodychandler, for this beer. Poured from a 16 oz. can. Despite a gentle pour, this beer came out quickly, resulting with several inches of head on top of a golden color.Smell is strong of strawberries, Taste is strawberries, some vanilla, mild to moderate bitterness. Feels medium bodied in the mouth and it's certainly an interesting IPA.

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: "Originally Brewed for Our Friends at Burgerology"; "MilkshakE India Pale Ale w/Strawberry, Vanilla + Coconut and Hopped w/Mosaic, Motueka + Citra".

First, a full & open disclosure: Strawberry is my favorite fruit as an adult! When I was a kid, it was Blueberry, but the two have switched places in my advancing age. One of my fave holidays is the 4th of July, giving me an opportunity to make a Yellow sheet cake, frost it with white Vanilla & decorate it as the AmeriCAN flag with … strawberries & blueberries! Yum.

I have had a couple in this series before so I kinda ChANged up my M.O. from the jump. First, I did some in-CAN agitation before Crack!ing open the vent. Next, I went with a heavy-handed, free-flowing C-Line Glug into the awaiting glass. I then sat back & watched it form two-plus fingers of foamy, soapy, rocky, eggshell-white head with modest retention, popping & fizzing its way into wisps. Color was a murky, turbid pinkish-Amber (SRM = > 7, < 9) with loads of floaties in evidence. The emphasis here is on "MilkshakE" & make no mistake, it resembles one by the time it settles! Nose smelled of … strawberries! Surprise. This one was all strawberry, initially, followed by a creeping tanginess of grapefruit from the Citra hops as well as a rounding of its edges by the vanilla & coconut. I definitely got coconut in this one, but it made for a pleasant addition, rather than a distraction. Tastykake makes a seasonal Strawberry pie with vanilla frosting & this beer really put me in mind of one of those pastries. The malt gave it a biscuity quality which only helped to reinforce the analogy. If I thought that Peach was good, this was even better! I seem to have been jonesing for strawberries more than I had realized. I used to know some strawberry farmers in Ventura County, CA when I was in Port Hueneme/Oxnard from 1992 to 1997 & I think that they would approve of this beer. Finish was not as dry as with Peach, but there was a greater tartness to this one. Now, I am CANurious to try the others in the series & maybe to even visit this Summer if I am no longer self-quarantined. YMMV.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Strawberry Milkshake NEIPA. Poured from a tallboy can into a Dogfish Head tulip

L: Hazed golden pink pour with 2+ fingers of fluffy white head. Great lacing.

S: Tart strawberry and tropical fruit juice.

T/F: Sweet/tart strawberry and tropical fruit juice. Pineapple, grapefruit, and tangerine. Lactose sweetness... a dash of coconut and very modest bitterness. Medium to light bodied... creamy carbonation and sticky on the tongue. More strawberry at the finish.

O: A really nice and easy drinking milkshake IPA. If you like strawberry milkshake IPA's then this beer will please.