Raisin' A Fist
Iron Fist Brewing Company

October 3rd, 2015 - Nice play on words in the title, but the flavor of this beer is clumsy, boozy and sloppy. Some points to the aroma, though, which has a bright aroma, with honey comb and a fresh smell of peach flavored sorbet. But the taste is a sloppy, boozy and cloyingly sweet and almost undrinkable.

 

I’ve barely glimpsed a barleywine in warm SoCal, so this was a welcome sight, though it was hard to choose from a good-looking menu. 10 oz. snifter.

The pour is a turbid, morose orange, which makes me think that Bernie Sanders should (a) try to get this beer on a banner for his campaign & (b) go away. Raisin’ a Fist is wine-soaked pureed raisins, & I mean that in a good way. The mid-palate is all candied sugar, almost Belgian, white sugar, brown sugar, & 4 out of 5 dentists would say stay the hell away from this. Caramel, toffee, rounds out the parade; strangely, the booze is evident only coming back up (burps only, thankfully). Wine really shines on the end. Smoother than Richard Gere’s chest, put this in the “dangerous” category.

I could see putting away three or four of these without blinking, & then not being at risk of a DUI because I probably couldn’t find my car. I don’t like raisins, I’m not a big wine fan, & this one is an excellent beer.

 

 

This is their 4th anniversary beer. Brewed with grenache wine must and caramelized raisins. Pretty flavorful. Worth a try if you see it.