Cherry Murderous: The Lookout
Pipeworks Brewing Co.

22 oz. Bomber

Poured into a chalice a pretty nice dark ruby red color, very nice carbonation, with a pretty nice thick/creamy one-finger light tan head, which leaves some nice oil slicks and sticky lacing behind. The nose is malty, slightly yeasty, with a touch of dark fruits, and some cherries. The taste is pretty nice, malty, yeasty, with some dark fruits, nice touch of cherries, very slight tartness. Medium body, ABV hidden very well. Overall, a tasty brew.

22oz bottle poured into a tulip
2015 vintage

A- pours an amber color with a ruby hue, one-finger foamy khaki head reduces to a ring around the glass

S- plenty of cherry on the nose up front, adds a medicinal quality, followed by notes of red licorice, caramel, creme brulee, honey and brown sugar

T- the cherry note comes through immediately, similar to the nose, adding flavors of cherry cough syrup and maraschino cherries. Mid-palate gives notes of molasses and caramel, as well as cranberries, pomegranate and a hint of faded hops. The finish gives more medicinal cherry notes that continue into the linger

M- heavy body with moderate carbonation leads to a creamy mouthfeel that continues into a slightly warming finish

O- one for the cherry fans, as it's present throughout

 

 

Batch 755. Pours a brownish-red with a light tan head that persists.
Aroma is dominated by cherry and toffee with a little whiff of booze.
Black cherry leads the flavor followed by sweet toffee and a touch of dark fruit. Then a little bitter with some finishing sweetness.
Medium and smooth. Lovely.

 

 

 

 

 

 

1 pint .6 fl oz brown glass bottle with a red crown cap purchased in Brooklyn, NYC.

"English barleywine style ale brewed with cherries." Unfiltered.

HEAD: Pale khaki colour. Nice thickness and creaminess. Retention is good - ~8 minutes. Has a nice even consistency and complexion.

BODY: Brown-amber body colour. No yeast is visible within. Vibrance could be better.

AROMA: Caramel, amber malt, bready malts, dried cherries, some cherry juice, fruit syrup, and obvious sweetness.

Aromatic intensity is average.

TASTE: Cherry juice, amber malts, caramel, bready malts with accompanying sweetness, dark fruit syrup (prune and dates), and a hint of toffee. Depth of flavour isn't great, but it's average.

Balance isn't too well dialed in. Build is fine for a barleywine; there isn't a recognizably English malt backbone.

TEXTURE: Somewhat soft. Smooth, wet, medium to full-bodied, well-carbonated, and of nice heft and weight on the palate. Supple. Not as heavy on the palate

OVERALL: More drinkable than you'd expect of a 9.50% ABV English barleywine. Still, I can't say it's one of the better expressions of the style I've tried, nor is it up there with Pipeworks' finest work, but I'm glad I got to try it once and I don't regret the purchase. The raw juice component doesn't really work for me, but it might cater to the tastes of some. Competent sincere fare that unsuccessfully tries to bring fruit into a biscuity barleywine flavour profile.

C (2.84) / AVERAGE

 

Where the English barleywine celebrates all things barley, its fruit components add to the complexity and balance of the beer and comes natural from yeast. But the brewers at Pipeworks kick this notion up on notch with generous cherry additions for a tart and tannic balance and assists in the beer's drinkability even more.

A rush of rusty reds and browns wash the glass, releasing a sepia-stained dense froth. Its scent leads with tart, tangy and dark fruit but wrapped in a cloud of molasses, honey and toasted caramel scents. Lavishly sweet to taste, its that molasses, toffee, caramel and bread crust flavors that lend a biscuit and honey character.

And then the ale really opens up across the middle as the sweetness splashes the tastebuds with dense, sugary, cake-like maltiness. A quick followup of red bing cherries are bright, tart, playfully acidic and also robust with a succulent juiciness. With berry-like flavors following, a pomegranate, cranberry, red currant flavor tackles the trailing taste even with the beer's malt-balance firmly in control.

Full, robust and dense like poundcake, the beer's toasted malt edges offers a hint of char to also balance the sweetness. Its assertive hopping rates give the finish a broad bitterness that sits calmly below any malt sweetness and gives the beer an herbal, woodsy taste that accompanies the cherry tang quite well. An aftertaste shares a mild semblance of American barleywine with is carbonated drying power and gripping hop bite.

 

 

 

 

 

Poured into a snifter glass.
A - Pours a very dark reddish brown with a very small head than quickly becomes a ring.
S - The aroma is malty and sweet.
T - Flavor follows the nose, malty and sweet with some alcohol on the finish. If you are searching for cherry, or tartness, I don't think you will find it. Of course it is possible the cherries are providing the underlying sweetness.
M - Medium mouth feel, low carbonation.
O - This comes off as an average barleywine. Not a bad beer. But I love cherries, and I think if the cherry flavor had been more noticeable this beer would have risen to better than average.