Summer Life
Urban Roots Brewing & Smokehouse

 

Was lucky enough to score a 4 pack of this in Reno, been getting good distro from UR out this way, I dig it.

Pours a brown caramel toffee like color, and yes, those oft used descriptors will be back. 1/3" off white head. Decent retention. The aroma is almost entirely bourbon and brown sugar. Surprisingly, this was actually enjoyable in early June of this year out on the river.

The taste and mouth feel are beautiful together, once again, all that brown sugar, toffee, bourbon, caramel like aspect in a smooth, not boozy, nor sludgy heavy mouth feel. Damn this is extremely well done and might be better than half life or whatever that one was they made that is kind of similar to this. Vanilla from the barrel provides a small amount that has big smooth results. Its not even boozy.

This is amazing legitimate somehow, summertime barleywine. Yeah, I ain't bringing it to the softball park, but up on the river, hells yeah, let's get weird, this beer will help get you there, very nice, very evil.

Mine was a gusher when I opened the can and was rather buttery so not sure I have the beer the brewers intended. However, I did enjoy the toffee notes and what I perceived as a minor dark fruit (something approximating plum) touch. Left with a malty/bitter/buttery finish. Rated based on what I had to work with.

 

12oz can thanks to Steve. hazy, copper colored pour, small beige head. MMMmmm barley wine, Barrel aged barleywine to boot. Where to start? Aroma is malty, caramel and toffee with a touch of the bourbon barrel. More sweet caramelly flavors with a bit more bourbon, some vanilla and a fair dose of heat. Just lovely for this time of year.

 

Thanks to flexabull the great (his full moniker) for this 16 oz. bottle, one of the last Survivors of the epic fantasy baseball box he shipped east.

The pour is barleywine circa 2009, aka what we used to think of as a IIPA, clear copper you could mold around hot water piped to your claw foot bathtup. Smell? Not really. Raw sugar & orange zest.

Summer Life, now that we’ve hit the bullseye of winter here in the Arctic Circle, almost reminds me of a light westerly breeze while fishing Lake Minnewashta in my Crestliner. Not really. Just like the nose, raw sugar, sugar cotton white grapes. Light despite the ABV. Sixteen ounces sounds great if you want to go face first off the nose of your Crestliner.

Simple & direct. Solid.