Intrepid Irish Red
Barley Creek Brewing Company

 

Barley Creek Brewing Co. "Intrepid Irish Red Ale"
16 fl. oz. can coded "oooooohh laddie co 02/18/26. Sampled on 03/04/2026

Note via stream of consciousness: Labeled at 5.0% ABV with 20 IBUs. It's poured a hazy brown body with some reddish and golden highlights within. The head is a short cap of tan foam. In the nose I'm getting some buttery diacetyl, caramel, grainy malt, a slate-like mineral character, and some leafy hops. The flavor is rich with sweetish malt, caramel, toffee, brown sugar, and a suggestion of distant roastiness. It's also fruity with apple, sweet red berries, and pear. The hops remain leafy and grassy. The 20 IBUs balances it perfectly for a beer on the sweeter side of things while keeping it in check. I've had about half of it by this point and it hasn't built up on my palate at all, although some of the sweet maltiness lingers in the finish with the leafy, grassy, and woody hops and a touch of mineral. In the mouth it's medium bodied on the fuller side, and gently crisp. The head didn't hold up all that well but it has left some decent lacing behind. The diacetyl is the main question here as it's normally seen as a defect. In certain beers, however, it really works, and this is one of them. I think it's fantastic.
Review #9,452