Barleys Frambwha?

Brewed by Barleys Brewing Company
Style: Barley Wine
Columbus, Ohio USA

Tons of raspberry puree barleywine. And some hop. Pinkish colour with good white head, medium mouthfeel. Fresh, too fresh raspberry aroma. Fine for a fruit beer but one dimensional.

On draught at Ale House #1 and served in a snifter. The beer pours a murky orangish-red color with a minimal off-white head that disappears quickly. Sporadic spots of lacing on the glass. The aroma is tart raspberries with some malty sweetness. Medium-bodied and fruity with flavors of raspberry and malt, as well as some spiced hops. Alcohol shows up increasingly as it warms. The finish is tart and fruity, leaving a raspberry and wheat aftertaste. Decent all around.

July 17-19, 2008: Barley’s #1 Imperial Raspberry Wheat (a.k.a. Frambwa?) has an amber-pinkish color and is cloudy with a slightly pink foamy head. A mild fresh raspberry aroma also contains some underlying wheat maltiness. lots of fresh raspberry flavor is followed by a hefty wheat malitness and accompanying alcohol. This beer is a bit sticky on the palate. It is like a raspberry malt liquor beverage with more body, wheat creaminess, and a fuller mouth feel.

Draught sample at the Oak Room in Athens, Ohio during Ohio Brew Week 2008. Rating #11 for this beer.

On tap @ the Alehouse: Pours a hazy dull red with a light tan head. Aroma, raspberries, wheat, caramel. Flavor, smooth and creamy body with a big malty sweetness, caramel, toffee notes, hints of alcohol and some heat on the finish. Lots of sweet and tart raspberry notes.

Hazy amber color with a tiny beige head. Aroma of raspberries. Flavor is very sweet, with raspberries, grain and some alcohol. Good

On tap. Pours a hazy orange red with a off white head. Aroma of raspberry, bready malt, booze and honey. Flavor was a bit hot, booze, light raspberry, caramel malt and honey. Thick, a bit syrupy...hot, sweet with light fruitiness. Meh.

Draft@ Barleys Pours a hazy red with a good light tan head. The head lasts well and laced nicely. Aroma was sweet of berries and wheat. Flavor was a touch sweet for me but good. Blended well with a good burn from the alcohol. Has a creamy texture with a full body which seemd hidden by the fruitiness. A lasting finish. Not my cup of tea but still pretty good.

Draft at Alehouse. Pours pinkish purple with a small, light pink head. Aroma is raspberries. Thankfully it smells pretty good and authentic and not much if any alcohol sneaks through underneath. Though the aroma is better than most fruit beers with respect to fruit aroma, I’m afraid it doesn’t come close to approaching the greatness of something like New Glarus, which has now obviously ruined every other fruit beer to follow. Anyways the flavor is tart, sweet, fruity raspberry with just a touch of alcohol. The alcohol really is hidden well considering what they list. I’ve said it before, either Barley’s lies about what ABV their beers are or they are the best brewery in the world at hiding alcohol. Although the ABV is hidden well that touch of alcohol reminds me of Dogfish Head’s Fort which was just an overall bad experience for me, though no fault of Frambwha?. I’m getting sidetracked here but anyways this was good but not great and interesting and noble experiment and a beer I’m glad I tried even though I did not love it.