Rock Art Ridge Runner Ale

Brewed by Rock Art Brewery
Style: Barley Wine
Morrisville, Vermont USA

Deep but clear cherry red. A finger of rose-white head. Depth of a red wine. Slow carbonation. An initial gritty whiff of scotch ale-like grain. Second whiff of sweet grape and coffee/mocha. A barleywine mixed with a porter. Bitter but not brutal. Smoky. The taste is burnt porter-like malt bitterness; a secondary hit of dark grape and berry. Thick tobacco leaf. It’s unusually bitter; closer in flavor to a dark porter than a barleywine. Ashy and smooth both. A bit dry/ashy for style though. A deep, rich, dry and bitter barleywine ale. Coffee + grape + tobacco.

Bottle. Pours an amber body with an off white head. Caramel and toffee with a light sugar note, a bit warm with a nutty bitter dark fruit finish. Decent at best.

Bottle pulled out of the cellar after a year from who knows where… at the NSSMNSLT - a "bonus" lame-o bottle thrown in the mix by me, how generous, choke, choke! Poured a light amber color, well short of copper or anything with depth. The aroma was roasty caramel. The flavor was roasty toasty caramel. Some nuts. No hops. Bitter from the roast? Wet grass also in there. A concotion that didn’t really come together well for me. Mouthfeel was way light for a BW. What can you do? Another tick tick tick. Bleh.

Deep amber with tinges of distressed leather. Warm toffee, brown sugar, and a touch of bakng spice on the nose. Palate is a bit underwhelming, some coffee in the backgrond with a good dose of carbonation. Great introduction to the style, very reserved. Not sticky and not at all hoppy. There is balance, but no strong element defines the beer. Very large on the number of ingredients, very simple in its execution. Should do nice with a Macanudo. 84

Aroma of barley grains and yeasty bread. Appearance coppery brown with off-white head. Flavor - not much there - thick yeast, mild sweet malt and somewhat watered down. Mild sweetness lingers on the palate.

Deep dark chestnut, small white head. Dark roast aroma, more like a rich amber or light porter, doesn’t seem barley wineish. Creamy and caramel forward, hops come through in the finish, yet more like a hoppy NW amber than a barley wine.

Very dark and hazy, a great, creamy head of beige. Quite chocolaty and roasted but with a slight vinegar aroma to it. I mean, it has SOME fruit to it but nothing like what I would expect. More deep, smooth roasted malts. It is tasty undeniably so and it does hide its % as well as it claims. Nice light roasted malts, powdered hot chocolate and maybe a little raisin flavour. It is quite nutty and easy. Lacking much of the fruit I would expect in a BW. Very creamy.

courtesy of pamola. pours copper brown, thin beige head. Aroma of dark fruits with some roasted malts, caramel, grassy hops and tad sugary notes. Taste, currants/fig? fruits, caramel, malty, some spices. Light for a barley, reminded me more of a brown with a light nutty finish.