Ah, the new issue of Beeradvocate magazine and its cupie doll tap handles. There was quite an outrage over this among circles so small that they might not even form circles. Funny no one thought that they were in drag or just detritus of toy box.
Anyway, this is a very light take on barley wine from Vermont's Rock Art Brewery. Plenty of pale malt graininess with a nice seam of apple butter, smoke and brown bread lightly cut by twig hops and, I think, a little black malt. A bit of mineral drying in the water. It pours a gorgeous brown that is a notch redder than beer bottle brown and sits under rich lacing deep cream froth. And at 7.5%, the brewery - interestingly - calls this a mild barley wine. So maybe this is a beer living in a parallel universe with Scots wee heavy ales or even Ron's beloved Victorian high-test mild. Not overly complex but also none of that beer broth thing that can pop up in the higher test barley wines if not handled well.
Comments
Ethan - May 14, 2008 11:22 pm
I think VT's laws restrict their brewing a <i>true</i> barley wine... I thought it was pretty good for what it was, though.
The BA cover/tap handles were not especially clever or inspired- or even creepy. Hipster and Weekly Dig-esque, maybe. Now, take a blowtorch to those heads, maybe stick in some battery-powered led-eyes... and we're talking. :)
Alan - May 15, 2008 8:32 am
You have put that two and two that I missed together, Ethan, but you know I had in the back of my head that, being that the place is so small, Vermont brewers might still brew higher test brews for sale in other states. I know I bought this one out of state. But I had assumed the ban was not on brewing or possessing but selling.
Ethan - May 15, 2008 10:24 am
I think the VT brewing industry is trying to tackle both sides of the issue... For all the strangeness of Canadian regulation, American states sure do present a hodgepodge of weirdness themselves, eh?
I wonder if you could duck it through bottle re-fermentation... "gee, officer, it was only 7% when I bottled it!"
tf - May 15, 2008 2:32 pm
re: Vermont's alcohol laws - stronger beers can be sold, but only in the state-controlled liquor stores, not grocery stores or gas stations. I think there's currently a fight to try & change this.
I think Rock Art does make some stronger beers (marketed in bombers as the "Extreme Series" or some such name).
Nice site, btw.
jsled - May 15, 2008 4:32 pm
The law was regarding selling >8% beer in non-liquor stores, but I can understand that a local brewery wouldn't regularly brew something that they then couldn't sell in the local grocery/convenience store.
The other Rock Art "Extreme" series are generally slightly higher ABV, but only as a side effect of doing strange styles and brews.
In any case, Vermont "Popped the Cap" a few weeks ago, the limit is now 16% (15%, maybe?). :) I'd link to details on BeerAdvocate, but it's presently down. :(
Alan - May 15, 2008 5:33 pm
They must like me more at BA as it worked when I tried it.