365 different beers from 365 different breweries in 365 days with random musings on beer, food, music, sports, dogs and anything else interesting along the way
I'm taking a brief break from a whirlwind of activity trying to get out of dodge to tell you about Vermont's Rock Art Brewery and their barley wine ale.
The Ridge Runner has an ABV of 7.5%. It poured a lovely mahogany color with a small, pale tan head that disappeared fairly quickly. It left an edge of thin head in the glass. The smell is rich...full of dark fruit and syrup. It drinks with a thin feel and I was surprised by the amount of hop in it. I also expected a much denser brew considering it was a barley wine, but I'm pleasantly surprised by it. There is some caramel to the flavor and it's a nice well balanced beer.
Beer #284 Ridge Runner / Rock Art Brewery, Morrisville, VT
I'm writing this in the middle of making dinner on the grill; might as well enjoy this sensational weather while we can, right? Nothing too fancy, just some burgers and sweet potatoes on the grill, along with a beer. Nothing beats fall weather, my friends. Nothing.
Oh, a beer you say? We'll keep with the autumn evening theme and drink a Ridge Runner, a barley wine from Rock Art Brewery in Vermont. This beer has a dark mahogany color with virtually no head. Your nose picks up aromas of figs and raisins, and the taste is full of malt and stone fruits, with some sweetness and hints of leather, with a very crisp finish. This is a little thinner than your average barley wine, but it doesn't detract from the flavor. It clocks a 7.5% ABV, making it one of the more drinkable barley wines out there in the marketplace.
ROCK!
Admittedly, I assumed this brewery was from the Southwest when I picked up the bottle, due to the Kokopelli character front and center on the label. However, the name and image are an homage to the scenery the brewery owners would see on hikes in the Colorado desert. Hey, whatever inspires people to make good beer works just fine in my book.
Thing to Think About Today:
In the spirit of Rock Art, I present for your consideration some Smashing Pumpkins and the always wonderful Cherub Rock, a song that never fails to make me think of college. We'll go with an acoustic version, to keep it super grunge-y.
