Beer 286: Rock Art Barley Wine Ale

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.

I'd give it a good rating. Cheers!