Barrier Brewing ‘Earth’ American Brown Ale

“One of the original Barrier beers and one that we are most proud of. This is exemplary of its style. Offering a slightly nutty malt taste with presence of toffee and dark caramel followed by a lightly roasted finish. The brown ale for all seasons!”

Glassware: American Pint.

Appearance: Pours an attractive mahogany complexion with a loosely held two finger head. Reduction is swift and the lacing is fairly minimal.

Aroma: Smells very tired and muted. And voila, we’ve been sold another can that’s very long in the tooth (3/3/21). It’s very frustrating coz it smells like it was once a bloody good aroma.

Flavour: Pretty much the same issue as the nose…the remnants of what was very likely a tasty American Brown Ale are all that’s left behind; savoury nutty malts, toast, caramel, cocoa and the ghost of some piney and citrusy hops which left the beer some time ago. Nice nutty finish with a hint of roast and hop bitterness.

Mouthfeel: Well weighted, slightly gelatinous texture. Mild-medium body. The 6.5% ABV is really well concealed.

Overall: We’re not going to rate the beer as it would be extremely unfair to the brewery. We do find that whenever rare American beers hit our shores they’re already close to past best before. Whether it’s down to interrupted supply lines from covid or not we can’t be sure. Very frustrating.