Rock Art Brewery Ridge Runner Barley Wine Ale

Don't worry. You're not the only one sad this weekend is over. On the bright side of things, we are closer to the holidays and the new year! Time for family, food, presents and then yearly resolutions to work off all that extra food! Tonight I am trying my first beer from Morrisville, Vermont's Rock Art Brewery. The beer is Ridge Runner, and is Rock Art's "mild" barleywine. Let's jump right in!

Ridge Runner Barley Wine Ale

Rock Art Brewery

ABV not on bottle, BA says 7.50%

Bottled on: Sep 28, and I must assume 2012, but year not specified

From Rock Art's website: Brewed with pale, dark crystal, Munich, flaked barley, black and chocolate malts. Hops include Cascade, Crystal, Challenger and Perle.

Ridge Runner pours a dark copper color with a finger width head. The head diminishes fairly quickly, and doesn't leave much lacing on the glass. In the aroma, there are smells of caramel and toffee. At first, I tried to drink this beer while it was still too cold, and didn't get much flavor at all. As it warmed up, a lot of the toffee and caramel from the aroma came through in the taste, however it still kind of tasted watered down. This beer is light bodied, and has less than average carbonation.

Overall: While this beer certainly wasn't bad, it was sadly quite underwhelming. Nothing at all in this beer jumped out at me or made me want to keep drinking it. Reminded me more of an amber ale, and not even a very good one of those, at that.

Have you had Ridge Runner? Did you have a different experience with it than me? Let me know in the comments!

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