Some of the best beer in the world is brewed in the most unassuming of locations. Barley John’s in New Brighton certainly fits that bill. Tucked near the corner of County Road D and Old Highway 8, Barley John’s may not be as prolific in offerings as other legendary brewpubs like Minneapolis Town Hall. But they make up for it in quality.
When I was there over the weekend, I was informed that the brewhouse was under construction, meaning most of their beers weren’t available. A little disappointing, but manageable given the knowledge that they’re planning to double their capacity by adding two new fermentors. Of the handful of beers that were on draught, the two that I tried were more than excellent.
Wild Brunette (Wild Rice Brown Ale)
What a uniquely delicious beer, and a perfect way to blend a very Minnesotan ingredient, wild rice, with a pleasing brown ale.
A bit of reddish wild rice residue in the small head ringing the glass. Definite wild rice in the aroma, which one might think would be odd, but it seemed very appropriate with a nice bouquet of earthy almond and vanilla coupled.
Taste was a mix of nuttiness and sweet malt, with some of the rice also coming through. Relatively strong for a brown ale, about 7.5%.
Rating: A-
Dark Knight
Oh, the Dark Knight. I’ve been waiting to try this one for quite a while, as it only makes an appearance very occasionally. For some reason I was under the impression it was their imperial stout, but turns out it’s actually a double fermented, barrel aged baltic porter that comes in at a whopping 13.5%. According to the brewery, they age the beer more than eight months in 15 and 20 year bourbon casks from Old Fitzgerald Distillery. And let me tell you…this beer is no joke.
Not much of the roasted, smokey quality like I expected, given it’s a baltic porter. But it literally smelled like a straight shot of bourbon, incredibly potent up front. One of the most aggressive beers I’ve ever smelled. Taste was complex as could be…lots of dark fruits, almost port-like in its intensity. More of the bourbon in the flavor as well. Big alcohol burn in the finish, but it didn’t turn me off. I had about half of my small snifter, maybe 3 or 4 ounces, and felt completely satisfied with it. Any more and I might have needed a ride home. This could be one of the best ass-kicker style of beers I’ve ever had, top five for sure.
Rating: A+
In addition to enjoying a couple incredibly nice beers, I also really enjoyed hanging out on Barley John’s patio flanked by rows of thriving hop plants. A very nice touch.
June 17, 2009 at 9:39 pm
They say occasionally for the Dark Knight but for some reason it always seems to be on tap. You can get a growler of it, 75 dollars I believe. Did you see in their “yard” that they seem to have more hops growing there. I bike by there on my way to and from work, I thought it was just a regular garden but they have a bunch of posts in there now, I should chek it out tomorrow. I love Barley Johns but their turn around is minimal, hopefully with the new tanks there will be more choices.
June 17, 2009 at 9:50 pm
I think they said $65 for a growler of Dark Knight. $85 for their Rosie’s Old Ale when it’s available. Apparently they were nearly out of Dark Knight when I was there, only a few gallons left.
June 18, 2009 at 4:49 am
[...] Captain’s Chair gets over to Barley John’s, reviews two beers, and reveals that they’re greatly increasingly their brewing capacity, Thai cuisine gets [...]
June 18, 2009 at 8:26 am
I heard awesome things about Dark Knight. Glad you got to try it.
June 18, 2009 at 9:04 am
That Dark Knight sounds delicious. Hell, they both do! Do any of their beers get bottled for export?
June 18, 2009 at 9:11 am
Barry – they were both fantastic beers. Unfortunately for those not in the area, they only serve their beer on draught, and in the growler.
June 18, 2009 at 11:30 am
I’m always surprised when I go there in the summer how those hop vines thrive, growing out of just a few inches of dirt sandwiched between the concrete. The patio is a great place to spend an afternoon.
June 18, 2009 at 12:20 pm
I agree Kris, it is pretty impressive. Wonder what kind they’re growing? I neglected to ask.
June 19, 2009 at 10:08 am
I’m not sure what variety they’re growing. I do know they use those hops for their winter seasonal. If I remember correctly (doubtful) they were an American variety and more West Coast than noble or English. That doesn’t narrow it down much, but it’s a strong beer.
In the fall, they invite volunteers to help harvest the hops.
June 19, 2009 at 10:19 am
That’s really cool, I’ll have to keep my eyes out for that.