Ballast Point Old Barmy Ale

On tap @ San Diego Brewing company: Poured a golden brass color and was paired with a decent amount of film covering as a head. Left some lacing down the glass but what is more important is the strong fruity, hop and malt aromas and flavors this beer portrays. Amazing scent of apricot and honey dominating the aroma as well as a scent of floral hops. The flavor was smack dack right in my face and shocked my taste buds of how potent this fruit beers potential actually was. Strong malt and honey to be tasted as well as a light hoping and addition of dried fruit such as peach, apricot and orange slices. By far one of the best fruit beers i have ever studied, and the warming touch of the high ABV was nice and reassuring to make this a memorable hand crafted ale.

Draft from: All Over Town. This is a nice, rare treat from the BP folks. It’s somewhat sweet, peachy colored and will get you looser than a sack of wet mice if you have more than a couple pints. Best part is that girls LOVE this stuff. This is good because at 10.5%, St Ides doesn’t even grease the hinges that efficiently. This beer’s a work of art and suddenly I’m an artisan.

This was simply an awsome brew!! You could barley even taste the 10.5 in this guy. On tap @ the Linda Vista Brewery. Aroma of sweet honey. I tasted some caramel malts to go along with the outstanding honey presance.

Draft @ Ballast Pt.: Clear gold with a medium sized white head and effervesent bubbles rising through the glass. Fruity aroma of mostly apricot with some malt underneath. Flavor starts with apricot and finishes with honey. Very clean finish with honey on the tongue. Somehwat floral. Nice warming sensation.

Sampled at the brewery on 11/30/06: Pours a clear deep golden with a thin ring of white head. Sweet apricot and honey aroma has a nice pale malty sweetness. Body starts fairly full and sweet with nice fruity citric apricots and floral honey notes. Well-balanced and incredibly drinkable given the abv.