Barley Johns Little Barley Bitter

Brewed by Barley Johns Brew Pub
Style: Bitter
New Brighton, Minnesota USA

Serve in English pint

send corrections   |   shelftag   |   edit barcodes   |   add pic

Soft fuggely aroma. Light, with soft maltiness, heavy on the crystal malts, but refreshing and sessionable.

Apricot Coloring. No Head. Hops, Citrus, Balanced Well...Enjoyable Beer! Being a Minnesotan suddenly isn’t so bad!

Amber color. Slightly malty nose. Very dry and hoppy taste. Possibly a litte fruit? It seemed more like an aborted attempt at an IPA than a bitter, but an okay brew.

Sample at the brewpub. Clean, clear dark amber; big sweet cherry-malty nose, quite wonderful. Very dry, light, but full palate, with a nice finishing biscuity quality; could use perhaps a bit more sweetness, and less astringency to end, but very nice overall.

White ring on a glowing golden body. Moderate carbonation. Mostly dusty aroma with some malty directions. Very curious to have this side-by-side with their maibock, which is the sweeter of the two beers but share a lot in common, though a few shades of color apart. Moderate bitterness after a mostly plain flavor. Most disappointing was that this beer, unlike any other of Barley John’s beers, suffers from a limp, even watery palate. This was the most pedestrian beer that they were serving the day I was there, so that’s still quite a testament to their overall high standards and approach to quality beers (no "house light" beers).

Clear, light copper color, thin, white, bubbly head. Nose is fresh, though plain, yeasty, and faintly fruity. Crisp taste, neat, tasty, tidy bitterness, great malty feel, excellent balance. An easy quaffer, this, slightly sweet, but sure, and perfectly fills the bill for the style. I can imagine that this does the trick when a beerlover comes into the pub, needing a brew for the less adventurous companion. Decent bitter, though I’d choose one of their bigger brews.

UPDATED: MAY 19, 2004 Despite what some think, the bitter in my name refers to my affinity for English Bitter, not my disposition. That said, I was hoping for a little more from this beer. It had the color and tender nose of a bitter, but the taste hit my taste buds like a metal rod. Bam, with little to no floral character. It did the trick on a fine summer night, but I want more from a bitter. Would like to see what they would do with it cask. Sufficient, but not special.

Color is opaque deep yellow with an orangy hue, small white head with lots of stringy lace. Smell is a solid dried hop sense with a hint of pine, very malty sweet and crisp. Taste has a mellow light caramel malt start but soon jumps in with mild dried hops thats quickly over and the finish has a nice woody, earthy drying that lingers shortly with a hint of nuts. Light to medium bodied in feel. Its bit lack luster and plain but goes down easy enough and has a few good aspects going for it.