Barley's Red Molly Imp - Barley's Smokehouse and Brewpub

Ryan011235

Ohio

3.55/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On tap in a pint glass at the Smokehouse on 7-13-2012

Deep copper brown color; quite pretty. 1/4th inch head drops to a touch more than a skim. Seems to hold pretty well. Stringy lace - not too bad.

Decent enough hoppy aroma - pine and floral tones with some earthy citrus to draw it together. Toasty baked bread and hints of caramel. The hoppiness carries to the palate. It has the same "wet" feel and flavor I get from Centennial. Dank, prickly pine with pepperings of dry, zesty citric hops. Flavorful for the first half; the finish picks up a brash, lingering bitterness, though not quite medicinal. The malt bill interests me more; seems to have something spicy in here, like rye or cola nut. Chocolate? Dry bread and terse caramel. Medium feel made sticky with hop resin. Bitterness subsides and the finish becomes spicier.

This really isn't too bad. I probably won't drink much of it, as the beer is kind of uptight.

Serving type: on-tap

12-16-2012 06:05:52 | More by Ryan011235

prototypic

Ohio

3.9/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Red Molly Imp pours a darker copper color. It’s mostly clear and has some really nice scarlet highlights with a little light behind it. It’s a sharp looking color. It’s topped with a lighter tan head. It’s rather modest and rises to about half a finger tall before disappearing quickly. Lacing was light and very spotty. Good looking stuff.

The nose is pretty good. It seems a little weak and understated. A little more strength would be the remedy. It is very malty up front. Smells like sweet caramel and light cocoa. It’s followed by a nice hoppy scent that’s a mix of citrus and floral notes. Primarily, grapefruit and orange scents are noted. There are light piney and floral notes that follow and make it interesting. Smells a little sugary on the tail. Alcohol is there, but is masked pretty well.

The flavor is a notch better than the nose and warrants a score bump. The malt base is sweet and very flavorful. Strong caramel and cocoa flavors are noted. The caramel is definitely the stronger of the two. It’s a really solid anchor. Hops follow and ramp the flavor up a bit. Citrus grapefruit and orange lead the charge. There are some ancillary pine and floral notes that follow. There’s a hint of bitterness, but it’s mostly countered by the malt. Alcohol is there, but isn’t strong or warm at all. Finishes sweet and malty with a hoppy boost.

Red Molly Imp has a medium body. Carbonation is light and soft. It’s certainly smooth and easy drinking. I won’t finish the growler tonight, but damage will be done. Yes, it will.

Red Molly Imp is a really nice effort from Barley’s. It’s very consistent with the style, and more importantly, it’s damn tasty! I wouldn’t mind a tad bit more in the hop department, but that’s just my preference. It’s an impressive beer nonetheless. Try it!

Serving type: growler

07-22-2012 02:12:38 | More by prototypic

metter98

New York

3.95/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

On-tap at Barley’s Smokehouse and Brewpub, Columbus, OH

A: The beer is crystal clear dark reddish amber in color. It poured with a thin beige head that left some bubbles on the surface and a thick collar around the edge of the glass.
S: There are aromas of caramel malts and citrusy hops in the nose.
T: Like the smell, the taste is very malty and has flavors of caramel along with notes of citrusy hops. There is a light to moderate amount of bitterness.
M: It feels medium- to full-bodied, a bit creamy and very smooth on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: This is a very interesting red ale—it’s like a double or imperial red ale that has lots of malts and hops. It’s not a beer that you can down quickly, but is instead one that is nice to sip.

Serving type: nitro-tap

08-16-2012 17:48:29 | More by metter98

mattcrill

Ohio

4.13/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Aroma: Heavy burnt caramel notes up front. Moderate fruity esters noted as the beer warms. Light floral hop notes in the background. Moderate pine resins as the beer is agitated.

Appearance: Deep rich ruby red pour with an off-white batter-like head. Head retention is good.

Flavor: More caramel notes up front quickly followed by firm woody and earthy hop flavors. A definite interplay between the caramel maltiness and some of the punchy resin-like hop flavors. Neither dominates and while this seems to be highly hopped it is wonderfully balanced. Finish is clean and dry with a long bitter finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with medium-high carbonation and slightly oily. There is a bit of creaminess to it as well but it doesn’t appear to be too full but just provides enough character to keep your attention.

Overall impression: What a nice beer! Definitely more to it than just an American Amber. Has some characteristics of an American Barleywine but not big enough for that either. Imperial Red Ale as identified by the brewer seems appropriate. Whatever you call it, I’ll have another pint. Nice job Angelo!

Serving type: growler

08-19-2012 19:48:34 | More by mattcrill