London Balling - Against The Grain Brewery & Smokehouse

emerge077

Illinois

3.88/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served in a brandy snifter at Green Lady.
Review from quick written notes.

The beer has a dark reddish brown color with a thin layer of white foam on the surface. After five minutes or so, it breaks to a thin surface veil with minimal spotty lace. Looks the part of a barrel-aged barleywine...

Sweet toffee, caramel, and vanilla in the aroma, sweet with some depth to it. Rich toffee flavor punctuated by an odd sweet candy note like gummy fruit. To be hyper specific: raspberry "Nordic Sweets Forest Berries" gummy candy ... strange. Could be the port sweetness coming through possibly. Smooth feel, rich and not overly cloying, but the candy note is ever present. Dry malty finish. Worth a try, though the flavors didn't really coalesce to me.

Serving type: on-tap

09-08-2012 19:05:18 | More by emerge077

ADTaber

South Carolina

4.25/5  rDev +0.7%

05-09-2013 00:08:18 | More by ADTaber

KevinmusPrime

Kentucky

4.5/5  rDev +6.6%

05-04-2013 16:05:09 | More by KevinmusPrime

Sparky44

Illinois

4/5  rDev -5.2%

03-25-2013 00:22:22 | More by Sparky44

TMoney2591

Illinois

4.15/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Served in a snifter at Green Lady.

Must...resist...making...Clash...joke... Whew, that was harder than it should have been... Anyway, this stuff pours a clear garnet topped by a half-finger of off-white foam. The nose comprises sweet caramel, sweet toffee, light oak, light walnut, mild vanilla bean, and a hint of dark fruits in the background. Everything coalesces amiably around a thin core of mild booze. The taste brings in more of the same, with a bit of bourbon, a heightened sense of fruitiness, and some added sweetness from a buttercream character. Damn, this is some tasty shit! The body is a hefty medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a drying finish. Overall, a very nice b-wine, possibly the best AtG has made (at least from the selection we've received here in Chicago thus far). Get some.

Serving type: on-tap

09-23-2012 20:37:39 | More by TMoney2591

otrejo

Illinois

4.75/5  rDev +12.6%

08-04-2012 04:45:26 | More by otrejo

lmdengis

Illinois

4/5  rDev -5.2%

07-09-2012 00:46:01 | More by lmdengis

coz

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev -11.1%

06-16-2012 05:15:16 | More by coz

jeonseh

Indiana

4.23/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had on tap and served in a snifter

A - Has a deep brown and burgundy color with a small white head. Light carbonation and a nice clean body. Appears to have a bit of a thin body for the style - 4

S - Light hints of vanilla, toffee, light dates, oak, oats, and cherry. Definitely can tell the bourbon influence on this one. As it warms up, you really get the bourbon presence in it - 4

T - Get hints of vanilla, dates and a slight cherry bourbon aspect to it. Get a nice caramel and toffee in there as well. In the finish, get slight lemon peel, oak, and definitely a slight alcohol presence in the finish that gives it a warming quality. I can see the Angels share presence in this one as it gives it a slight dark fruit presence. Has a complex aspect to it as each sip brings a slightly different flavor - 4.5

MF - Has a nice stickiness to it in the mouth but manages to not be cloying. Light carbonation that goes well. Has a slight bite to it near the end and a light lingering alcoholic bite that sits on the tongue post finish. - 4

O - A solid beer from Against the Grain that makes me want to try to find more of their beers. Has a great smell and a complex flavor profile. I would like it to be just a bit smoother. Like that it takes a strong presence from the bourbon barrel - 4

Serving type: on-tap

06-10-2012 14:41:32 | More by jeonseh

Mark000

Kentucky

4.25/5  rDev +0.7%

05-30-2012 01:41:32 | More by Mark000

HopsMatt

Kentucky

4.25/5  rDev +0.7%

05-07-2012 08:41:34 | More by HopsMatt

DayMD

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev +6.6%

04-08-2012 17:20:24 | More by DayMD

kawilliams81

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev +0.7%

04-07-2012 13:05:50 | More by kawilliams81

Antnyd82

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev -11.1%

04-02-2012 04:27:41 | More by Antnyd82

tut2528

Illinois

4.55/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from growler into a snifter. Pours a deep caramel-like brown with about 1/2 fingers worth of head formation.

S: huge toffee/caramel notes, vanilla is present as well as some slight hops. Alcohol is also noticeable. A sweet oaky character balances out the beer quite nicely.

T: sweet sugary toffee/caramel, oak and vanilla are all very bold in this brew. alcohol is well hidden for the most part behind the sweetness but still detectable, and there is some mild dark fruit notes as well.

Overall, I really enjoyed this brew. The drinkability is rather high and since the alcohol is well hidden it quickly sneaks up on you. By no means is this a King Henry, but a growler for ~$10, this is awesome. Complexity is very well balanced.

Serving type: growler

04-01-2012 19:18:44 | More by tut2528

deadonhisfeet

Kentucky

4.15/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from my growler into a New Belgium tulip. Appearance is a murky, hazy, burnt orange color with a thin, quickly dissipating head. The nose is syrupy sweet with caramel and dark fruit notes and some oak.

Very sweet, traditional English barleywine flavor with a firm, slick mouthfeel. There is a strong caramel and malt presence up front that is accompanied by a mild hop profile. At mid-palate, you get flavors of cherries and a subtle oaky vanilla note that lingers well in the mouth after swallowing. The oak and cherry flavors provide a nice tart complement to the malty sweetness. Alcohol is noticeable, but not at all overwhelming or boozy.

This is simply an outstanding barleywine. It is quite traditional and not at all extreme, but it has a nice ``tint'' to its flavor. It is very comparable to Weyerbacher Insanity. Do not pass this one up if you are fortunate enough to find it.

One other thing. Dear ATG - please bottle this stuff so I can trade it! It's wrong to keep this good a beer entirely within our state.

Serving type: growler

03-24-2012 01:15:47 | More by deadonhisfeet

laxer8811

New York

4.5/5  rDev +6.6%

03-23-2012 03:26:03 | More by laxer8811

mrfrancis

Kentucky

3.95/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: Pours a murky, ruddy amber with a creamy, lingering khaki head.

S: Aromas of caramel, toffee, dark bread, milk chocolate, toasted coconut, and woody spice dominate the nose.

T: Notes of caramel, toffee, dark bread, brown sugar, roasted nuts, milk chocolate, woody spices, toasted coconut, honey, praline, herbs, and mild citrus are present on the palate. The finish is punchy, rich, and syrupy with praline, herb, citrus, chocolate, honey, toasted coconut, and spice flavors underscored by mellow alcohol.

M: Full-bodied and decidedly off-dry. A bit sticky and syrupy in the mouth. Carbonation is very gentle and discreet. Alcohol presence is pronounced, but not fiery. An easy sipper.

O: This is a very nice English barleywine. Try it if you get the opportunity.

Serving type: growler

03-23-2012 01:24:16 | More by mrfrancis

ZombiesAteMyDog

Indiana

4.43/5  rDev +5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Poured a murky brown/orange. Small light brown head. Doesn't look thin, and has a nice syrupy quality too it without appearing too thick.

S - Smells well balanced; nothing seems to be overpowering. Vanilla, malt, bourbon, and a touch of hops. The oakiness from the bourbon plays well against the sweetness of the vanilla and fruit.

T - Aging in Angel's Envy bourbon barrels has done some very nice things to this brew. The oak is very clean and distinguishable. This brings all the best qualities from the bourbon out. Finishes slightly dry with a hop and alcohol burn, but not too strong (this is a 12.5%).

M - Alcohol is mostly well hidden. Carbonation has been lost since last night's growler fill, but it was originally not very high to begin with.

O - I've wanted to try a barrel-aged barleywine for a long time, and it was awesome to find this one right in my backyard. Even better, the guys running the place are passionate and doing it for the right reasons. A great brew that I highly recommend.

Serving type: growler

03-12-2012 14:34:23 | More by ZombiesAteMyDog

JDizzle

Indiana

4.4/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Had this on tap at Against the Grain.

Served an 8 oz. pour in an half-pint glass.

This is an English style barleywine aged in Angel's Envy bourbon barrels for 3 months.

Wow! Really impressed with this Barleywine. Pours fairly dark with a nut brown head that is impressive for the ABV. It smells like oak, vanilla, dark fruits, malts, and little hoppy. Very good smell. Right away you get the Oak blast from being barrel aged. Vanilla comes strong with a hoppy bitter finish. No real detection of alcohol in the taste, but I feel it.

Great Job ATG!! My favorite so far there.

Serving type: on-tap

03-01-2012 02:25:12 | More by JDizzle