Brains Craft Brewery Barry Island IPA
Cask: Unfiltered; Keg & Bottle: Filtered - Available occasionally
Launched 18 June 2012
Created by Simon Martin, aka Mr Real Ale Guide, this is a golden IPA with a hefty aroma of citrus flavours, especially grapefruit. Brewed with a trio of American hops – Zeus, Summit and Cascade, an initial smooth flavour leads to the huge citrus flavour of the hops kicking in towards the end, with oranges and a dry finish becoming apparent.
Launched 18 June 2012
Created by Simon Martin, aka Mr Real Ale Guide, this is a golden IPA with a hefty aroma of citrus flavours, especially grapefruit. Brewed with a trio of American hops – Zeus, Summit and Cascade, an initial smooth flavour leads to the huge citrus flavour of the hops kicking in towards the end, with oranges and a dry finish becoming apparent.
3
209 reviews
Cardiff, Wales
Community reviews
Can. It pours mostly clear deep golden with a big white head. The aroma is floral and malty. Light citrus. Grassy and citrusy flavor.
Bottled, offers a robust, dark take on the IPA template. Not bad. Have yet to try the new range that is canned. However, yesterday marked the first and probably only time I will try Barry Island IPA on draught. Honestly, I was slightly disappointed. It was very thin, but what it seemed to lack here it made up for the seemingly extended hop finish. Keeping the rating as a 3 for the bottled variety being awesome :)
Can shared by Anders. Hazy golden body with a small white head. Hops, citrus fruits, oranges. Medium carbonation, watery mouthfeel. Decent.
330ml bottle from RusBeerShop in Moscow. Pours clear amber with a small white head. Aroma is peaches, floral notes, butter. Taste is sweet, peaches, citrus, light bitterness. Just weird.
Plechovka v Saltney. Tmavo zlata farba, biela pena. Vona maslova, citrusova. Chut citrusova, maslova, sladka. Na konci horka. Nie dobre.
was originally 6.5% when if not stand out it was certainly drinkable. I note it's now down to 5% as Brains continues its apparently relentless race to the bottom
En rigtig fin humle! Noget af det bedste jeg længe har smagt af humle. Godt lavet.
According to the label on the bottle "...this India Pale Ale was inspired by the 'IPA revolution' across the pond." Also that a "...trio of hops from the US..." has been used and that the ale "...is bursting with citrus aromas."
Unfortunately it does not smell or taste really much different to your old fashioned, common variety bland cheap IPA. I don't really get much citrus or the bitter tang of extra 'hoppiness' you might associate with an American style IPA. It is certainly drinkable, but doesn't live up to its own hype and is nothing special what-so-ever.
Pours dark yellow and fizzy, minimal head that fades very quickly. Taste is harsh and peppery, very grainy and very claggy in the mouth. Despite the "trio" of hops this doesn’t taste very hoppy at all and I would not identify it as IPA but a badly made concoction by an amateur brewer.
Gold pour with a thin white head. Not overly hoppy, floral, caramel, biscuity aromas. Taste is grainy, caramel, citrus, a little bitterness but it is missing balance (and flavour). A bit ordinary
Bottle. Clear light amber pour, small well-lacing head. Aroma: floral hops, buscuit malts, honey. Medium body. Medium dry flavour. Floral and grassy light to medium bitterness. An earthy touch. Short hoppy ending. Just OK.
Fra keg på Cambrian Tap Cardiff 2 Mai 17. Gylden. Lavt skum som daler sakte. Lett karamellaroma. Smaken lett fruktig. Syrlig avslutning.
Nose is citrus, grapefruit, grain, tangerine. Taste is tangerine, malts, fruity hops, citrus. Cant say what it lacks but somehow a bit lame. Also quite watery for the abv.
Cask, 5 % abv, at The Cambrian Tap. Spotty lacing from a pearl white head. Bright golden-brown body. Moderate aromas of grain and lemony hops. Flavours of bread, mild caramel and a citrus backdrop. Rounded malt-fruity finish. Medium bodied. Pretty nice. (Cardiff 02.05.2017).
300ml bottle from Ales by Mail. Clear golden colour with decent off-white head, good retention. Aroma: citrus, grapefruit, pine, caramel. Taste: Same as the aroma, with a little vanilla, dry mildy bitter finish. Medium body and carbonation. Easily drinkable, but unmemorable.
Served in a tulip from a 330ml bottle. Pours clear honey-gold colour with a medium white head. Aroma is grass, caramel, orange, vanilla. Taste is grass, mango, papaya, caramel and vanilla, subtle bitter and pleasantly dry aftertaste. Medium body with medium carbonation. Not much on the way of "traditional" IPA extensive aromas but very, very, very nice and enjoyable!
legerement orangée, carbo tres faible, petit collet.
Aromes caramel, mangue mais leger, noisette
Mince, sensation de sucre, legerement amere et orangée, plutot courte
avis partagé... Très fort goût résineux, nez agrumes. En dehors de l’effervescence, le goût m’a aussi fait penser à ... du vin
Bue en bouteille de 33cl chez Julien à Abban-Dessous,
couleur ambrée, peu de mousse et peu d’effervescence
Nez menthe, et résine
Attaque résine, et grain peu de complexité et très écoeurante
Bue en bouteille de 33cl. Blonde orangée. Grain bien présent, amertume discrète et agréable. Belle finale ronde.
Clear golden amber, medium white head. Aroma of caramel, apricot, grain, honey. Flavours of caramel, past prime hops and grain. Medium caramel dry finish. Meh.
Butelka 330ml. Pomaranczowe z lekkim metnawym osadem. Piana biala mala szybko opadajaca.karbonacja srednia. Dziwna mieszanka bitter z cytrusem. W tle rodzynki owoce ( brzoskwinia) i duzo cytrusow. Ok lecz mieszanka mi osobiscie do gustu nie przypadla.
MarcinG
33cl bottle. Pours slightly hazy orange golden colour with a huge most good lasting off-white head. Aroma of bitter fruity hops, resins, peach. Taste of intense bitter hops, zest, peach, resins, long bitter finish.
I like the idea behind this beer. An English style, reimagined in America reimagined again in England. Looks good too, very stable head. But the aroma misses much panache. Not very hoppy nor very malty or delicate. Taste is much better, nice juicy bitterness, lasting. Very quaffable. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière)
Bottle at home, orange beer medium head. Aroma is citrus, caramel. Taste is citrus, bitter, hint of soap. not bad.
Bottle. Golden, hazy, average and fully diminishing head. Moderate, malty and lightly sweetish - sweetish aroma, caramel and some toffee, light fruitiness - light notes of banana (?), faint - light herbal/citrus hoppyness. Body is medium, malty and lightly sweetish - sweetish flavor, some caramel and toffee, light fruitiness and herbal/citrus hoppyness. Finish is short to average, malty and lightly sweetish - sweetish, light - some caramel and light toffee, light fruitiness herbal hoppyness. More strong ale than a bitter. Way too much caramel and toffee.
Bottle from Ocado. Pours medium amber with shallow white head. Aroma of raisins and sweet mandarin. Taste comes across strongly of port, with string alcoholic flavours and a long bitter finish. Quite original for something trying to be American IPA, but not to my tastes.
Bottle 33cl. Poured into a shaker glass. Clear medium amber, small half-way lasting off-white head, good lacing; aroma pale malt, light fruity, bubblegum, caramel, pine; taste medium sweet and bitter, malty, bready, aftertaste bittersweet, herbal notes, bit dusty, dry finish; smooth and mild mouthfeel, medium body, oily texture, average carbonation; for sure not an APA but a pleasant mild IPA.
Not very bitter at all for a beer that claims to be an American-style IPA. Very subtle hop taste.
Bottle 500 ml. Golden color with normal white foam. Aroma: sweet nectar, flowers, fruit and a little citrus, malts. Taste: light sweetness, fruit, caramel, nectar, light hop bitterness.