Thanks to Cork & Cage I have yet another unique beer from a brewery that’s new to me, Against the Grain. They are located in Louisville, Kentucky and it looks like they have a pretty cool brewpub and smokehouse. They have a huge list of beers, all with awesome can art. Tonight I am trying London Balling , their English-style barleywine that’s aged for three months in Angel’s Envy bourbon barrels.

You may have guessed this from the design of the can, but if you are looking for a refined, sophisticated barleywine, this is definitely not the beer for you. The London Balling is a giant punch in the face of deep, roasty, malty, bourbon barrel-aged booze. It is a massive 12.5% ABV, so the pounder I drank is more than enough for the average mortal.  They recommend drinking this right out of a can but I poured it into a goblet because I don’t like to be told what to do. It poured a deep amber color with a glowing cherry halo. The bold malts have hints of vanilla and the Nugget and Kent Golding hops pack a bitter punch that will finish off the heartiest of drinkers.

Overall, this beer is definitely not for the faint of heart. If you have a masochistic streak or are the type of person that loves a painfully powerful beer like Dennis Rodman longs for the sting of a new tattoo, then this might be the beer for you.

If you have been to the Against the Grain brewery we would love to hear all about it.

Cheers!

Mike