*Pairs well with a game with numerous, different acts. NieR Automata’s unique mix of ideas, if we’re being specific.

Welcome to another craft beer review for Games And A Glass! This week I am reviewing a beer from Barrier Brewing Co., located in Oceanside, New York. The beer for this week will be their Kickin’ Knowledge, a milkshake IPA. But of course, before going into the review, let’s talk about Barrier Brewing.

The history of barrier can be found on their site and it’s another young brewery that seems to be just getting started.

“Barrier Brewing Co. is located along the south shore of Long Island in beautiful Oceanside, NY. Our first batches started rolling out to the public in June of 2010. The first year of production yielded more than 700bbls of beer using our 1-barrel system. In 2012, the brewery was relocated to a larger space and upgraded to a 5-barrel brewhouse, with 1500bbl of initial capacity

The new brewery operated only a few short months before being severely damaged by Hurricane Sandy. After several months of rebuilding, along with some tremendous support from fellow brewers and the local beer community, Barrier reopened in February 2013, and the fermentors have been bubbling away ever since.

In 2017, Barrier upgraded its brewhouse to a 20bbl 3 vessel system capable of brewing upwards of 15,000bbl/yr.

Throughout the year, Barrier produces numerous brands and styles available in draft, cans, bottles. In addition, we have limited specialty releases available only through the brewery’s tasting room.

Barrier is currently distributed throughout NYS, with other territories on the horizon.”

Some of barrier’s beers include their Suite IPA, Smack Dab India Pale Lager, and the Imposter Pilsner. Also, shout out to their beers tab on the website; there’s some really awesome and interesting artwork for all the beers.

The description for Kickin’ Knowledge from the can reads, “Milkshake India Pale Ale w/ strawberry, vanilla + coconut and hopped w/ mosaic motuera + citra.”

And now onto my thoughts!

Nose: Right away I get a noticeable whiff of hops that has a hint of fruit on the end. The strawberry balances out the beer nicely and makes me excited for what this beer will taste like. I’m expecting a balance of hops and strawberry, with the creaminess of a milkshake.

Palate: The taste is definitely unique. For me, this beer essentially works in reverse order of its smell. I taste the strawberry right off the bat and at the end it feels creamy on the tongue, and hops linger very slightly. It’s lighter to drink and I find that the flavors are fairly balanced. You notice the strawberry, but it doesn’t dominate the beer’s taste. As weird as it sounds, this beer reminds me of a play with two parts, with the first being the aforementioned strawberry that makes its presence known. Then the hops and the creaminess of the milkshake round it out.

Overall: This was an interesting beer to review. The idea of a milkshake IPA, of the few I’ve seen, has always been bizarre to me. It has a lot going on in its flavors, but ultimately I think it does a good job portraying a beer that’s very different. Especially an IPA. It’s tasty and definitely sticks out. And at 7 percent ABV, it’s a nice and easy beer to enjoy.

I’d like to thank you for reading my craft beer review. If there’s ever a craft beer you’d recommend I try and/or review, please let me know and I will try, to the best of my ability, to acquire it! And remember, like a fine alcoholic beverage or a memorable video game, please enjoy in moderation.