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Beer Reviews

Sheet Metal Blonde

Barley Island Brewing
Noblesville, IN
USA
http://barleyisland.tripod.com/

Style: Belgian White (Witbier)

Jill’s Rating:
   (Outstanding within its style.)


Comments:
In my quest for a good Central Indiana wheat ale (a quest, I admit, I started a few months ago and am just now getting to the last review), I found some goodness in the form of Barley Island Brewing’s Sheet Metal Blonde, a Belgian wheat ale brewed with herbs and spices.

What I noticed on the pour wasn’t the lack of head, but the bright golden color shining from the glass. Happily, I had some hopes for this beer being a pretty big taste. You could smell the spices, but it didn’t overpower. A sign that they were going to enhance the beer, rather than hit you over the head with their presence (and even this spice lover doesn’t like to be clubbed on the head with spices).

The beer label describes it by saying, “Just beneath its smooth, soft surface lies a beer with a shot of real personality.” They got that right. Take a sip and you get a big mouthfeel that expands to fill up your palate. The spice hits you on the end—it’s definitely a shot of flavor, not a shot of a gimmick, as the tendency can be with this style. And overall you get a beer that’s got a lot of flavor and texture and is a pleasure to drink.

Why not five mugs? Well, like the label says, it’s got a “shot of personality.” More like a b-list personality that’s still really good, but it’s not quite top notch.

Reviewed by Jill Jaracz on April 15, 2008.

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