Red Barn Ale

For the past four years, the former Pizza Port director of brewing operations, Tomme Arthur, has been producing some of California’s most sought-after beers at Port Brewing Company/ the Lost Abbey. The brewery’s long list of awards and honors attest to Arthur’s devotion to his craft, and Red Barn Ale is just one of his outstanding Belgian-inspired brews. Though it pours a somewhat lighter yellow than expected, Red Barn shows only the barest hint of haziness and produces a mammoth rocky head that refuses to subside. Redolent of pepper, citrus, hay and even a hint of banana, the aroma evolves over time, with each character revealing itself as another recedes. Nick picked up a fragrant lemon pepper note over the faintly sweet maltiness but noted a lack of the classic “farmhouse” yeast character. Tom liked the spicy aroma he found reminiscent of ginger and fresh ground black pepper, as well as the mellow, citrusy orange peel character lying beneath the spice. The flavor is decidedly sweet, though it evinces a malty, not sugary, sweetness, and traces of spice and fruit carry through from the aroma. Lee particularly liked the “punch of ginger” that floated over the rich malt, and Rick favored the perfumed, lemony fruit counterpoint to the overt spiciness. A deeply complex, satiating brew, Red Barn Ale lends itself more to solitary reflection than wild revelry.