Barley's J. Scott Francis ESB Cask-Conditioned (8/10)

Barley's Brewing Company of Columbus, Ohio, produces a nice assortment of beers.  There are a few staples, such as their Blood Thirst Wheat, brewed with blood oranges.  But they also bring in a few others occasionally, such as the Scott Francis English Style Bitter Ale.  During my visit in May 2012, I had the opportunity to taste a cask-conditioned draft of this beer.

It's a reddish brown color, and slightly cloudy in the glass.

The aroma is one of hops and malt.

The thin, off-white head lingers for a while and leaves behind a lot of thick lacing.  The overall flavor, as you'd expect for a cask-conditioned beer, is very smooth.  It's slightly bitter, but just enough to balance the malt and its slightly-toasted flavor.  A very nice beer, and one I'll be happy to have again.

This beer, to my knowledge, is not available in bottles.  To get it, you'll need to visit one of the two Barley's restaurants in town.  One of these is Barley's Brewpub on High Street across from the convention center and near the North Market.  The other is on Riverside in Grandview (Barley's Smoke House).  If it's available, you'll be able to buy it by the pint or growler.

ABV: 6.8%
IBU: unknown
My rating: 8/10