Kentucky Ales Old Fashioned Barrel Ale (6/10)

Generally speaking, I like Kentucky Ales' line of barrel aged beers.  They aren't anything exceptional, but they're solid beers with a good barrel-aged flavor to them and are easy to drink. They are also easy to find, being on most store shelves around town.  This makes them an easy go-to beer if I'm in a hurry to grab something.

Old Fashioned Barrel Ale attempts to replicate the experience of drinking the cocktail known as an Old Fashioned, combined with a barrel aged beer.

The beer pours a clear copper color, bordering on mahogany, with a thin beige head that doesn't last long.

The aroma is malty and oaky. There's a hint of fruit but this is mostly subdued.

The flavor starts malty, mildly sweet, and oaky.  A slight warming note is felt at the back of the throat. The cherries and orange peel mentioned on the label are detectable but only barely so.

I give the beer only a 6 out of 10.  Reviewers on Beer Advocate liked it quite a bit more, giving it an 85 out of 100 or "very good" rating.  RateBeer's reviewers were tougher on it, rating the beer only a 48 overall.

The beer can be found at many Columbus area retailers, including most large grocery chains.