My local Kroger had something interesting in the cooler.  Not only was it a reasonably priced Barleywine, it had a cool looking wizard or something on the label.

This is my review of Ninkasi Critical Hit R&D:

Typically, this is where I go off on a tangent and explain something I researched from a trigger on the label.  Unfortunately, I am not really a gamer so the best I can do is this:

Research and Development

There are two basic R&D structures that have emerged in companies throughout the commerce spectrum. One R&D model is a department that is staffed primarily by engineers who develop new products, a task that typically involves extensive research. The other model involves a department composed of industrial scientists or researchers, all tasked with applied research in technical, scientific or industrial fields, which is aimed at the facilitation of the development of future products or the improvement of current products and/or operating procedures.

I don’t think that’s right.  Somebody correct me on this one.

Critical Hit

A critical hit means that you roll your damage twice (adding to each roll all your usual bonuses, including any additional damage from special abilities) and then add the rolls together to determine the damage dealt.

That appears more relevant.

What is a barleywine?  A barleywine is a style of beer not wine.  The name harkens back to a time where beer was typically sold at 5-7% abv.  Being 10-15% abv, this style is more in line with wine.  While a stout or IPA sold at 10% is not unheard of today, a barleywine transcends both because unlike the other two where the flavor profile is dominated by hops or malt, this is meant to be balanced.

This means the immense amount of malt is equally met with an immense amount of hops, resulting in a complex flavor profile—like wine.  Also like wine, it can be aged because of the high alcohol content. This is not one for the faint of heart.

Ninkasi put out several others to market in my area that I liked. This one does not dissapoint.  Critical Hit R&D easily scores a 4.5/5.