Beer Flight at Barbarian Brewing Company Review

Boise’s growing beer scene got us curious, and on the last day of our Idaho road trip, we decided to try some local brews. We picked Barbarian Brewing since we were in Garden City, and this spot was highly rated in the neighborhood.

This women-owned business is known for its experimental craft beers, and we’re always up for trying bold stuff, especially when it’s in the form of IPAs for Abhi and bourbon barrel stouts for me. 🤪

Barbarian Brewing is at two locations: downtown Boise and Garden City. We visited the Garden City one, which was very close to the River Greenbelt trail and had a great outdoor seating area too.

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What Makes Barbarian Brewing Company Special?

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Though it’s not very old, their mastery of traditional barrel-aged beer is a hit with locals. What stands out most are their unique blends, which is a subtle way of saying “crazy combo” creations, plus seasonal menus and community collaborations.

They’ve created not just a place to enjoy beer, but a true hangout spot for friends, local food, music, and good times.

They also have two in-house dogs, Conan and Thor, who roam around providing emotional support while you finish your glass!

Beers on Tap at Barbarian Brewing

The Garden City taproom rotates 22+ beers daily, focusing on experimental sours, barrel-aged stouts, hazy IPAs, and wild ales from their 90 oak barrels.

Here’s a breakdown to help you pick:

Hoppy: Little Wolf IPA, Tropic Plunder Hazy IPA, West Coast Pilsner series, Winter Pale, DDH Pappy (double dry-hopped)
Sours/Wild: Wolves on Parade, FunkShine, Cherries N’ Brett, Pie Curious fruit sours, Candy Gose series
Dark/Malty: Irish Stout on Nitro, Bedrock Brunch sweet stout, Cherry Almond Morrigan imperial stout, Salute Your Schwarz
Funky blends: Tequila Me Softly saison, Ice Cream Ales, cocktail-inspired, brut IPAs, Belgian styles

Choose a glass or go for a sampler to try a few. Sampler costs: Pick-any 3 – $12 | Pick-any 6 – $18 (extra for barrel-aged).

The Garden City location also features a food truck called Crispy Business offering beer-friendly snacks like nachos, salads, and wings. Timing: Wed-Fri (4-8 PM) | Sat-Sun (12-8 PM).

Our Tasting Experience at Barbarian Brewing

Barbarian doesn’t offer traditional tasting flights but lets you pick 3 or 6 samplers instead. Their most popular is the Irish Stout on Nitro, alongside other barrel-aged and wild sour ales.

We had a flight to catch (pun intended), so we shared just three samples. I picked the most intriguing-sounding beer on the board: “Wolves on Parade.” Abhi chose West Coast Pilsner 2.0 and Irish Stout on Nitro.

We brought food from a nearby restaurant (they allow outside food), nachos and tacos from Sandbar that paired perfectly with the beers.

The standouts were the West Coast Pilsner and Irish Stout on Nitro. Though Idaho’s craft beer scene was enjoyable, I still lean toward Oregon or Washington beers if I’m being honest.

Wolves on Parade (Hazy IPA + Wild Ale mix): Thick, hazy goldenrod with light citrus and cracker aromas. Bold tropical hop dankness balanced by subtle wild funk.
West Coast Pilsner 2.0 (India Pale Lager): Crisp and hop-forward like a West Coast IPA in a pilsner body. Dank tropical nose leads to herbal bite, light caramel malt, and clean lager dryness. Super refreshing with IPA intensity but zero bloat.
Irish Stout on Nitro: The crowd favorite! Velvety nitro pour with roasted barley, coffee, and chocolate notes, plus a creamy latte head and silky texture. Dry, subtle roast without bitterness, Idaho comfort in a glass

Would you try these unique beer blends? Let me know in the comments! Also, check out my other Idaho blog posts, where I share my 4-day travel itinerary, camping guide to Bruneau Dunes State Park, Idaho Food Guide, and Top Things to Do in Boise.