GRANBY, CONNECTICUT

In a freestanding gray colonial edifice in the rural northern Connecticut town of Granby lies a reliable upscale sportsbar with a fine rotating house beer selection and respectable pub fare. Opened in 2005, CAMBRIDGE HOUSE was originally journeyed by my wife and I in January 2012 during a two-hour afternoon lunch stint.

Entering the sylvan two-storied restaurant-brewery through the back deck rear entrance, a silver-clad painted stallion welcomes patrons to the mid-sized mahogany-furnished first floor space.…

Well-balanced grain-roasted almond toasting skirts musty fruited tartness to salty oceanic bottom. Light-spiced grapefruit, peach and green apple souring runs roughshod over astringent hop bittering.

Thar, she blows! Nautical offshore blonde ale lacks depth, character and decent flavor profile. Cornstarch-parched straw wheat astringency devours lemony grapefruit souring to white-breaded sourdough bottom of murky muck. Serve only to lite beer peers.

Assertive 11.2% alcohol ‘double’ Extra Pale Ale with coppery sienna hue seems closer to a strong barleywine with its medicinal red cherry splurge, bourbon-soaked brandy whir and warm cognac tinge. Chewy caramelized vanilla center sweetens bruised orange, sugared fig, candied apple and date illusions (but harsh alcohol-burnt vodka slipstream may put off lighter thirsts). Worthy slow slipper whiskey lovers should take a liking to.

Chameleonic ‘extra’ pale ale not far removed from a summery saison on the fruity end and a German helles bock on the toasted cereal grain side. Boasting ‘English refinement with American swagger,’ its honey wheat sugaring contrasts soured apricot-apple-peach-orange tartness and bittersweet pink grapefruit scamper. Ancillary pineapple, mango, guava and kiwi tropicalia receives herbal respite above veiled sourdough breading.

Likeable brown-bodied Christmas ale celebrates Anchor’s 37^th anniversary. Wintry cinnamon-nutmeg spicing drapes cherry cola sweetness, fruit-caked fig sugaring and toasted almond tinge to dry mocha finish. Minor bristlecone pining embitters the durable backend.

Vigorously full-bodied Belgian tripel/ American India Pale Ale hybrid (with exceedingly viscous copper clouding) benefits from frenzied floral fruiting, aggressive herbal spicing and zesty lemon juicing. Well-balanced attack less bitter and more sweet than most hop-headed IPA’s. Candi-sugared apple-peach-pear conflux, tropical melon-honeydew-cantaloupe-pineapple tang and chewy caramel malting overload stiff ethanol bite. Refreshing basil-mint accent provides unique divergence.

Interesting hefeweizen hybrid brewed with honey, coriander, orange peel and blood orange juice reaches tangy midst over mild vanilla wheat base for crisp moderation. Lemony carbolic prickle brings Seltzer-like flow to summery citric splendor and cotton-candied banana-plantain auxiliary contrasts herbal white peppering.

In the can, peculiar Mexican brown ale retains weirdly sour lactic impulse above soy-sauced chocolate rye malting. Tart raisin-prune-fig-date conflux, vinous white cherry pucker and lemon-limed green grape curio bring saison-like appeal to sour ale-styled porter. Bottled version’s sourer mocha persuasion discernible.

Sturdy milk chocolate foundation picks up maple-sapped molasses sugaring, contrasting hazelnut-pecan-cola nuttiness and peat-smoked black peppering to soured dark fruited finish. Mild espresso milking deepens mocha tenacity of dark roasted caramel malting.

Old-styled tan-headed brown body compares favorably to San Miguel Dark Lager. Smoked chocolate malting and brown-sugared burnt caramel sweetness contrast sour dried fruiting. Wood-singed tinge saddles ancillary cola-walnut-hazelnut conflux, soy-sauced cappuccino undertone and roasted tobacco crisping. Sweet bourbon whiskey afterburner kicks in by molasses cookie-daubed Mild Dud finish.

Plush with citric, tropical and stone fruits, softly creamed medium body inadvertently juxtaposes Pliney The Elder IPA with Rogue Dead Guy, perfectly combining fruited hop bittering with biscuit-y caramel malting. Resinous earthen wood tone and mild orange-peeled juniper hop bittering amplify peach, pear, cherry, tangerine, mango, grapefruit, melon and cantaloupe tenacity. A floral-wafted dash of rose, dandelion and hibiscus underlie fruitful splendor to salty bottom.