On tap, ‘wet-hopped’ copper-hazed autumnal seasonal shelters leathery hay-horsehide earthiness, dry fresh-cut wheat chaff, and sun-drenched corn-maize singe with sour lemon-bruised grapefruit zest. Resinous grassy-hopped vegetal restraint and soapy metallic tinge provide pliant backdrop.

On tap, heady vermouth-bourbon radiance and sweet whiskey warmth bring about boozy Manhattan cocktail theme that goes way beyond understated rye ale categorization. Lustrous raisin-cherry pureed richness, sweet orange-bruised banana-clove fruiting, and pumpkin-pied cinnamon-nutmeg spicing intensify syrupy medicinal cough-drop finish. Spiced rum, brandy, and sherry illusions run amuck. Simply fantastic ’09 offering.

On tap, robust cola-hued dry-bodied Belgian wit/black beer merger leans towards darker side. Sharp chocolate nuttiness fends off hop-roasted black coffee bittering and wood-burnt charcoal tarring before candi-sugared crystal-malted cherry puree, prune, and plum illusions provide sweet counteractive splendor. Bourbon warmth mellows cocoa nibs-informed mocha finish.

Boringly astringent and completely insignificant Bud Lite derivative flattens out metallic phenol hop coarseness with meager orange-peeled corainder wisp to frail white bread staleness. Lacking sufficient salty-grained bitterness, and worse, efficient counteractive malt sweetness, this fizzy orange seltzer approximation goes nowhere fast.

By John Fortunato

Conveniently located along Manhattan’s West Side waterfront at Pier 59, spacious Chelsea Brewing Company kept ‘real ale’ drinkers satisfied with forty-one cask-conditioned beers from twenty-two American (and one Scottish) breweries at its fourth Cask Ale Festival held October 9^th through 11^th. Since early ’08, Chelsea’s highly successful spring-fall festivals have given respect to ‘old-styled’ unfiltered hand-pumped ales conditioned in firkin tanks for less carbonated, fuller flavored, unpasteurized…

A CMJ STORY FOR THE KIDS

Oh great! CMJ’s music marathon is coming to the Big Apple again. Well, this is my happy CMJ story for the impressionable kids who’ll attend this year.

Once upon a time in the late ‘90s, I lived free and easy, going to any show my bulbous ass desired. As October rolled around one year, I got an email from College Music Journal’s outside publicity department, inviting me to get a free laminated pass for their…

Complex amber-hazed moderate-bodied sahti (essentially a Finnish-styled farmhouse ale) retains soft summery Saison savor. Black chai tea frontage gathers mellow yellow-fruited India spicing to accent honey-malted sweetness. At midst, dry lemon drop tartness picks up orange pekoe wisp, gin-like juniper tease, and fresh eucalyptus herbage as ginger, cinnamon, clove, and cardamom nuances dance around ascending lime-hopped citric zest.

Dependable roasted coffee bean theme of taut ebony-hued oatmeal stout remains lighter than most in its robust class. Sticky-tongued cocoa-dried oats-toasted molasses malts reach dry-hopped vanilla-beaned espresso finish. Slight citric zing found at nutty earthen distance. Full-throttled richness counters its smooth nature, giving lighter palates a soothing crossover.

Indecisive ruddy copper-toned amber ale could pass as pleasant ESB but lacks true thematic focus. Floral-spiced citric nicety receives sharp resin-hopped bittering, biscuit-y chocolate-roasted caramel malting, and coarse toasted nuttiness. At midst, faint apple-sugared sweetness cedes to juniper-currant acridity.

Oddly off-kilter limited-edition brown-bodied barrel-aged elixir brings scant cider souring to fleeting wood-smoked mocha malting. Vinegary brettanomyces funk girds green grape tartness, stove-burnt coffee acridity, vanilla bean slither, and chocolate nibs reminder. Carbolic champagne fluff overwhelms brandy, as well as, burgundy and rum illusions.

Hop-roasted brown chocolate frontage of robust full-bodied bitter leads molasses-sugared hazelnut procession atop sooty wood-burnt earthen peat bottom. Hints of cigar ash, tobacco leaf, loose twigs, and charred walnut lie in the balance.

Nicking aggressive roasted nut coarseness from brewers’ similarly-styled Bolita brand, dense hop-enriched malt-smoked ‘Oatmeal Rye India-Style Brown Ale’ retains creamy chocolate-y cocoa bean richness above ashen cedar tone to murky pine-sapped rye bottom. Dry port, burgundy, and fig illusions waver through sharp nuttiness.