Engrossing burnished copper English strong ale, aged in oak casks and matured for over a year, retains creamy Samuel Smith-defined molasses malt trait above soothing Newcastle Brown Ale-like almond buttering. Terrific whiskey-soaked Maraschino cherry frontage gains chewy vanilla-butterscotch sweetness alongside honeyed rye-pumpernickel caking to complement midrange apricot, tangerine and red grape tang. Tertiary chestnut, macadamia, and pecan illusions emboss dry-fruited rum raisin, stewed prune and bourbon nuances at earthen fungi bottom.

Well-attenuated strong ale (recalibrated as Yakima Glory by 2011) celebrates West Coast IPA ‘hopping’ with luscious caramel-malted full-fruited tang. Loud wood-dried piney-hopped grapefruit rind bittering nearly overwhelms ripe peach-apple-berry conflux and vinous white grape esters. Brown leafs, green grass, and earthen minerals fill out citric-parched backdrop.

Rich rocky-headed copper-hazed full-bodied pale ale closer to complex IPA styling. Resinous wood-chipped pine-needled bittering spreads across spice-hopped citric tang. Pine-sapped maple and spruce lacquer tart grapefruit peel souring and floral jasmine-rosebud bouquet to flaked oats bottom. Orange zest, tangerine, apple and grape illusions surface alongside tropical melon, nectarine, pineapple, and mango fruiting. A true hophead’s delight.

Seemly ‘Flanders meets Chicago’ collaboration between America’s Two Brothers and Belgian’s Urthel Brewery places up-front hard cider sharpness next to Flemish-styled cherry sourness. Beet-sugared cranberry tartness seeps into funky fungi-molded wildflower yeast midst while tart hard-candied green apple backdrop fortifies lemon-dried white grape piquancy and dehydrated orange lull.

Sometimes hanging loose and taking a little time off just to relax gives musicians the opportunity to alleviate the burden of high-pressured tour travel, hefty recording fees, online merchandizing, and demanding recording deadlines. That’s what happened to Sweden’s indie pop punk darlings, Love Is All, after leaving their boutique record label for a short sabbatical following many exhausting live dates supporting a solid sophomore album.

Relaxed and recharged, composing drummer Markus Gorsch and lyrical keyboard comrade Josephine Olausson (with guitarist…

Boggling diacetyl buttering, phenolic hop fizz and gnarly vegetal astringency plague musty sour-malted straw-hued moderate body. After modest barley-rice sweetness counters mild lemon bittering and grassy-hopped repose, coarsened corn-oiled finish impedes progress. Withered white bread spine collapses and wavered herbal nuances barely register.

Bold ‘ultra rare’ ’09 collaboration between California’s Stone Brewery and UK’s Brewdog could peculiarly pass for a creamy black chocolate-y oyster stout. Magnificent full-bodied cola-hued IPA brings bitter pine-sapped resin-hopped dry-fruited expectancy to chocolate-roasted coffee-soured burnt sugar malting. Citric cherry-plum illusions drape peat-smoked molasses, alleviating ashy charcoal acridity invading pine-sapped anise-stained mocha finish. In a class by itself.

On tap, soapy washed-out yellow-cleared fruit ale lacks luster. Brazilian acai berries, a dietary antioxidant, never bolsters pallid softie. Fizzy dry-hopped raspberry, blueberry, cranberry, and cherry souring mires subsidiary lemon-limed green apple, Granny Smith apple, and white peach tartness. Dull white-breaded spine of arid light body only makes things worse.

Soft sandalwood undertone seeps into red-orange-fruited cask version of brewer’s locally popular pale body. Blanched orange peel and grapefruit rind bittering dissolves into tart apple-tangerine-peach sedation above herbal nuance. Tertiary mango, pineapple, and passion fruit illusions provide delicate backup.

On tap, well-rounded golden-clouded Belgian-styled white ale rallies behind luscious candi-sugared banana-clove frontage and heady 9.5% alcohol whir. Creamy vanilla-butterscotch midst further sweetens ripe fruited sassafras as tangy lemon-aided apple, peach and orange illusions counter white-peppered hop spicing.

On tap, lustrous golden amber full body drapes floral-spiced hops into massive fruity indulgence. Tangy peach-cherry-tangerine frontage and subsidiary banana-bruised pineapple-mango-grapefruit tropicalia regale subtle cereal-grained toasting. Resinous pine seeps into alcohol-burnt fructose finish. But advertised rice influence is negligible.

On tap, overwhelmingly slick sour ale lacquers blueberry pancake theme with cloying blueberry syrup stickiness. Sun-dried oaken cherry and cranberry tartness reaches solvent pomegranate acridity countering pasty saccharine-like sucrose slackness and cake-battered fruited malts.