BROOKLYN BREWERY

The bulk of New York’s beer elite converged upon Williamsburg’s eminent Brooklyn Brewery early September to promote 2010′s 3^rd Annual NY Craft Beer.

It’s no surprise Brooklyn Brewery held NY Craft Beer Week’s press party at the old matzo ball factory they’ve occupied since ’96. There are few national competitors that boast such an arsenal of finely designed brews. Gathering at the tasting room for the pre-festival jaunt were several industry hotshots such as Yankee Brew News editor,…

Bringing back memories of riding pure blue-watered Mission Street waves in San Diego, fresh-fruited caramel-malted medium-to-full body renders fine West Coast IPA styling. Pine-spruced forest waft reinforces hop-charred grapefruit rind bittering above brisk apricot-tangerine-orange tang and tropical pineapple-mango-papaya sweetness. Granny Smith apple souring provides extra dimension.

Engaging 2010 autumnal treat amasses brown-sugared cinnamon-spiced pumpkin pie incisiveness above crystal-malted vanilla-extracted nutmeg-allspice tingle. Muscat grape and sun-dried fig illusions coerce white-wined cider-sharp souring that may be off-putting to less creative drinkers. Fuzzy carbolic fizz washes away some flavoring. 2012 version: dryer gourd astringency suffocates musty pumpkin pie spicing, sweet-spiced berry fruiting, lickety-split lemon souring and beckoning sourdough yeastiness.

Peculiar sour tropical fruiting invades unfiltered dark wheat ale. Traditional Bavarian yeast mired by crowded flavoring and mild brettanomyces astringency. Tart banana-peeled cherry-dried clove-spiced entry picks up pungent fig-dried date thrust above white grape esters and cinnamon-nutmeg-allspice seasoning. Dry white wine illusion drifts by sour-candied banana bread finish.

Astringent one-dimensional medium body needs deeper honey sweetness to counteract dour white-peppered grape-stemmed lemon-peeled bittering penetrating sour pumpernickel-breaded rye-dried affluence. Dirty earthen fungi nuance plummets to nasty veggie tail.

Cascading prune-hued bubbles rise to frothy flesh-toned head of soft-tongued alcohol-whirred burgundy-like doppelbock. Chewy raisin-plum overtones, ripe purple grape illusions and viscous anise ascension penetrate dirty earthen graining. Red-wined Reisling-dried Merlot warmth reaches fruition at grape-jellied finish.

An ominous aberration away from usual pine-fruited India Pale Ale, black-canned peat-smoked nut-soured full body relies on porter-stout mocha tendencies instead. “Brewed with rich dark malts,” its dried-fruited fig-spiced date-nut gambit, tart cider spell, and peanut-shelled walnut haste could never be mistaken for typecast West Coast styling. On tap, soft-toned hop-charred coffee-burnt black cherry souring counters wood-seared peat malting.

Blunt medium-bodied amber-grained autumnal brings fresh-roasted kiln malting and wet-leafed hop bittering to dreary brown-sugared chocolate-smoked coffee nuttiness. Diminished peanut-shelled hazelnut-pecan-walnut simmer drops off to earthen peat herbage. On tap, dry Brazil nut bittering counters distant maple-sapped hazelnut chocolate sweetness as interceptive dirty-grained hop-roasted astringency beckons.

Elaborate brown-bodied tan-headed (9.1% alcohol) strong ale just a tad too mellowed out for perfection. Brown-sugared molasses-sapped vanilla bourbon entry picks up oak-chipped port-wined Merlot warmth, dried-fruited raisin-plum-fig subsidy and minor coffee roast above earthen peat malting. Serve to experimental porter-stout aficionados or fruitier barleywine lovers.

Exacting blueberry-flavored soda-fizzed clear-yellowed fruit ale bottled for nearby Ellicottville Brewery by praiseworthy Southern Tier. Pronounced sweet-sour blueberry theme lacquers corn-breaded wheat-cracked backbone. Minor soapiness seeps into sugared malt slip.

Caliginous auburn-hued fluffy-headed limited edition dark ale brings dry nuttiness and resin-hopped burnt coffee bittering to gooey maple-malted black chocolate-y schwarzbier-like mocha porter template. Rye-grained caraway-seeded dewy peat bottom and sharp cola-hazelnut sear deepen impact.

Soft-toned cask conditioned version (tried at Manhattan watering hole, David Copperfields) cushions delicate vanilla-spiced orange entry with cotton-candied marshmallow sweetness and dainty pineapple-peach-papaya tropicalia. Slightest fungi yeast mustiness penetrates fruity frolic.