One of America’s newest musical sensations has been a humble East Coast quintet that grew out of an absurdist art project at a snootily unappreciative upscale college. It may’ve taken them a few months to catch on with the masses, but MGMT incredibly made the jump from interesting indie pop apprentices (with an addictive techno edge) to universal dance-pop champions (raised on a diet of Rhythm & Blues, prog-rock, new wave, disco, and, for good measure, ‘60s psychedelia). Theirs is…

Dark chocolate-spiced brown-bodied quad gains sweet rum-soaked barleywine-brandy attributes. Brown-sugared maple molasses and plum-wined raisin-fig deepen resolve. Soda-like hop fizz nearly overwhelms moderate mocha malt strength.

Bottled by Shipyard for Virgin Islands-based St. John’s Brewery, refreshing tropical-fruited pale ale punctuates ripe mango sweetness with brisk lemon-hopped papaya, mango, passion fruit, and pineapple delectation. Peach-lacquered maraschino cherry, strawberry, blueberry, and tangerine illusions come and go above honeyed wheat spine. Unfortunately, quality has gone down. Phenol-hopped fizzing and perfumed tongue overwhelm soapy watermelon and mango illusions of light summery dessert treat.

Scintillating bourbon oak-barreled concoction retains a mere hint of expectant seasonal gourd spicing. Instead, wonderful Scotch-dried Jim Beam warmth spreads across endearing mandarin orange-spiced cognac and Courvoisier illusions to sweet clover-honeyed almondine finish, relegating unmissed pumpkin seed oiling. Moreover, butterscotch-candied luxuriance ripples through mild hazelnut-oiled roasted chestnut, buttered pecan, and macadamia illusions at cream soda midst. Simply out of this world.

Dreadful 32-ounce canned version, labeled a ‘weiss’ during 2010 campaign, retains nasty vegetal-soured citric-rotted acridity. Mild raw-honeyed astringency drifts into phenol hop bittering. Cheap champagne flow overrides meager almond wisp and mandarin orange zest.

Resoundingly bittersweet raisin-pureed cherry jubilee entry receives sharp hop-charred nuttiness buttressing everlasting coffee finish. Maple-sapped oats-roasted hazelnut-macadamia rampage positively reinforces chewy chocolate fudge nudge and tertiary Swiss chocolate, dark-roasted cappuccino, black licorice, and soured raspberry nuances.

Completely inviting well-balanced moderate-body proves you don’t have to knock people over the head with heavy hops to be an enjoyable India Pale Ale. Sweet-buttered caramel malting anchors lacquered peach-pear-grape ripening, juicy pink grapefruit tang, and ascending tropical-fruited pineapple-mango climax. Easygoing grassy-hopped pine nut bittering never overwhelms appreciative hibiscus-rosebud flowering to polite grain bottom. Softer golden-pale ale palates will appreciate its delicate tension. Hop heads should regale its durable 8% alcohol haze and ambitious fruiting.

Annual copper-hued medium-bodied autumnal ‘100 Barrel Series’ brew never obscenely bitter despite ‘wet hop’ tag. Dank fruit-soured entry alleviated by sweet-grained rye-breaded barley roast. Dry-hopped lemon pit acridity hinders cherry-dried plum-fig-date paucity, tannic grape wining, and caraway-seeded rosemary-thyme influence. Dark floral nuances come and go abruptly.

Sometimes rock-based musicians are better off scaling back and stripping down the instrumental expanse to work in an intimate acoustic setting. This live-in-the-studio approach allows for greater up-front emotionalism and deeper lyrical compassion to shine through. MTV’s revolutionary Unplugged Series exploited this toned-down roots-based idea with acclaimed artists such as Nirvana, R.E.M., Alice In Chains, and Korn, all of whom totally prospered in the crystalline acoustic environment. Similarly, Born Ruffians believed the best way to advance their latest batch of…

Precarious brown-hued ruby-hazed moderate-bodied adjunct beer defined as Scottish gruit and described as chocolate ale rejuvenates ancient herbal recipe. Musty chocolate liqueur-wafted hop-oiled barley roast saddles cocoa-powdered hazelnut coffee mildness. Underlying black chocolate creaminess induces tertiary molasses cookie and maple sap illusions to earthen peat-seared bottom. Local bladder wrack seaweed provides salty brine accent to mocha-dried finish. Just a tad unassuming despite peculiar auspices.

On tap, unconventional dark brown Imperial Stout (with hefty 10% alcohol volume) brings rich mocha malting to fruit-dried nuttiness. Belgian chocolate spicing accents sugared fig, raisin, and plum illusions as well as bourbon-burgundy boozing. Green-hopped rye-grassed chipotle-peppered earthiness lifts underlying peanut-shelled hazelnut-macadamia conflux. Muscat grape, orange compote, and marmalade nuances flutter by.

Perhaps closer to a less woody, more alcohol-bent IPA than a prevalent barleywine styling. Floral-pined grapefruit bittering and grassy tobacco-leafed crisping contrast hop-spiced apricot-tangerine-cantaloupe tang of amber-hazed medium body. Frugal brown-sugared baked apple pie nuance bears witness. Set back pineapple, mango and peach melba illusions add tropical wave.