Straightforward “Midwest IPA” proves crisp, hoppy and floral citric by design. Mild grapefruit, mandarin orange and lemon zesting picks up resinous pine flurry and light herbal touch above bready pale malts. Distant pineapple, mango and gooseberry illusions reinforce fruity nature.
All posts by John Fortunato
BELL’S CHRISTMAS ALE (2019)
TWO TON SITUATION NORMAL…HOW ARE YOU? PALE ALE
CENTRE STREET PUBLIC HOUSE & GARDEN
SCHENECTADY, NEW YORK
Right in the heart of downtown Schenectady setback from Union Street’s main drag, CENTRE STREET PUBLIC HOUSE & GARDEN is conveniently located just down the block from Mad Jack Brewing. A friendly cement-floored roadhouse with an enormous side beer garden, Centre Street features an olden 20-seat wood bar serving right side booths and tables with gastropub fare and wood-fired pizza.
My wife, son and I grab a booth below the large glass-encased beer can collection to sample eight previously untried brews emanating from the 26 taps. Several bar-bound TV’s (and a large screen TV near the pizza oven) concentrate on college football as we eat dinner during early December ’19 trip.
Tonight’s elixirs included a fabulous array of New York suds (reviewed fully in Beer Index) including Wolf Hollow Amber Ale, Woodstock Zen of Anxiety Saison, Sloop Pixie Dust IPA, Grimm Cyber Café IPA, Thin Man War Sombrero IPA, Barrier/ Grimm Manual Wind IPA, Unified Beerworks Even More Juicy Things Imperial IPA, and Mikkeller NYC It Was Professor Plum (a sour IPA).
www.centrestreetpub.com
THE BRUERY SO HAPPENS IT’S TUESDAY IMPERIAL STOUT AGED IN BOURBON
On tap at Plank Pizza, lovely bourbon-spiked brown chocolate spicing resonates alongside sweet vanilla creaming and chewy molasses fudging. Sweet bourbon chocolate caking receives bustling burgundy, sherry, port and brandy wining as well as cayenne-peppered curry, cumin and cardamom uprising by robust mocha finish. Tertiary coconut, marshmallow, marzipan, bruised cherry, stewed prune and anise illusions further enrich remarkable full-bodied nightcap.
MAGNIFY HALLOWEEN MIND OVER MATTER DOUBLE CHOCOLATE MILK STOUT
MELVIN RUCKUS IMPERIAL STOUT
On tap at Beef Trust, rich oats-sugared brown chocolate sweetness gains wood-burnt hop roast, dry port-burgundy-sherry wining and slim cola nuttiness above vanilla-wafered Graham Cracker base.
FIRESTONE WALKER COCONUT MERLIN MILK STOUT
On tap at Ambulance, ‘unique’ Velvet Merlin spinoff adds toasted coconut sweetness and honeyed Graham Cracker sugaring to original versions’ lactic mocha latte richness. Sweet milk chocolate center gains creamy vanilla splendor and frothy espresso tinge.
THE BRUERY BAKERY: BANANA BREAD STOUT
On tap at Taphouse 15, fulsome Imperial Stout, aged in sweet bourbon, brings molasses-coated banana breading to chocolate-dipped walnut glaze in rich fashion. Chocolate banana nut caking picks up black cherry-pureed burgundy, rum, elderberry wine and spiced brandy undertones at busy mocha-sugared finish.
PRAIRIE BASIC BETTY PUMPKIN SPICE STOUT
On tap at Seven Lakes Station, intensely pumpkin-spiced Imperial Stout drapes dark chocolate syrup upon brown-sugared cinnamon, nutmeg, coriander and clove seasoning as well as mild anise, pine nut and caraway illusions. Bittersweet dark-roast pumpkin influence holds up fine against cavernous molasses-sapped chocolate spicing of richly robust 11% ABV full body.
GHOST HAWK PADDY’S POT O’ GOLD
HALF ACRE ORIGINAL REAPER STOUT
On tap at Seven Lakes Station, dry milk stout brings silken dark chocolate creaming to cocoa-powdered espresso, coffee and anise illusions above caramel candied malt backdrop, leaving slight smoked hop char upon its bittersweet mocha mass.