Adequate yellow-fruited, corn-malted, cereal-grained pilsner brings herbal-tinged lemon spoilage to the fore. But German-styled moderation’s murky orange-grapefruit meander needs better thrust.
All posts by John Fortunato
CASCADE LAKES ‘20’-INCH BROWN
Generous perfumed hop spicing embeds nutty pinewood bitterness and dried fig-date souring of medium-bodied amber-browned ale. Grain-roasted macadamia, hazelnut, and peanut oil nuances suffice, bringing further depth to brown-sugared raw-honeyed mocha malting.
CASCADE KRIEK ALE
One of brewers’ most popular and well-integrated sour ales, remarkable Belgian-styled Flanders red ale retains soft-flowing tannic grape bitterness as well as sweet fruited tartness and fermented lactic acidity. Oak barrel-aged cherry sourness retrieves musty Sauvignon-Cabernet warmth and vanilla-spiced cranberry-raspberry wisp crowding loud carbolic fizz. Sweet cider and rhubarb cherry pie illusions fill the middle as grassy horse-blanket earthiness parches vinegary white grape pucker at the backend. Wispy nutmeg-clove spicing adds depth and overall acidity never overwhelms.
(RUSSIAN RIVER) PLINY THE ELDER
Revelatory golden-hued medium-bodied Imperial IPA, named after naturalist philosopher, maintains silken flow despite creamy thrust. Cotton-candied caramel-crystal malts align with lemon-sugared red apple, brown pear, purple grape, apricot, and tangerine fruiting as well as pineapple, mango and passion fruit tropicalia. Mild grapefruit peel bittering illuminates pine needled floral hops securing perfectly balanced, highly celebrated West Coaster.
(GORDASH) HOLY MACKERAL SPECIAL GOLDEN ALE
Heady Belgian-styled golden-hazed medium body (brewed for Florida’s Gordash Beer Company in South Carolina) brings vanilla malt creaminess to fungi-soured Belgian yeast endurance. At midst, peppery Saaz hop bitterness and musty barnyard funk counter durable cotton-candied butterscotch rummage, wavered apple-apricot-pear fruiting and clove-coriander-spiced banana bubblegum whim. Delightful maraschino cherry ripeness, zippy cinnamon-gingerbread dalliance, and supple Cognac finish prove affirmative. Busy mix never falters. On tap at Plantation’s Hurricane Grill & Wings, sweeter honey-fruited thrust receives herbal twinge.
(SHIPYARD) THE ELEVEN BROWN ALE
Inviting thin-headed brown-hazed ‘smooth dark ale’ brings expressive nuttiness to roasted caramel alleviation. Oily hop-charred peanut-shelled walnut bittering counters meandering macadamia-hazelnut sweetness above cocoa-dried mocha malting. Ashy peat recess and metallic twinge obstruct nebulous vanilla-sarsaparilla spell.
(GORDASH) HOLY MACKERAL MACK IN BLACK IMPERIAL BLACK ALE
(INDIAN RIVER) NATIVE LAGER
Astringent citric-hopped phenol-spiced straw-hued light lager gets watery fast. Diluted candy-soured orange rind and lemon peel bittering tops sullen grain tepidity and corn-oiled gloom. Parched lime-like acidity and skunked vegetal waft overwhelm frail finish.
BARON SCHWARZBIER BLACK LAGER
Murky cocoa-soured astringency, lousy compost waft, and nasty vegetal spell ruin dried prune-fig souring as well as Muscat wine appeal. Mired in nebulous day-old black bread funk, this warbled German-styled brew seems unbalanced, spreading inconclusive black grape, fennel, and pumpernickel illusions across rotted bock-like variance to phenol finish.
PIKE ENTIRE WOOD-AGED STOUT
Robust 9.5% alcohol-fueled tan-headed brown-bodied barrel-aged slow sipper allows welcoming sherry opening to invigorate hop-oiled grain-roasted cedar-burnt bitterness and cocoa-powdered prune-dried raisin puree and black cherry illusions. Chewy molasses-sapped black coffee, brown chocolate and vanilla bean notes surface above warming burgundy-bourbon finish of outstanding full-bodied winner.
FLYING FISH EXIT 1 BAYSHORE OYSTER STOUT
Brewed with fresh oysters to add hop-toasted dryness and mocha malt creaminess to black chocolate-y dark-roasted coffee theme. Chewy molasses richness picks up cedar-burnt charcoal-tar bitterness and black cherry souring, receding to smooth bourbon-burgundy finish that’s smoothly robust.
ELYSIAN NIGHT OWL PUMPKIN ALE
Rich amber-hazed autumn seasonal with cookie dough-like yeast sinew and honey-roasted mocha malting receives sharp hop-spiced gourd acridity, revealing cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and gingerbread resonance adjacent to pumpkin pie crusting. Rigid phenol finish depletes tertiary sugared fig, almond, chestnut, and pecan illusions. Engaging dessert fodder. On tap at Biggie’s – 2016, sweeter gingerbread-spiced pumpkin pie template perseveres as spritzy lemon snip crackles.