Nearly ‘sublime’ full-bodied porter thrusts roasted chocolate and coffee overtones at molasses-smoked brown breading and recessive hop-charred walnut bittering. Creamy mocha richness never tapers off.
MARTIN HOUSE FRIDAY IPA
On tap at Flying Saucer – Garland, juicy yellow grapefruit-peeled orange rind bittering picks up perfume-spiced floral resonance to contrast oncoming lemon-rotted herbal hop dankness.
TUPPS DOUBLE DRY HOPPED IPA
On tap at Taverna Rossa, lemony grapefruit tang befits crisp Mosaic-Citra-Galaxy hop vibrancy. Sweet honeyed fruiting contrasts sour citric slash as gluey malt grouting repeals herbaceous dankness below the surface.
PETICOLA’S TOO SOON INDIA PALE ALE
On tap at Meddlesome Moth, soft-toned IPA with moderate resin hop bittering and dewy fungi earthiness gains musky burnt orange dribble, bruised lemon wedge and dried fig snip over dry pale malting. Resembles tea-like English IPA a tad.
STILLWATER STROBE LIGHTS IPA
On tap at Poor Henry’s, concise soft-toned medium body (brewed at Boston’s Dorchester Brewing) lets spritzy lemon-peeled grapefruit juicing receive subtle mandarin orange and clementine riffs as well as distant passionfruit, pineapple, papaya and mango tropicalia. Grassy hop astringency and resinous pine hints contrasted by sugared pale malting.
OAK HIGHLANDS DERELICT IPA
Sharp piney citrus bittering rouses grassy hop astringency and dankly resinous earthiness to contrast floral-spiced crystal malting in surprisingly easygoing manner. Pleasant yellow grapefruit and orange rind bitterness never relents. For less bitter hop-heads.
RABBIT HOLE OFF WITH YOUR RED IPA
Efficiently blending red ale-like amber grain toasting with citric IPA-styled pining, smooth medium body never fails to delight. Resinous pine sap lingers atop sweet orange peel, zesty grapefruit, grilled pineapple and juicy mango fruiting. Light baguette bottom underscores tropical resilience.
(RABBIT HOLE) RAPTURE FUSION BROWN ALE
Smooth nitro-like flow suits mild dark chocolate and coffee tones usually reserved for dry stouts. Dry nuttiness leans toward the bitter side, but molasses-sugared pumpernickel breading provides reluctant sweetness and dried-fruited citrus snip wavers faraway.
RABBIT HOLE 561 KOLSCH
Blandly pleasant pilsner-malted dry body (dedicated to Dallas Stars hockey legend, Mike Modano) lets sour lemon rot seep into dank Perle/ Tettnang hop musk, raw maize-oats parch and murky floral citrus sweetness without much pizzazz.
FOUR CORNERS HEART O’ TEXAS RED ALE
On tap at Brass Tap, mainstream moderate body brings blanched amber grain malt toasting to murkily spiced red-orange fruiting and coarse hop pining. Dewy peat earthiness and tea-like musk recede below.
RAHR & SONS PALETA DE MANGO
On tap at Brass Tap, spritzy chili-peppered mango adjunct lavishes lemon-limed spicing and subtle pale malting. Juicy mango succulence tails off a tad, as does the peppery heat.
WILD ACRE BILLY JENKINS SESSION BOCK
On tap at Flying Saucer – Garland, understated bock competes favorably against fellow Texas rival, Shiner Bock, but lacks sufficient toasted malt profile in murky soft-tongued mix. Dank dewy nature provides overcast outlook for diminished brown-sugared toffee spicing, soapy raw-honeyed musk and wispy fig-dried tartness. Ill-defined.