Overcrowded flavor profile depletes patronizing pumpkin pie passivity. Brown-sugared nutmeg adds wintry bluster to autumnal ginger-spiced cinnamon-caraway-allspice seasoning. Murky black-peppered herbage picks up oily perfume-hopped musk and vodka smidge. Vegetal yam, gourd and fennel undertones add further tumultuous friction.
SEBAGO MIDNIGHT PORTER
Sooty cocoa-dried Baker’s chocolate entry and soily earthen graining inundate murky English-styled mocha porter. Bittersweet caramel-burnt dark chocolate chalkiness and burnt coffee astringency rough up the oily-hopped backend. Bruised cherry tinge and sugary maple snip lost in the muck.
CLOWN SHOES GENGHIS PECAN PIE PORTER
Updated “Genghis” version scoffs at former malt extracting for more organic brown-sugared pecan roast, but nutty mocha richness suffers a tad. Bittersweet black chocolate, vanilla and molasses overtones nearly overwhelm pecan pie crusting. Tertiary peanut butter, rum cake, gingerbread, praline and molasses undertones receive watery soap-stoned bleaching.
SOUTHERN TIER 2X STOUT (NITRO)
On tap at Julian’s Restaurant, nitro-injected milk stout with whipped cream head spreads lactic sugar across soft-hopped cocoa bean chalking, black chocolate oats toasting and sweet toffee malting. Mild creme brulee, coffee and espresso undertones provide extra mocha lift. Tertiary black cherry, blackberry and black currant illusions whisk by.
SIXPOINT APOLLO
On tap at Julian’s Restaurant, vivacious sessionable moderation brings lemony banana-clove goodness to carbolic lime-dried spritz and sugary crystal malting. Brisk lemon zest brightens tart apricot-peach supplement. Honeyed wheat spine provides additional sweetness to summery delight.
CARTON INTERMEZZO
On tap at Copper Mine, softly vinous sour ale loads pureed green apple tartness atop sulfuric compost-wafted wasabi root adjunct and acrid lemon-limed green grape pucker with limited success. Heavy lactic acidity and musty barnyard funk saddle sharp dry-hopped citric-quince tartness. At the sour-fruited finish, harsh horseradish-like wasabi influence dissipates a tad.
NESHAMINY CREEK LEON RUSSIAN IMPERIAL STOUT
Sumptuous full-bodied Imperial Stout attempts to imitate Hershey’s S’mores snack by loading syrupy mocha richness and viscous marshmallow fluff to overwhelmed Graham cracker spine. Thrusting dark-roasted chocolate malting deepens black patent caramel, mocha cappuccino, Baker’s chocolate, powdered cocoa and vanilla undertones. Sugary barley-oats flouring ultimately contrasts tar-like hop char.
NESHAMINY CREEK HIGHWATER HEFEWEIZEN
Sweet ‘n sour bruised banana tartness picks up expectant clove-coriander spicing, but coarse white-peppered hop bittering and vodka-burnt alcohol kick make musky German wheat styling a tad peculiar. Tangy lemon liming tingles the sturdy honeyed white wheat spine.
THOMAS CREEK PUMP HOUSE PORTER
Dingy English-styled porter lacks firm character in the bottle, but not on draught. Dry cocoa-powdered black chocolate roast loses luster as mildly embittered toasted hop coarsening disrupts tepid maple-sugared cola nuttiness. Ashen tobacco astringency overloads soy-milked mocha finish. On tap at Three Wise Monks, molasses-soaked peppering adds heat to coffee-roasted black chocolate frontage, sweet toffee malting and damp-wooded hop char.
O’DEMPSEY’S YOUR BLACK HEART RUSSIAN IMPERIAL STOUT
TERRAPIN DOS COCOAS CHOCOLATE PORTER
Assertive Ecuadorian cocoa nibs influence provides luxurious dessert luster for mildly creamed chocolate porter. Dry Baker’s chocolate illusions settle beneath powdered cocoa theme alongside lesser gingerbread, sugared peanut, milked coffee and toffee undertones.
TERRAPIN MAGGIE’S PEACH FARMHOUSE ALE
Tart peach juicing reveals appealing fruity dessert nature. Peach nectar sweetness reinforced by lemony apricot-nectarine-tangerine-cantaloupe tang and musky floral potpourri. Peach cobbler midst picks up mild white-peppered coriander spicing, slick clay-hopped plasticity and terse aspirin astringency above soft honeyed wheat bed.