Inpsired by British bitter styling, mineral-grained pale ale brings earthen wood dryness and reedy hop resin to caramel-malted dried fruiting. Grape-jammed fig, plum and grapefruit undertones recede to weedy bottom.
BRUTON STONER
Wayward Italian-made Belgian strong pale ale places citric-spiced mineral graining atop wood-dried grassy hops. Pungent hemp-oiled rye toasting picks up sesame-seeded wheat germ, sorghum and whey minerality as well as light sourdough breading above black-peppered coriander-spiced lemon zest. Hybridized medium-body better defined as nuanced Anglo-American pale ale.
BRUTON DI BRUTON
Ephemeral opalescent-hued Belgian-style blonde ale from Italy brings soft white-peppered hop spicing to wildflower-honeyed citrus zest and lightly creamed crystal malts. Mild citric-peeled lemon meringue, champagne grape, pineapple, cantaloupe and banana illusions scurry thru grassy-hopped easement. A sessionable moderation.
16 MILE INLET INDIA PALE ALE
Even-keeled medium body stays milder than bold stylistic competition. Easygoing fruited malt sweetness lies atop rye-toasted wheat bed of hesitant English IPA. Resinous grassy hops shelter citric crisping.
16 MILE OLD COURT ALE
Courteous moderate-bodied ‘dark pale ale’ brings caramel-burnt dark toffee sweetness to fig-dried citric hops and earthen fungi backend. Nut bread reminder wavers in the distance.
16 MILE BLUES GOLDEN ALE
On tap, sessionable light body flows easy. Mild grain roast sedates soft-hopped lemon spritz. Corn-dried astringency underscores buttered biscuit backend. In 22-ounce aluminum cylinder, cotton-candied sourdough yeast and lemony orange zest register above its grassy-hopped vegetable garden. Many disparate elements (such as a latent dry Scotch tinge) rub against each other in this weird cornucopia.
16 MILE RESPONDERS ALE
Approachable light-bodied blonde relies on mild wheat spelt graining to softly influence honeyed sourdough yeast. Reedy-hopped pumpernickel toasting fortifies ancillary whey, alfalfa and poppy minerality of fresh-watered spritzer.
FLYING FISH EXIT 16 WILD RICE DOUBLE IPA
Well-rounded wild rice-sweetened Imperial IPA retains brisk pine-fruited essence typical of its insanely popular style. Grapefruit-peeled orange rind bittering contrasts tangy mango-papaya-tangerine tropicalia over dry citra-hops and sugared crystal malts.
RAMSTEIN CLASSIC DUNKEL HEFE-WEIZEN
Perfectly stylish sweet ‘n sour banana tartness picks up clove spicing and vanilla sweetness over sugary wheat backbone. Subtle banana-breaded hazelnut buttering adds to the moderate charm.
(DARK HORSE) PERKULATOR COFFEE DOPPLEBOCK
Distinctively hybridized medium-bodied dark ale gives mellow dry-roasted coffee bean creaming an uncommon campfire-smoked cedar burn over wispy habanero-backed cayenne peppering. Less dependent on brown-sugared dried fruiting of usual doppelbock styling, scattering molasses-sapped brown chocolate, espresso, hazelnut and vanilla illusions below fresh-roasted coffee primacy.
THE SHED I.P.A.
On tap at NJ Beer Expo ’13, easygoing moderation (now brewed at Otter Creek) offers serene red-yellow-orange fruiting to mild grassy hop spicing and biscuit-y pale malting. Light piney citric fruiting much closer to an American IPA than ill-defined earthen grained British styling. Subdued yellow grapefruit peel, orange zest, tangerine and peach illusions stay soft-focus. Nice crossover for lighter thirsts.
FRUH KOLSCH
On tap at NJ Beer Expo ’13, musty Kolsch plies astringent maize-grained alfalfa, whey and burlap tendencies to dry pale malting. Distant honeyed citrus souring needs spicier florality and less metallic diacetyl buttering. Thin, indistinct and watery.
