Despite mediocre rating, probably one of the better altbiers (a nebulous German style difficult to fully appreciate). Easygoing pilsner malting and soft Noble hop astringency create delicate bed for wispy dried fig, brown apple and apricot nuances. Serve as ‘lite’ beer alternative.

Bland German-styled altbier with diacetyl ESB-like toasted graining obstructing indifferent fig-soured herbal spicing. Raw molasses acridity picks up nasty metallic sheen.

Traditional all-grain brewing technique used to create uncertain amber-toned German altbier. Dewy English Bitter-styled earthen mustiness and mild tea-like acridity override vinous Kolsch-like grape souring to frail caramel-toasted rye malt spine. Spicy citric sweetness barely registers.

Deliriously indistinct, yet strangely approachable, copper-hazed strong ale (with 6.8% alcohol volume) brings creamy caramelized brown chocolate entry to metallic Scotch Ale-like whiskeyed orange midst, oaken cherry pucker and mild dark-fruited spicing. Brown-sugared butterscotch, toffee and vanilla undertones coerce tertiary baked apple, brown pear, sugared fig, white peach, green grape and rhubarb pie illusions as well as pithy cola-hazelnut-chestnut niche to its hard-candied center.

On tap at NJ Beer Expo ’13, plain amber-hazed Kolsch-styled altbier lacks firm character. Musty grain malts speckle pungent hop-spiced slither to evaporative bread-crusted bottom. A modestly indistinct waverer.

Coming on like a lighter-tongued German schwarzbier with its lactic sour-milked black chocolate creaming and cocoa-dried caramel nuttiness, this so-called ‘top-fermented old beer’ or ‘dopplesticke lager’ follows up Mad Scientist’s initial ‘09 barleywine and ‘10s coffee bock. Ancillary stone-fruited spicing overlays tobacco-roasted French bread crusting, enhancing the resinous mocha motif.

Well-balanced mocha-nutty German alt, positioned as traditional brown ale circa 2011, celebrates third anniversary of New England brewery. Perfectly rounded mouthfeel collates dry hop-charred walnut with wood-singed vanilla bean bittering and syrupy maple molasses. Hazelnut and pecan spotted in penetrative dark chocolate backdrop.

Thin for its Dusseldorf-originated German styling, losing luster at nebulous rye-breaded finish. Musty citric waft proves to be natural lead-in for distant orange-dried bittering. Pungent earthen grained musk and mossy peat fungi subsume tertiary fig-date-walnut illusions. Biscuit-y gingerbread nuance hidden deep inside.

Durable sweet Scotch malt essence, strong alcohol luster and buttery nut flow weakened by muted peat graining. Though ancillary fruit tang and Belgian-like candi-sugaring add creamy cognac depth to lilting sherry warmth, understated soft-bodied appeal dampens resolve.

Clean water flow contrasts musty malt souring pervading barley-oats center of medium-bodied German. Tangy lemon bitterness shades buttery honey effervescence, but unassuming finish scales back malt pungency for unresolved blandness.

Pour slowly fluffy eggshell-headed, mildly turbid, sunrise yellow-hued lager. Bubbly lemon-hopped fizz underscores aromatic Scotch malts and barleycorn exertion. Pleasant honeyed creaminess picks up banana bread and vanilla jellybean illusions usurped by watery finish and slight phenol haze. Brewery defunct: 2009.

In attractive jug-handled white ceramic bottle, blissful soft-bodied X-mas treat will captivate curious pilsner drinkers and ale lovers alike. Though lacking expected holiday seasoning, its prim barley roast, addictive rye-sourdough continuance, and coy biscuit-sugar sweetness poignantly refine the crisp water flow for fine non-seasonal Winterfest simplicity. Brewery defunct: 2009.