Seductive molasses-sapped maple syruping (aged in bourbon barrels) advances alongside dark cherry-pureed raisin, prune and date surge. Ever-present caramel-candied chocolate malting adds further luster. Below the rich surface, sharp rum-spiced burgundy tones and mild anise spicing contrast charred hop bittering.
On tap at Mahwah Bar & Grill, maple-sugared molasses crowds black chocolate, cocoa and caramel sweetness as well as humble curry-powdered fenugreek nuttiness and spiced toffee snips caress subtle oats-flaked malting.
On tap at Beef Trust, sweet vanilla creaming seeps into nutty coffee roast for decadent dessert treat. Spicy caramel and dark chocolate illusions deepen vanilla-creamed coffee intensity. Recommended.
On tap at Seven Lakes Station, busy brown ale may underutilize toasted coconut and cocoa adjuncts while not quite hitting upon advertised Samoa girl scout cookie likeness, but it’s creamy hazelnut chocolate sweetness and milk-sugared coffee notions completely make up for that. Beneath serenading cookie-doughed mocha malting lies delicate vanilla spicing as well as polite blackberry, blueberry and red grape tartness. Less filling than richer, creamier porters and stouts for dessert.
On tap at Ambulance, lovely bourbon-barreled barleywine fuses toasted coconut sweetness into enchanting dessert treat (with well-hidden 13% ABV). Brown-sugared molasses, spiced toffee, caramelized pecan, almondine, marshmallow and vanilla illusions receive plentiful bourbon-sweetened coconut glaze.
Elegant oak-aged brown ale successfully expands upon Free Will’s Coffee Oatmeal Brown Ale with yummy rum dousing. Rich tawny-browned full body adds coffee beans to molasses and cane sugar while aging in Caribbean rum barrels. Mellow spiced rum warmth serenely sweetens persuasive dark-roast coffee overtones and polite whiskey snip. Ancillary black chocolate, dark cocoa and pina colada illusions swing by the molasses-sapped oats spine of rummy dessert treat.
Light maple syruping subtly affects mildly spiced dried fruiting, cocoa-powdered nuttiness and cellar-like dewy mustiness of satisfactory moderation.
On tap at Cooper’s Seafood, inspired by popular Speculoos cookie, vibrant Imperial English brown ale evenly spreads cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg spicing across vanilla-creamed gingerbread cookie sweetness and brown-sugared caramel malting to its oats-honeyed Graham Cracker spine. A buttery nut cookie alternative.
On tap at Amazing Grapes, fascinatingly decadent cola-hued Imperial Brown Ale benefits greatly from expressive Sumatra coffee influx. Bold coffee berry penetration receives bitter dark-roasted hop intensity to enhance mesmerizing coffee bean theme. Creamy milk-sugared caramel latte sweetness contrasts nutty black coffee pungency as light black pepper influence lingers. Fudgy black chocolate, vanilla, espresso and cocoa tones provide solid support alongside subtler hazelnut, pecan and walnut illusions.
On tap at Craft House, worthy Imperial Brown Ale (with well hidden 10.8% ABV) contrasts glazed pecan and hazelnut sweetness against dry hop-roasted walnut bittering. Dark chocolate respite and distant raisin-fig conflux subsumed by nuttier overtones.
On tap at Plank Pizza, “hoppy” India Brown Ale contrasts astringent earthen nuttiness and piney citrus resin against intimate black chocolate-malted caramelized wheat. But its murky orange-peeled grapefruit rind bittering and barren nut influence never fully materialize, leaving lightly pungent phenolic acridity in its wake.
Monstrous mocha nuttiness comes to the fore above molasses-embittered hop char of rich Imperial Brown Ale. Chewy dark chocolate malting picks up brown-sugared hazelnut and pecan sweetness to contrast burnt walnut affluence.
