On tap at Shepherd & Knucklehead, arcane herbal-spiced hybrid doubles the resinous hop earthiness of brewers’ Good Juju for an abstruse cross between alcohol-heightened Imperial IPA and ginger root tea. Light citric influence, licorice-rooted anisette spell and boozy vodka whir barely register as blatant raw-honeyed ginger influence rages forth.   

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Engaging blue-bottled 12th anniversary celebrator brings restrained dark chocolate roast and subtle cocoa nibs influence to ascending chipotle-peppered habanero burn. Bittersweet molasses-soaked raisin thickness penetrates the reservedly creamy mocha interior. Dried cereal oats and flaked corn caress the mild hop-charred bittering that stimulates the throat-parched habanero heat.

On tap at Coalhouse Pizza, tentative caramel apple theme fades to desolate brown-sugared cinnamon and gingerbread spicing. Phenol hop coarsening, distant floral perfumed snip and weak honeyed wheat base further bury caramelized quince stint.

Interestingly uncommon and totally complex bronze-clouded slow-sipping summer seasonal references an old-fashioned Scotch-soured ginger-honeyed ‘penicillin’ cocktail. Brisk lemon-juiced whiskey sour entry bolsters unexpected Band-Aid-like beechwood-stalked peat smokiness redolent of German rauchbier style. Recessive grapefruit-orange conflux, slick gin-like vermouth scurry, and distant ginger-snapped peppermint-oiled herbage reach limey bottom. Serve to experimental fruit ale lovers.

Waveringly eccentric straw-cleared herbal-spiced hybrid ale (circa 2011) spreads honeyed lavender pedals across syrupy citric tang and wafting floral potpourri. Tangerine, grapefruit, and orange pick up grassy-hopped heather, hibiscus, and sage dusting. Stiff alcohol solvency will chase away softies.

Blunt Danish-styled Christmas-seasoned spice ale with viscous rust hue and creamy texture in stark contrast to blanched phenol flavor profile. Coarse prune-fig souring, dry burgundy whir, and green raisin snip get metallic. Sooty wood-smoked dampness undoes any traditional cinnamon-nutmeg spicing.

Wavering spiced ale may boast kola nut, poppy seed, and guarana herbage, but these under-whelming elements barely register. Instead, brown-sugared chocolate malting, red grapefruit tang, orange-tangerine juicing, and floral hop spicing integrate with tertiary tea, hemp, and pine forest illusions. Barley-roasted heather honey sweetness validates citric malting. Nowhere near as innovative and enigmatic as label claims.