- Author: John Fortunato
- Brewery: OAKHAM ALES, PETERBOROUGH, ENGLAND
- Category: Beers A-Z
- Comments: None
- Author: John Fortunato
- Brewery: UNIBROUE, CHAMBLY, QUEBEC, CANADA
- Category: Beers A-Z
- Comments: None
Subtle candi-sugared Belgian strong ale nears creamy hefeweizen styling with its mild banana-clove theme, fuzzy butterscotch nicety, and honeyed wheat spine. Peppery hop bite ignites terse orange and lemon peel bittering as well as floral nuance. Tart green apple and white peach illusions emerge above white wine reminder.
- Author: John Fortunato
- Brewery: VAN EECKE BREWERY, WATOU, BELGIUM
- Category: Beers A-Z
- Comments: None
Subtle Belgian dark ale brings dry rye, pumpernickel, and baked wheat breading to sweet marzipan midst. Grassy barnyard funk drowns out pithy apple-cherry-raisin allotment of approachable light body that’s closer to a less nutty brown ale.
- Author: John Fortunato
- Brewery: BEAR REPUBLIC BREWERY, HEALDSBURG, CA.
- Category: Beers A-Z
- Comments: None
Mild coffee roast underscores scattered dried fig-prune fruiting, sharp black currant-grapefruit bittering, and ashen pine tar harshness. Coa nut, walnut, and hazelnut illusions compensate oncoming metallic twang.
- Author: John Fortunato
- Brewery: ARCADIA BREW. CO., BATTLE CREEK, MI.
- Category: Beers A-Z
- Comments: None
Unassuming rusty nickel-hued strong ale with Scotch-licked dried fruit penetration rides out bitter oxidation to depleted Courvoisier-bourbon finish. Lively carbolic fizz scuttles tangy cherry-orange-peach waver, cursory fig-date-pecan scamper, and latent tobacco-cork acridity.
- Author: John Fortunato
- Brewery: AVERY BREW. CO., BOULDER, CO.
- Category: Beers A-Z
- Comments: None
Interestingly, Cali’s Russian River and Colorado’s Avery brewery’s both had rival Salvation ales in stock. Instead of litigating for brand name, the reputable microbreweries jointly crafted an alcohol-ridden intricacy. Candi-sugared Belgian yeast sweetens initial dried fig-raisin-date splurge, bruised banana-orange midst, and tertiary cherry-strawberry-peach twinge. At oak-aged brandy-like finish, dark rum-spiced cinnamon-clove-nutmeg illusions and vanilla bean-chicory notes find solace amongst fruity lucidity.
- Author: John Fortunato
- Brewery: AVERY BREW. CO., BOULDER, CO.
- Category: Beers A-Z
- Comments: None
Wood-toned sour malt aromatics juxtapose sweet Scotch mouthfeel interrupting muted hop-spiced dryness. Cedar-chestnut finish loses grip after several passes.
- Author: John Fortunato
- Brewery: BIRRIFICIO LE BALADIN, PIOZZO, ITALY
- Category: Beers A-Z
- Comments: None
Sweet floral malt aroma, perfumed hop aura, and wheat wine swerve coalesces full-bodied caramel-candied malting of burnished amber body. Chewy yeast sediment boosts lofty 8% alcohol rigidity. Bold barleywine finish lathers high class Italian.
- Author: John Fortunato
- Brewery: BERKSHIRE BREW. CO., SOUTH DEERFIELD, MA.
- Category: Beers A-Z
- Comments: None
Creamy prune-hued alcohol-battered dark ale perks fig-raisin-fruitcake emphasis with nutty caramel cluster and sugary toffee tinge as peach-pear confluence ascends. Earthy bottom deepens hard water texture.
- Author: John Fortunato
- Brewery: BIG HOLE BREW. CO., BELGRADE, MONTANA
- Category: Beers A-Z
- Comments: None
At 7.5% alcohol range, this fine barleywine (or spiced-up brown ale) serenades syrupy Scotch malt sweetness with dry buttery nuance to sticky medicinal finish.
- Author: John Fortunato
- Brewery: BRASSEURS DU NORD, BLAINVILLE, CANADA
- Category: Beers A-Z
- Comments: None
Coppery strong ale layers sour honeyed malts above perfumed orange peel-lemon rind bitterness. Green raisin illusion lingers below sweet wheat base. Spicier hop pep and sulfuric nose only true contrasts from Boreale Blonde.
- Author: John Fortunato
- Brewery: CESKE BUDEJOVICE, CZECH REPUBLIC
- Category: Beers A-Z
- Comments: None
Pungent sour malt odor wafts from top of dry-bodied 16% alcohol fortified lager, saturating raunchy maize flow and musty phenol astringency.