Not as aggressive as its moniker or hazily murky butterscotch hue indicate, yet full-bodied and wonderfully diverse. Bright orange blossom, white peach, nectarine, and mango fruitiness enlivens herbaceous dry-hopped mineral graining as well as pleasant piney resin bitterness. Supportive floral lavender sequence nearly masks cocoa buttery honeyed biscuit pleasantry.
Monthly Archives: January 2009
(ITHACA) CASCA ZILLA RED ALE
Fine ruby-coppered ale with piney grapefruit-orange rind uprising given bright spruce-tipped hop pep and red apple-ripened peach-pear-nectarine tang. Red and purple grape esters also overlay wheat-cracked caramel malting. Compares to spicier Arcadia IPA and less sharp Fisherman’s Ale, only fruitier.
ITHACA APRICOT WHEAT
Lingered dried apricot souring, scurried peach-raspberry-banana sweetness, and piquant honeyed floral rush create hard candied butterscotch illusion for friskily dry-hopped American wheat beer. Ripe peachiness oddly edged out by phenol plasticity at buttery popcorn finish, though citric zing remains.
(ISLE OF SKYE) WEE BEAST SCOTTISH ALE
Coppery Scotch ale retains soft-watered gently-hopped mocha dryness and swooning grapefruit-orange effervescence, peculiarly countering hearty ‘wee heavy’ rep. Regardless, toasted barley prompting cloaks caramelized raisin-fig souring and earthy peat register. Beneath slight metallic finish lies shy apple-peach-pear cluster.
ISLE OF ARRAN DARK PREMIUM LAGER
Dry barley theme exposes leathery barnyard hay-straw astringency buoying tangy lemon-peeled orange-grapefruit bitterness and nicely concealed phenol mocha stint. Piney nuttiness drifts into flattened aftertaste.
ISLE OF ARRAN BLONDE
Cloudy golden ale integrates resinous piney bitterness with tangy lemon-peeled peach-pineapple-papaya tropicalia and surging grapefruit rind bitterness, gaining dry floral hop tangent by mild malt whiskey finish. Herbaceous eucalyptus-spearmint undertones and serene white-peppered clove seasoning hastily dissolve as raw wheat astringency rises.
ISSAQUAH FROSTY FROG ALE
On tap, slow sippin’ off-dry American strong ale (brewed in conjunction with nearby Rogue Ales) brings thickening raisin-fig-date salvo to nutty-bottomed sugared molasses malting. Barleywine finish enhanced by brown chocolate snatch.
ISSAQUAH BULLFROG ALE
Sunny golden hazed disposition, mowed grass aroma, and chaffed wheat dryness befit tamped-down lemon-hopped splurge of non-committal dry-bodied hefeweizen. Simply put, up-front resolve lacks tenacity and expectant banana-clove influence never arrives to intensify floral-spiced orange-grapefruit peel bittering. Honeyed caramel malting counters white peppered herbage, barely reaching fruition halfway through.
(PADERBORNER) ISENBECK PREMIUM DARK BEER
Despite deep purple haze, dark German retains light nutty grain sear and ashen malt dryness (with no bitterness, no frills, and barely a hint of dried fruited sweetness). Subdued malt-hop interaction soft enough for rookies to enjoy alongside more sophisticated tastes.
(IRONS) IRON HEART RED ALE
“A deep-toned full bodied Irish style red ale,” indicates the label. Roasted grains addle rustic hop density and smoky mocha haze, putting this closer to lightweight stout than mid-level red ale. But barley-wheat finish needs better distinction and fuller development. Brewery defunct: 2006.
(IRONS) DARK IRON CHOCOLATE BROWN ALE
Swampy grain presence frustrates concealed mocha tartness. For a Colorado brew, this is nowhere near as refined or organic as local competition and its tepid roasted finish seems dirty and cheap. Brewery defunct: 2006.
IRONS CHERRY WHEAT ALE
Natural cherry presence doesn’t necessarily offer recognizable first impression, yet stone-fruited tartness gains strength by malted wheat finish. Heavy carbonation initially disguises bold fruit character, but ultimate dilemma is paper-thin watery texture too feathery for serious guzzlers. Brewery defunct: 2006.