Slender dark amber complements smoked malt dryness with roasted mocha-chocolate notion, but weak toasted barley-hop backbone too light-bodied for its class. Brewery defunct: 2008.
Monthly Archives: January 2009
CONCORD GRAPE ALE
Could a grape jam company succeed at making fine ales? Toned down purple grape aroma and lime-embittered unripe grape dryness overwhelmed by withered hop fizz and bland soda sweetness, managing to be fairly unique but not overly peculiar. Brewery defunct: 2008.
(CONSORCIO) TIJUANA GUERA
Acrid ‘all-malt lager’ retains off-putting glutinous wheat souring and parched maize astringency. Offensive plastic chemical waft further damages doughy drear, floral lemon-peach aridity, and moldy grass-hay recess. Restrictive malt profile seems conflictive.
(COMMONWEALTH) WILLIAM PENN COLONIAL-STYLE LAGER
Middling opaque amber medium body with white-breaded rye-pumpernickel toasting fades to mild spice-hopped nut-charred caramel malt refuse. Metallic twang disrupts glutinous wheat component before settling into astringent orange-candied sourness.
COLUMBUS PALE ALE
Stagnant clear copper dry body needs to deepen blanched grapefruit-peach bittering and tepid malt roasting ’cause woody Cascade hop astringency can’t carry the load. Bark-like mouthfeel feels right but cardboard finish and acetous aftertaste deprive further goodness.
COLUMBUS OHIO HONEY WHEAT
True blue collar dark amber blonde ale pits raw wheat-maize earthiness against astringent honey bittering and sour grape esters, getting casually usurped by dry grassy finish. Toasted hop coarseness thickens adequate session beer.
COLUMBUS 90 SHILLING ALE
Clear ruby amber Scottish-styled ale integrates smoked tobacco and black tea illusions with comely roasted caramel malt setting. Mild toasted hops simmer beneath smooth moderate body.
COLUMBUS APRICOT ALE
Chalky fruit ale starts fine with sweet peach cobbler aroma, but washed out apricot acidity, bitter phenol hopping, and diacetyl maize-wheat backdrop ruin momentum to dismal laminated finish. Chintzy blueberry-nectar reminder barely suffices.
(COLD SPRING) RED ASS BUCKIN’ A PALE ALE
Label’s kickin’ mule welcomes fine unassuming 6% alcohol brew as assured fruited spicing and persistent malted hop dryness reminiscent of holiday ale styling. Smooth honeyed flow welcomes amateur consumption.
(COLD SPRING) RED ASS ALE
Well-hopped full body with refreshing Minnesota spring water, malt-thickened richness, and placid grain bitterness barely provides enough momentum to make it a bargain over mass-produced American ales.
COLD SPRING HONEY ALMOND LAGER
Brewed since 1874, northern Minnesota brew is classified as “smooth, creamy, full-bodied lager with sweet nutty flavor.” But its funky compost aroma, peach-y pertinence, and honeyed almond presence make strange bedfellows. A weird soured fruit-rotted finish consumes otherwise easy to drink, if unusual, lager.
COLD SPRING BLACKBERRY BRAMBLE ALE
Blackberry added to rich malted grain roast and pure spring water for bold initiation, but processed, ambiguous, derivative nature precludes punctual wheat essence by indistinct finish. Softly sweet raspberry-boysenberry nuance dribbles forth with veiled tartness.