Dry Cascade-hopped bottle conditioned IPA finds unique groove, offering woody bark-twig facade, blaring peppercorn spicing, and resinous smoked salami dirge to aromatic floral citric mustiness. Only its sneaky apricot tang seems conventional.
Monthly Archives: January 2009
THE PEOPLE’S PINT E.S.B. PALE ALE
Bittersweet brown chocolate theme picks up minor sour grapefruit-lemon tinge and frail vegetal smear, leaving coppery dry body astringently metallic by mocha finish.
THE DUCK-RABBIT MILK STOUT
Perhaps spoofing Bugs Bunny’s ‘duck season/ rabbit season’ cartoon segment, this Carolinian brewers’ full-bodied lactose-aided jet black stout takes burnt coffee insurgence to oats-charred dark chocolate milking and dry roasted grain mellowing. Polite bitter-hopped toasting corresponds to coffee bean duration, picking up almond-walnut illusions and char-coaled pine tar smidgen for earthy bottom, but mild finish counters dark mocha flavoring with brisk fresh water cleanness.
THE DUCK-RABBIT AMBER ALE
Up-front floral-hopped fruitiness absorbs earthen-grained herbal spicing. At midst, tart white grape souring counters tangy cherry, berry, and red apple sweetness as well as brown sugared tobacco-nut roast.
(THEAKSTON) OLD PECULIER ALE
Creamy plum-hued, tan-headed, mocha-scented Yorkshire ale exposes fruity Fuggle-hopped thrust to inescapable chocolate-covered raisin, port wine, and cherry puree illusions. Cedar-stained clove-anise-gingerbread add wintry spirit to burnt caramel prompt. Richer and sweeter than a red ale, with its countered dry oak finish increasing efficacy.
THAMES WELSH E.S.B. ALE
Root beer-hued bitter propels smoked barley-oats and buttery almond congruity above shrewd spice-fruited taffy undercurrent. Pleasant caramelized Scotch malts enliven fully-formed sinewy prune finish. Softer palates will not be turned off.
THAMES WELSH BITTER ALE
Gentle light-headed pale-bodied ‘bitter’ ale with Band-Aid nose, delectable mineral water smoothness, and mild cherry recess contrasting subtle dry-hopped malted grain sweetness of medium strength bottle-conditioned alternative to brewers’ traditional ESB. But specificity lacks for this lean Euro.
T.G.I.F. PREMIUM AMBER LAGER
Plain, settling middleweight weaves aromatic sweet malt caress around minimal grain exposure. Smooth buttery finish needs assertion.
TETLEY’S ENGLISH ALE
TESORO PREMIUM LAGER
Musty sour malt waft, spry carbolic fizz, and unspecific hop spicing (reminiscent of some red ales) greet foamy white-headed gold lager. Overt carbonation minimizes cereal graininess to mere backdrop as tepid saltwater finish remains dull like too many simple South of the Border brews.
TERRAPIN SIDE PROJECT ROGGEN RAUCHBIER LAGER
Dreary ‘one-time ’08 release’ too light up-front to maintain effective rauchbier oeuvre. Singed rye malts bring wood-smoked maple-glazed bacon and beef jerky illusions to dark spicing in need of pricklier hop jab. Lacking prolonged smoked malt intensity of better German rauchbiers, this soapy Side Project’s indistinct.
TERRAPIN RYE SQUARED IMPERIAL PALE ALE
Sinewy honeyed amber hue nearly as thick as syrupy sugar malt creaminess. Hop-spiced butterscotch-enriched almond-marzipan sweetness (reminiscent of Blue Point Toasted Lager’s original version) absorbs latent floral-tingled pineapple-grapefruit dash to rye-induced breadcrumb bottom.