Dramatic ink black-hued full body brings busily creamy chocolate-covered blueberry dessert profile to the fore. Dark-roasted chocolate richness and nutty coffee roast pick up wood-burnt Blackstrap molasses thickness. Smoked bourbon, dry burgundy and pinot noir wining glaze the mocha finish. An amazing plethora of robust flavors get pushed forward without getting mushy.
Boringly sessionable fruited Belgian saison knockoff comes off way too watery. Phenol lemon-peeled peach entry gets drowned out by white-peppered carbolic spritz. Murky brettanomyces yeast souring depletes hominy grits influence, tepid coriander-clove spicing, raw molasses acridity and dry barnyard funk while deterring tart peach tones from ripening.
Horrid unfiltered lightweight never makes the cut. Absolutely no hefeweizen-styled banana-clove influence appears, making pale-yellowed suds closer to a lemony soft-grained American wheat beer instead. Washed-out mineral grained astringency and raw maize acridity dispel watery wheat-starched fluff.
On tap at Max’s, Hawaiian-brewed Belgian Stout gets a tad musty despite assured dark-roasted chocolate opening and bittersweet coffee bean salience. Sugary Belgian yeast soaks up powdered cocoa dusting and mild espresso dalliance. Soapy vanilla-creamed hazelnut, coconut, macadamia and cola illusions never reach fruition. Mild chipotle-peppered cinnamon spicing barely registers and the mocha finish becomes watered down.
On tap at Shepherd & Knucklehead, unspecific 25th anniversary doppelbock version of celebrated Brooklyn Lager seemed strangely divergent and stylistically murky. Dry wood lacquering and pungent dry-hopped char affect sedately tart apple-skinned fig mold. Dessicated orange souring, tea-like earthen nature and peated Scotch blotch keep deranged pale lager off-putting. In 22-ounce bottle, sugar-glassed glutinous wheat sweetness and dewy peated malts offered a Scotch Ale-like persistence. Buttered rum and vodka untertones added alcohol burn.
On tap at Three Wise Monks, refreshing lemonade alternative beats cloying Leinenkugel Summer Shandy hands down. Tart lime-salted citric twist recalls frozen Margarita. Mead-like honey spicing and ginger-leafed herbage increase zesty lemon puree briskness.
On tap at Three Wise Monks, viscous wildflower honey-spiced Belgian strong pale ale (with citric French saison attributes) fortifies sour green-white grape esters and orange-bruised Grand Marnier boozing with sparkling champagne yeast. Well disguised 11.5% alcohol burn never interferes with honey fruited pleasantries.
Busily cluttered limited edition strong ale combines Jewbelation 15, Origin Pomegranate Strong Ale, Bittersweet Lenny’s R.I.P.A., Messiah Nut Brown, Coney Island Lager and Albino Python in bourbon and rye whiskey barrels. Fig-juiced red, purple and green grape tannins add vinous pucker to plum-wined port, bourbon and sherry illusions as well as oaken vanilla spell. Tart pomegranate and cranberry undertones gather alongside tertiary prune-raisin-plum dried fruiting.
