Fresh cut wheat straw mouthfeel underscored by pale Vienna malt sweetness, delicate yeast serenity, and flaked oat pliancy. Light-bodied salted butter pleasantry will addict soft lager fans.
All posts by John Fortunato
(NETHERGATE) OLD GROWLER PORTER
Bubbly beige-headed mahogany porter with aromatic mocha sweetness thickening liqueur-like malt creaminess reminiscent of Black Russian or Kahlua. Rich chocolate roast embraces dried-fruited caramelized barley resolve to sour mash finish. Strong, sometimes spicy, yet soft and buttery. A chewy winter full body.
NETHERGATE AUGUSTINIAN ALE
Pour slowly honey-glowed, flesh-headed, bottle conditioned, peach-sweetened ale, allowing five minutes to properly aerate (or risk overt foam reaction). Expressive apricot-orange-grapefruit juiciness gains coriander-ginger insistence as vivacious ambrosia-dandelion-rosebud-spearmint-sandalwood allure saturates embittered hops. Grassy wheat fringe underscores protracted off-dry spicing. Fine as tangy fruit dessert alternative.
NEPTUNE 66 PREMIUM ALE
Nearly everything you’d ever want in a red ale. Sinewy yeast sediment embellishes mild hop-fizzed fruitiness and sweet mocha malts for mellow flow. Savory pale-fruited finish lingers on the tongue as hints of nectar and pear brighten the corners. Brewery defunct: 2001.
NEPTUNE RED SEA BERRY ALE
Reddish brown-hued ale with solid-bodied grain-deepened berry persistence and bustling carbonation feels processed. Refreshing but not nearly as rich as originally anticipated from pungent fruit whiff. Brewery defunct: 2001.
NEPTUNE U ALE
Collegiate bound ale (check out the ‘U’ on the alma mater label) with foamy-headed water-textured golden body counters sweet caramel caress with rich chocolate-coffee bitterness. Thicker grains and richer malts would add better distinction. Brewery defunct: 2001.
NEPTUNE BLACK SEA STOUT
Genuine in its world class stature, creamy coffee-deepened sensation reflects ever-changing shades of hop bitterness, mocha sourness, and chocolate sweetness. Nutty grain finish adds consistency. Made for experienced tastes. Brewery defunct: 2001.
NAVIGATOR OF HOLLAND LAGER
Flogging malt liquor coarseness and sour malt nose merge to cloying Scotch signature worsened by cheap corn-sugared alcohol harshness. Oily hops don’t help.
NARRAGANSETT LAGER
Now brewed out-of-state (if at all) and lacking preferred Scituate Reservoir water source, this moderate-bodied, toasted barley-centered lager blends delicate citric hops into sweet corn-sugared malting. Plain oxidized finish combines distant nutty bitterness with saltwater soothe. In ’07, Rochester, New York brewery tweaked recipe, removing some bitterness augmenting diffuse lemon-drop lament.
(NAMYSLOW) ZAMKOWE JASNE
Weak puffy white-headed gold-cleared pale lager suffers from murky malt souring, dirty peat earthiness, and dank cereal grain scrap, diminishing mild grassy hop bitterness. Ancillary corn sugared sweetness picks up lemon-bruised orange-molded tingle before watery finish beckons.
(NAMYSLOW) RYCERSKIE LAGER
Sweet rye-molasses confluence heightens burnt caramel malt sweetness as corn-husked wheat shard abets brisk hop spicing. Unobtrusive 7% alcohol flow, heavy for a lager, hidden by smooth sugary alleviation.
(NAMYSLOW) RYAN GOSTOMSKI FULL LAGER
Soapy pale lager with sour wheat entry, dry corn-husked acridity, and doughy bread tepidity fades into fizzy ether. Minor grapefruit splurge dissipates quickly.