Soft copper-toned ale conceals grain backbone below fuzzy red apple-grape fruitiness, becoming less efficient by waning phenol finish.
All posts by John Fortunato
LISTWIN’S KODIAK PREMIUM LAGER
Ephemeral bomber-bottled Canadian lager stays smooth and watery beneath its hop-topped barley-roasted essence. A hint of agave puts it South of the Border until sticky caramel malts overtake pallid finish.
(LION) WALL STREET LAGER
Sturdy pale lager receives sweet crystal malt efficacy and bubbly hop effervescence, allowing it to go down easy. But lack of continued grain persistence knocks it down a notch.
(LION) STEGMAIER PORTER
Sweet chocolate nose and creamy chocolate milkshake thickness inundate frontage of ruddily opaque ruby-accented mocha porter. Barley roast absorbs maple sweetness, black cherry nuance, and coffee backdrop but off-dry diacetyl finish depletes vibrancy a tad.
(LION) STEGMAIER OKTOBERFEST
Richly robust nickel-rusted autumnal lager sits proudly on tongue. Fine whiskey-tinged barley-oats graining reaches creamy midst as mellowed allspice-nutmeg-cinnamon tingle sops up funky hot-buttered sourdough waver.
(LION) STEGMAIER 1857 LAGER
Cereal grained pale lager perfectly suited for soft-headed beginners. Delicate roasted barleymalt sash and dried quince-orange-raisin decoy fill out dry-hopped finish. Mellow simplicity is its own reward.
(LION) ONE-EYED JACK RASPBERRY MALT LIQUOR
Pungent pinkish-paled short-headed raspberry brew with sweet candy scent and syrupy fructose flow is fair alternative to wine coolers. However, closer to strong soda than beer or malt liquor. Slick, sticky, and ultimately cloy.
(LION) ONE-EYED JACK HONEY BEE LEMON MALT LIQUOR
Dismal cloying honey-sugared nature overbearing but lemon thrust has its sweet charm. Like a fruity soda, its trite sucrose candy-coated glut gets old fast.
(LION) NEUWEILER PORTER
Palatable sweet malt sugaring and sharp grain minerality decorate moderate pale porter. Disappointingly lacks body, richness and overall strength from first healthy swig forward.
(LION) LIONSHEAD DELUXE PILSNER
On tap, dank straw-hued German-styled pilsner conveys salty corn-silk dryness to vegetal-swilled lemon-bruised orange-candied sourness. Diacetyl finish retains dull bread-crusted pumpernickel nuance and mild currant sway. Canned version gets awfully tinny. Forget the dumb ‘deluxe’ tag, this here’s mere cheap debris.
(LION) ERIN’S ROCK STOUT & AMBER LAGER
Brewed to honor Ireland’s heritage, though lacking efficient strength of true Irish lager-stout. While caramel-scented cola-colored Black & Tan mix is quite curious, it would be wiser to concentrate on one style (perhaps the stout, since its chocolate-y notes overwhelm grain mesh). Up-front creamy mocha sweetness diminishes to soothing caramelized barley roast.
LION STOUT
Chewy milk chocolate-y creaminess, viscous liqueur saliency, and dry port-burgundy effervescence enhance strong 8% alcohol content. Yet despite its hard exterior, this remains soft on the tongue and less filling at rich coffee bean finish.