Murky smoked malt bluster negatively affects blunt grain roast, dry yellow-fruited souring, and bothersome diacetyl emergence before bland cardboard finish disrupts sweet yeast hem.
All posts by John Fortunato
LAWSON CREEK VANILLA CREAM STOUT
Surging vanilla aromatics penetrate brown chocolate, sugary molasses, and cream soda sweetness of ambitious milky-textured jet black stout. Tobacco ash dryness envelops peat-malted hazelnut scamper, but sharper hop bite needed to sustain adjuncts.
LAWSON CREEK RED ALE
Even-tempered cold-filtered amber-hazed medium body sprays dry tangerine notes across tamped down hops, cracked wheat midst, and corn sugar finish, weakening substantially for tepid aftertaste.
LAWSON CREEK PALE ALE
LAWSON CREEK HONEY WHEAT
(LATROBE) LOYALHANNA AMBER LAGER
Despite promising auburn hue, barren sour malt peculiarity and acrid barley-wheat dryness lack ancillary adjuncts. Raw grain husk and phenol hop fizz too murky for musty moderation. Rancid metallic moldiness disturbs diminished minerality at deadened finish.
LATROBE BAVARIAN BLACK LAGER
Despite thick brown-hue, cocoa-dried moderation lacks expectant malt-saturated richness. Instead, its roasted barleymalts, chocolate subtleties, and trim hop din drift off to a nebulous mocha finish. Buy a porter instead.
LATROBE AMERICAN PALE ALE
Following in the British tradition despite American auspices, rich pine-fruited ale balances casual cascade hop bittering with subtle malt sweetness. Strangely reminiscent of some Canadian ales due to its briny salt-watered finish. Not unique, but damn fine nonetheless.
LA TRAPPE TRIPEL
Delicately complex puffy-headed tan-foamed tripel with clumped Brussels lace and jasmine-perfumed yeast concentration gains strong alcohol penetration up-front. Creamy caramel malt foundation and cereal grain firmness underlined by dried prune, orange peel, and rotted peach. Relaxing finish brings cotton-candied vanilla jellybean illusion to the forefront.
LA TRAPPE QUADRUPEL TRAPPIST ALE
Re-fermented-in-the-bottle, sophisticated prune-clouded medium body anchors mellow medicinal sherry sweetness to velvet-y smooth hop-spiced subtlety; lacking harsh alcohol pungency of inflated quadrupel label. Flowery clove-nutmeg accents, fizzy apple-wined tartness, and mild orange peel bittering provide exquisite holiday seasoning to chewy caramel malt facade. Cinnamon raisin, almond, and grape illusions come and go. Oddly compelling; melts in your mouth.
LA TRAPPE DUBBEL TRAPPIST ALE
After battling difficult corkscrew, reddish-browned bottle-fermented malt-sweetened ale resonates with floral yeast creaminess, peat malt earthiness, and lingered butterscotch sweetness. Roasted coffee, raisin, and cider illusions strike mid-palate before doughy bottom and cork-like finish secure ideality.
