Light aromatic malts, fuzzy carbolic hops, and sweet water base anchored by fine honeyed biscuit spine for extremely smooth moderately dry russet-hued treat. Brewery defunct: 2002.
All posts by John Fortunato
HUDSON VALLEY ALE
Pale-hued white-headed ale with dusky barleymalt palate, rich grain assertion, and dry ash finish. Plain, unassuming, yet carrying more panache than most domestic product. Serve to Bud/ Miller drones as fine alternative. Brewery defunct: 2002.
(HUBER) RHINELANDER ORIGINAL LAGER
Canned traditional German-styled pale lager maintains lemon soda flow and sweet cola fizz. But dank malting, cloy sucrose finish, and nasty skunked aroma preclude subsequent quaffing.
HUBER BOCK
Taut molasses-caramel-cocoa sweetness given dry-roasted barley backdrop to secure resinously hopped alcohol-burnt bock. Pumpernickel-rye sequel and walnut shelling confirm busy frontage, but sugar water finish cheapens up-front zeal substantially. Still, quite decent for classic macrobrewed old-timer.
HORNPOUT PALE ALE
Needing better up-front thrust and less overt carbonation, this yellow-bellied fluffy pearl-headed moderation leaves lemon meringue froth on prickly-hopped tongue. Unripe banana-peach initiation falters to withered grapefruit bittering and acetous dry lime sourness. Brewery defunct: 2006.
HORNPOUT NO LIMIT AMBER ALE
Brewers’ inaugural ’06 offerings were highly carbolic so pour slowly. Dry roasted hops and burnt wood chip slip reminiscent of finer India Pale Ales while grain-toasted caramel malting redolent of classic Bass Pale Ale. Supplemental spruce, beechwood, and dark floral undertones fade to parched oak bark niche, but acrid oxidation yields promiscuous heavy alcohol seepage. Brewery defunct: 2006.
HOGS BACK T.E.A.
Traditional English Ale (a.k.a. T.E.A.) initially captivates senses with russet yellow-orange hue, polite lacey trails, honeyed citrus aromatics, and sour fruit template. Slim butterscotch notion grazes smoke-dried malts near nutty finish, but soft watery flow depletes early vigor.
HOPPY TOTAL ECLIPSE BLACK ALE
Sour mashed cherry-orange-berry tang expands above off dry toasted hops, dusky pale malts, and burnt wood urging. Receding finish picks up tar and black licorice illusions.
HOPPY STONY FACE RED ALE
Dry-hopped bruised orange opening receives snazzy white pepper spicing as herbal nuance builds. Floral notes (dandelion-rosewood) embitter smoked wood bottom sufficiently.
HOPPY LIQUID SUNSHINE BLONDE ALE
Herbal bitterness enjoins sunny lemon rind tartness, but squelched hop fizz and petty oxidation disrupt yellow-fruited nicety.
HOPPY FACE AMBER ALE
Shallow toasted barley-hop template turns increasingly bitter, gaining lemony grapefruit tang and woodsy pine-needled spruce depth to dull caramel-malted finish.
HOPPIN’ FROG MEAN MANALISHI DOUBLE I.P.A.
Marvelous hophead delight boasts resinous hop-oiled pine-needled bitterness penetrating zesty tropical fruiting. Luxuriant grapefruit and lemon peel sourness counters durable floral-spiced spruce-sapped peach-apple-cherry-pineapple tang. Latent melon hints further sweeten candi-sugared malt stickiness of full-bodied hit.