Viscous oats-charred lactic stout lands sticky molasses-soaked anise punch, overwhelming thick black chocolate, vanilla, and espresso creaminess as well as tertiary plum-raisin-fig souring. Chocolate liqueur, black cherry, and burnt cedar illusions also intensify anise impetus.
All posts by John Fortunato
HOPPIN’ FROG BODACIOUS BLACK & TAN
Complex ink black burgundy-highlighted hybrid (67% IPA/ 33% stout) propels oat-dried black coffee-chocolate sentiment above pureed black cherry, grapefruit, and pineapple fruiting while ashy cedar-pine bitterness advances. Coarse hop-charred cocoa-powdered coffee-roasted souring underscores creamy maple-sugared toffee-vanilla sweetness at busy licorice midst.
HOPF WEISSE EXPORT
Consistent golden wheat boasts penetrating toasted barley-oats conflux to sweet Scotch malt finish, retaining full-bodied spunk.
HOP BACK THUNDERSTORM ENGLISH WHEAT ALE
Carbolic pale-hued buttery-scented medium body stays creamy against rain-watered mineral grain tide. Polite peated wheat finish whisked away by engagingly smooth hop bitterness.
HOP BACK SUMMER LIGHTNING ALE
Decent straw-hazed white-headed bottle-conditioned golden ale maintains grassy hay waft, sunny citric disposition, anf flourishing floral bouquet. Snappy hop-embittered lemon-grapefruit tartness and mellow tobacco illusions secure light dewy finish, but fuzzy phenol persistence pilfers apple-orange snip.
HOP BACK ODYSSEY BEST BITTER
Hand-drawn cask-conditioned version quaffed at Manhattan watering hole d.b.a.’s retained elegant billowy-headed effervescence and frothy mocha malt creaminess. Nutty grain splurge supercedes orange marmalade delicacy and earthen floral sedation, gathering terse citric hop bittering along the way.
HOP BACK ENTIRE STOUT
Jet black dry stout upholds coffee-burnt black chocolate theme ’til thin toffee finish. Due to watery nature, serve to dark lager heads as a polite crossover.
HOOK NORTON OLD HOOKY ALE
Heady dark rye influence inundates cereal malt sweetness and bittersweet honey insistence, forming sturdy base for musty-scented, phenol-spiced, solid-bodied middleweight.
HOLSTEN PILS
Affable dry-hopped fresh-watered puffy-headed moderate-bodied pilsner brings lovely floral bouquet to caramel-roasted mocha malting. Sharp carbolic sass and fresh mint ease into straightforward citric- grained concision. Best in pony kegs.
(HOLSTEN) DUCKSTEIN ALE
Polite auburn-hued medium body with gummy ivory lace, musty malt aroma, placid hop dryness, and fresh-watered cleansing. Closer to an English ale with its sharp grain influence, pungent mocha souring, and bittersweet caramel-malted cocoa-chalked finish.
HOLSTEN BLACK KNIGHT DARK BEER
Caliginous mahogany hue, pungent mocha aroma, and rich malted grain insistence may mislead some to believe this is a heady brew. Instead, it’s soft on palate to black licorice-enhanced hop-backed finish. Reminiscent of Sapporo Black Stout by leaning towards moderate side without sacrificing dark beer tendencies.
HOLLANDIA PREMIUM LAGER
Dry hop-fizzed abundance restrains pale malt toasting of unassuming clean-watered beer. Pleasant cereal-grained creamed corn easement soaks up mild citric bitterness, but this is too close to Holland’s version of Budweiser to be worthy.