Pleasantly smooth strong English bitter works caramel malt sweetness into dry-hopped finish as robust grain insurgence adds richness to wood chip burnt accentuation. Strangely, this isn’t too far removed from Watney’s Red Barrel when imbibed at room temperature (though distinction lacks).
All posts by John Fortunato
FULLERS E.S.B. ENGLISH ALE
Crisp ruddish bitter with flowery hops, pleasant caramel malts, and dry citrus punctuality. But fragile barleymalt sweetness inefficient by faded nutty finish.
FULLERS 1845 BOTTLE CONDITIONED ALE
Brewed since 1654, this full-bodied strong ale has a certain grain-malt thickness, honey nut lucidity, and complacent chocolate quip. Spicy hops preserve hearty caramel-cocoa finish, remaining uncommonly consistent from head to body.
(MCAUSLAN) FRONTENAC EXTRA SPECIAL PALE ALE
Easy, unassuming, light-bodied pale ale with pungent alcohol aroma, grain-tingling pep, and tinny hop finish. Closer in character to refined pilsners with its maintained head, fizzy retention, and moderate bitter flow.
FOUR + PUNK’N ALE
On tap, tepid golden autumn ale gets metallic as shallow pumpkin pie spicing and soapy backend disrupt tingly-hopped brown-sugared cinnamon-nutmeg-allspice nicety. Astringent gourd likeness hampers cereal-grained finish, lowering appeal further. But bottled version displays better cinnamon-spiced pumpkin character overriding whiskey-malted pumpernickel-rye abatement.
FRITZ BRAU
Up-front barley-oats graining softens soda pop flow as cloying corn syrup dredge overrides flagging hops. Starch-y butterscotch permanence creases wheat-honeyed finish.
FRIO LAGER
Unfortunately, Frio’s green lizard-labeled marketing concept is more interesting than the gluten-free product itself. Munich helles-styled barleymalts hit quick, then dissipate. Though lacking distinction and too close to mass-produced beer, there’s nothing offensive about its relaxing flow. Perfect for amateurs. Brewery defunct: 2005.
(FRIENDS) HELENBOCH HOLIDAY ALE
Nutmeg, toasted nut-grains, and cocoa nibs provide heady combination for impressive bubbly-headed tutti-frutti ‘cherry red’ ale. Well carbonated and not overbearingly sweet like some holiday ales, allowing aromatic herbs to entice pumpkin-spiced cherry-berry merriment. But what are we doing drinking rich winter ales in the month of May? Brewery defunct: 1999.
(FRIENDS) GEORGIA WILD RASPBERRY WHEAT ALE
A ‘berry’ good and fully carbonated creamy-textured ale. Cracked wheat backbone refracts descending raspberry tang to light, unassuming, fruited malt finish. Brewery defunct: 1999.
FRENCH BROAD WEE HEAVY-EST BELGIAN SCOTCH ALE
Fascinating overall depth allows stylistic Belgian-Scotch merger to sustain unique brilliance. Scotch-styled molasses malts intermingle with Belgian candied yeast, inducing spellbinding red-wined dried fruiting. Chewy raisin-pureed stewed prune creaminess enjoins boozy bourbon, brandy, Merlot, and burgundy coalition for intoxicating fuzzy-brained enjoyment.
FRENCH BROAD WEE HEAVY-ER SCOTCH ALE
Though medium-bodied Scotch ale lacks aggressiveness and has roundabout nature, its coarse elements never debunk dried fruited nature. Fungi peat-smoked earthen wood tone and dry tobacco continence rendezvous with rotted orange, fig, and date souring on cider-y back end. Dirty flattened-out finish picks up wavered walnut and unrefined cocoa illusions plus soapy residue. Creamier tap version upped brown chocolate and toffee notes to better emulate rich dessert beer.
FRENCH BROAD 13 REBELS E.S.B. ALE
Peppered dark spices tickle tongue as flowery herbal illusions rise above musty rye malts and earthen musk. Passable sour-fruited subsidy tops negligible biscuit-y bottom.