Lilting vanilla-spiced tingle and floral orange-peach tang brighten mellowed caramel malt sweetness. Roasted barley, honeyed oats, and wafting mash tun conceal supple cherry spurt. Serve to fruit ale lovers.
All posts by John Fortunato
BRIDGEPORT PORTER
Subtly barley-wafted bottle-conditioned dry body retains tingly port wine eloquence framing fizzy chocolate soda moderation and dried raisin-fig fruiting. Sharp hop carbonation tingles tongue, holding steady to sustained coffee-mocha finish.
BRIDGEPORT PINTAIL COPPER ALE
Ripe fruit aromatics gather orange, berry, and lemon accents to shore up moderate hop bitterness countering pale malt sweetness. Increasingly sour citric finish remains pleasant.
BRIDGEPORT OLD KNUCKLEHEAD BARLEYWINE STYLE ALE
9.1% alcohol thrust boosts doubled malt-hop complexity, bruised orange souring, and port-like dryness to full-bodied hearty warmth. Fruitcake, malt liqueur, and dark rum illusions crowd cherry-pureed pineapple-mango-papaya center. At finish, honeyed nuttiness drapes slow sipping bourbon-barreled dessert treat.
BRIDGEPORT INDIA PALE ALE
Indelible double fermented golden hazed IPA brings lively piney hop bitterness and lacquered orange peel fragrance to subtle peach motif complementing creamy malt eruption. Earthy grains provide organic succor to tropical pineapple-mango-grapefruit ensue.
BRIDGEPORT EXTRA SPECIAL BITTER ALE
Uncommon wheat wine subtlety immediately upended by fully illuminating hop-spruced nectar, cherry, and blueberry illusions. Never too bitter for indulgent summer ale fans, though.
BRIDGEPORT EBENEZER ALE
Subtly alcohol burnt medium-bodied winter warmer with visually soothing cascade bubbles and lacey head lacks bitter brutality of “humbug” namesake, as mocha malt dryness, faded orange wisp, and casual nutty bottom lack bite and compromise seasonal spicing.
BRIDGEPORT BLUE HERON PALE ALE
Mild dry-hopped bittering secures nutty grain palate to tangy fruit finish of clean, smooth ale. Buttery toasted malts leave slightest creamy residue atop citrus luster. Distinction lacks but fine with any dish.
BRIDGEPORT BLACK STRAP STOUT
Marauding dry-roasted coffee bulk drapes creamy mocha malt moderation, cocoa-powdered souring, and tart dried fruiting. Currant-spiced raisin, plum, and port illusions aid hop-spiced jigger, bringing extra pizzazz to maple-sapped blackstrap molasses finish. Closer to coffee porter than robust stout, though.
BREWSKI’S BARROOM HONEY RED ALE
Wafting chocolate nosing finds loud honey piquancy and slick malt slope for deviant red ale. Neither as rich nor as creamy as dark appearance would indicate so up-front mocha essence never sustains and there’s little to no spice bite. Brewery defunct: 2006.
BREWERY HILL RASPBERRY RED ALE
Just as Brewery Hill’s Cherry Wheat benefits from natural ingredients, this red ale has distinct raspberry tartness and overall fruity essence. It’s kind of creamy and soda-like, keeping the delicate honeyed wheat flavor in check ’til moderate fruit-spiced finish.
BREWERY HILL PENN CENTENNIAL LAGER
Golden amber traditional lager celebrates one century of brewing with simple caramel-butterscotch conflux overriding shallow sour mash depth, but unmemorable finish defeats nostalgic whim.