Buttery amber-hazed German-styled wheat beer marries dry banana esters to floral clove-coriander seasoning. Tangy orange-grapefruit follow-up brings lasting sour citric tartness to dry-spiced finish.
All posts by John Fortunato
BLUE & GRAY STONEWALL STOUT
Distinct dry espresso theme rises above soft-watered barley-oats sear and hop-charred cocoa bean, cacao seed, tar, and coal illusions, absorbing black chocolate-y burnt walnut trail relegated to back-throated quip. Moderate English-styled stout has easy appeal lighter thirsts will appreciate despite fairly harsh coffee bittering.
BLUE & GRAY FRED RED ALE
Suspect opening salvo and overly streamlined appeal spoil Fred’s chances. Woody hops counter sweet-sour dried fruits (white grape-fig-date) and apricot-apple tang, but red ale styling is questionable. Any initial Scotch tinge falls off to lesser candied butterscotch scamper.
BLUE & GRAY FALMOUTH AMERICAN PALE ALE
Brisk moderate-bodied pale ale lacks textural density, but renders wonderful clean-watered citric sparkle. Spicy hops bring floral illusions to spruce-y fruit burst. Orange oil spritz sets the tone for piney grapefruit surge and sugary cantaloupe-melon twang.
BLUE & GRAY CLASSIC LAGER
Middling double-hopped lager brings earthen wood aromatics to tart orange-oiled dryness, dusky fig-prune souring, and dank floral pastiche, settling to lemony candied tartness. Unripe apricot interlude picks up twiggy nuance to suspect tealeaf finish. Honeyed wheat tail cut short.
(GOLDEN LION) BLONDE DES CANTONS PALE ALE
Immediate dry wheat husk tempers mild hop formality, iffy barley strand, and sweet tobacco spell, picking up slender lemon-orange bitterness and banana souring by light Scotch finish.
(NOUVELLE) BLONDE D’EPEAUTRE
“Golden spelt” flouring and mild hop-spiced bittering caress dried banana frontage of Belgian-styled pale ale. Clove-backed floral accent gains affluence. Whimsy wheat wafer sweetness dangles from moderate-bodied interior.
(BLAUGIES) LA MONEUSE SPECIAL WINTER ALE
Passable bottle-conditioned penny-hued Belgian holiday ‘saison’ counters tannic white grape tartness with dried prune-raisin confluence abruptly sweetened by brown sugar dalliance. But muted dry pulp finish loses luster after fourth sip.
(BLAUGIES) LA MONEUSE SAISON
An airtight package of extremes, peculiar rust-hued Belgian farmhouse ale brings musty fruit dankness to pungent mushroom-y earthiness with no odd offensiveness. As flooded basement waft subsides, sour chamomile tea complements honeyed banana sweetness and corky peach-apricot-grape esters for tartly rewarding obscurity.
(BLAUGIES) SAISON D’EPEAUTRE ALE
Sour straw-hued ivory-headed ale pits tart white wine nose and sweet grape tangent against wheat-chaffed citrus twist as foam subsides and mild bitter grain foundation builds. Like many Belgians, each rewarding sip offers unique splendor.
(BLAUGIES) DARBYSTE ALE
Brewed with complimentary (instead of dominant) fig juice, vinous viscous-coppered Belgian retains fluffy white head, clumped yeast sediment, and sharp cider tartness. Pungent grapefruit-dried tangerine-peach tang compels sulky sour grape acidity and cork-y herbal pinch to soak up honeyed malt sweetness. A bit too sudsy as an after dinner drink.
(VAL DE SAMBRE) BLANCHE DE CHARLEROI WHITE ALE
Mild pale-hued foamy-headed Belgian with xrisp barley-wheat toasting, fresh citrus aromatics, and sour yellow-fruited tartness envelop sweet white wine midst. Hop bitterness never overwhelms pleasant daisy-dandelion hints at buttery finish. Soft soda-like fizz gives it crossover appeal for lightweights.