On tap at Plank Pizza, brewed in collaboration with legendary Jersey high school basketball coach, soft perfume-spiced citrus tang pleats delicate pilsner malting for briskly easygoing Cascade-hopped moderation.
All posts by John Fortunato
902 CHILLTOWN CRUSH PILSNER
On tap at Plank Pizza, mildly musky pilsner-grained German lager yeast prods Huell Melon-hopped chutney-like melon rind earthiness and subtle cotton-candied citrus spicing for slightly offbeat lawnmower appeal.
ROGUE DEAD ‘N DEAD (2021)
On tap at Schatzi’s, judiciously whiskey barreled Dead Guy Ale (2021) soaks original’s honey-roasted caramelization, plum-sugared red cherry sweetness and orange marmalade tang with oaken vanilla rye whiskey tones, dry bourbon perfuming and pasty pine lacquering.
CLOWN SHOES 12 BEERS OF CHRISTMAS
Well selected dozen from one of Boston’s finest brewers, Clown Shoes, a company that started as gypsy brewers utilizing nearby Mercury Brewing before gaining massive East Coast publicity and beginning their own separate brewing venture. Here’s the nine newest Christmastime celebrators I recently quaffed during college football Saturday ’21.
CLOWN SHOES LIL’ CRISPY CRISP ALE
Easygoing yellow-cleared cumulous-headed blonde provides spry yellow grapefruit-seeded lemon spritz and wispy lime zesting for grassy hop stead over caramelized pale malt spicing. Crisply clean sedation.
CLOWN SHOES ROYAL STANDARD WEE HEAVY ALE
Sweet peated malts and earthen truffle dewing secure mild nutty dried fruiting of wee heavy Scotch ale. Desiccated orange, fig and date ride alongside sweet butternut-chestnut conflux and herbal tea respite above cereal-grained Golden Promise barley malting.
CLOWN SHOES REINDEER GAMES BAVARIAN IPA
Slightly offbeat IPA relies on pasty Bavarian malt spicing and earthen Noble hops to engage caramelized dried fruiting (pear-apricot-fig), leaving dryer-than-expected grapefruit and orange influence and resinous pine tones in the lurch. Rich German IPA at Christmastime anyone?
CLOWN SHOES MANGO FARM IPA
Bright mango salted bittering outdoes any sweet tropical fruited influence as brisk lemony orange-peeled yellow grapefruit zesting and mild passionfruit-guava souring reach dry piney bottom. Could use sturdier mango thrust at the sharp citric-spiced finish.
CLOWN SHOES SPACE CUPCAKE INDIA PALE ALE
Mild Mosiac-hopped lemony orange-grapefruit tang turns dry as pasty pale malt sugaring brings gluey paper starching to floral-daubed pine resin.
CLOWN SHOES GALACTICAKE DOUBLE IPA
Mildly embittered grapefruit-peeled orange pith dryness lingers above pasty pale malt spicing as subtle vanilla creaming soaks up ethyl vodka whir. Tertiary pineapple, mango and peach illusions serenade the delicate citrus finish.
CLOWN SHOES ONE MAN HOLIDAY BELGIAN-STYLE QUADRUPEL
Just a tad underwhelming taste-wise. Subtle candi-sugared raisin, plum and fig sweetness plus glazed pecan nuttiness receive lightly creamed molasses toffee buttering as spiced orange snip and wispy white peppered herbage stay back in dewy tobacco-roasted peat setting.
CLOWN SHOES THE EXORCIST DRY-HOPPED STOUT
Frothy coffee-roasted Blackstrap molasses bittering picks up tarry pine-charred hop sear to reinforce dry cocoa center contrasting less intense burnt caramel sugaring. Mild espresso, walnut, cola and tobacco chaw illusions surface latently.
