On tap at Ambulance, deep purple-hued NEIPA brings spunky blueberry jam tartness to lemony Citra-hopped bitterness, picking up mildly vinous green grape esters. But its blueberry pureed citrus finish needs deeper resonance.
All posts by John Fortunato
KCBC / GROSS VIKING FANDANGO
On tap at Ambulance, opaquely golden hazed IPA (collaboration with Spain’s basque brewery, Gross) stays crisply clean as lemon-juiced pineapple, mango and orange tartness melds to creamy coconut respite and sour lime chime in soft-toned pale malt setting.
THREES BAD FAITH
On tap at Ambulance, offbeat witbier places dry plantain starchiness, cucumber-watered melon rind pickling and mild floral herbage alongside stylized lemony orange-dried coriander spicing with fair results.
KENT FALLS TRAPPED IN HABITUAL NOSTALGIA
On tap at Ambulance, soft-tongued ‘hoppy blonde ale’ brings floral-perfumed citrus pleasantries to musky herbal-tinged grain malting. Lemony grapefruit-juiced Cascade hop briskness and relegated pineapple-mango-peach tang battle astringently ‘grungy’ wet-grained vegetal murk with no clear winner.
GRIMM NO HANDS NOW GOSE
On tap at Ambulance, mellow mixed fermentation gose lets mild sea-salted chipotle chili peppering caress fresh-squeezed lime bittering. Delicate cedar wood tones dissipate alongside lactic citrus acidity, leaving soft-tongued lime-juiced chili peppering.
SINGLECUT INEXPLICABLY USED UMLAUT
On tap at Ambulance, complacent autumnal marzen caresses modestly dewy earthiness with spritzy orange-dried lemon oiling and subtle toffee-spiced malting. Unassumingly underwhelming.
GRIMM ANTHOS
On tap at Ambulance, muskily straw-dried hoppy pils leaves syrupy clover-honeyed bittering upon floral sunflower-daubed honeysuckle and chamomile adjuncts in subtle moderate-bodied manner. Muted mineral-grained pilsner malting stabilizes back end.
PATCHOGUE BEER PROJECT
PATCHOGUE, NEW YORK
Just around the corner from Main Street’s established Brick House Brewery & Restaurant in Patchogue’s bustling nightlife community, PATCHOGUE BEER PROJECT opened up January 2019 (and closed 2022).
Brewer Ritchie Italiano and attentive assistant, Ryan Dispirito, create rangy flavor profiles for stylistically enhanced, well polished pub fare at this sparsely furnished small space.
The white subway-tiled siding of the L-shaped quartz topped serving station matches the backdrop scheme holding the twelve central-barred tap handles. Two TV’s sidle the bar and a colorful blackboard displays the current beer list. Its right side blue wall features a yellow-painted Patchogue Indian Chief insignia protecting the windowed brew tanks.
Interestingly, the serving station contains an active beer silo in its belly. And the rear mezzanine area stores a few active stainless silver brew tanks.
My wife and I settle in the midst of the 15-seat bar to consume nine fine brews while the front overhead door stays open for this sunny Saturday afternoon, August ’19.
Soft-toned light body, Pipe Dream Golden Ale, let mild citrus spicing sit atop dainty pilsner malting, allowing spritzy lemon carbolics to tease its sweet orange peel briskness.
Sour lemon-wedged Copper Beech Kolsch brought grassy hopped herbage and soapy orange tartness to its white bread base.
Lemony banana-clove insistence guided Hugh Hefeweizen, a delectable éclair-headed moderation with vanilla-wafered Graham Cracker sweetness contrasting herbal restraint.
Tangy tangerine sweetness dominated Meandering Blonde Ale with Tangerine, a citrus-centric one-off with spritzy lemon briskness, mandarin orange subtleties and slight phenol hop astringency.
Hazy amber yellow-marbled EZ Swezey New England IPA placed tangy yellow grapefruit juicing just ahead of lemon rind bittering, melon rind earthiness, clementine sweetness and guava-mango-passionfruit tropicalia, picking up recessive pine tones in the wake.
Combining unheralded Waiti, Loral and Falconers Flight hops, Patrick Swhazy IPA eked out sugar-malted clementine, mandarin orange, tangerine and navel orange niceties.
Dewy English-styled IPA, Hop Tonic, brought mossy dried fruited honey malting to earthen gourd, fennel and tobacco illusions.
Dry black chocolatey dextrin malting and molasses oats inundated South Ocean Stout, a creamily silken dark ale with dark toffee, black licorice and tarry coal snips.
Totally delectable autumnal dessert, Pumpkin Patch-ogie, armored its rich brown-sugared pumpkin pie spicing with cinnamon-toasted wheat sweetness, leaving nutmeg-allspice and cardamom illusions all over the place.
patchoguebeerproject.com
SOUTHERN TIER CHOCOLATE MILKSHAKE IMPERIAL MILK STOUT
On tap at Seven Lakes Station, creamy nitrogenated chocolate milkshake-derived Imperial Stout regales everlasting brown chocolate sweetness above mildly hop-charred molasses oats. Confectionary crème brulee, crème de cocoa and bourbon vanilla serenity adds to the densely rich chocolate dessert assertiveness. Highly recommended.
2SP THE RUSSIAN IMPERIAL STOUT
On tap at River Of Beer, reliable espresso overtones greet milk-sugared coffee, dark chocolate and lightly embittered molasses creaming over sandalwood-oiled hop char. A real fine espresso knockoff veering away from usual chocolate-dried Imperial Stout fare.
TERRAPIN LUCILLE BLACKSTRAP MOLASSES STOUT
Creamy caramel-burnt blackstrap molasses adjunct regales sweet vanilla subtlety for highly regarded Imperial Stout aged on hickory, maple and white ash. Cedar-charred walnut, hazelnut and Brazil nut roast glazed by maple molasses sinew, leaving sour raisin, dark cherry and prune illusions on the back end.
ICARUS MY LITTLE FRIEND COFFEE STOUT WITH HONEY
Treacly medium roast coffee entry gains sweet brown chocolate thrust and fudgy brownie insistence countered by sneaky wood-seared hop char. Confectionary almond toffee, café latte and crème brulee illusions deepen fermented wildflower honey adjunct against bitter coffee stead.
