Creamily cohesive peanut-buttered black chocolate entry picks up dark-roast coffee influence. Nutty mocha resilience allows dark toffee, vanilla, espresso and cappuccino illusions to deepen its rich complexity.
All posts by John Fortunato
PIPEWORKS SANTA VERSUS UNICORN AMERICAN BARLEYWINE
By blending an Imperial Red Ale and Red Double IPA with an American-styled barleywine, wintry “rainbowed chaos” turns up the sharp alcohol brashness (10% ABV) to saturate its IPA-like piney fruiting and toasted caramel malting. Sparkling orange-peeled grapefruit, pineapple, tangerine and mango tang and subtler cherry-fig-plum undertones receive resinous wood-lacquered coating.
10 BARREL PRAY FOR SNOW
On tap at Poor Henry’s, stylishly light alcoholic (7% ABV) strong ale lacks spicy holiday spirit its name implies. Instead, an Imperial Red Ale-like caramel fruiting leads the way as red grape, brown apple, peach, fig and plum illusions pick up a sharp hop spicing as well as toasted nut whim, resinous pine notions and earthen grape stem phenols. In the bottle: parched dried-fruited acridity, astringent hop tannins and crisp tobacco roast desiccate ginger-spiced burgundy, raisin, prune and fig illusions and wispy black cherry pureeing.
SLY FOX CHRISTMAS ALE – 2016
Well-rounded winter seasonal (circa 2016) places sharp-hopped cinnamon, nutmeg and curry spicing alongside brown-sugared gingerbread sweetness to contrast less prominent pumpkin-skinned gourd earthiness. Tertiary walnut-pecan conflux and latent fig snip add depth to refreshingly clean-watered Christmastime treasure.
BOLERO SNORT FLAMABULL SMOKED PORTER
Mildly creamed smoked molasses entry fades into black-malted dark chocolate roast of soft-watered moderate-to-medium body. Just below the surface, coffee-soured cocoa powdering picks up hop-toasted soy, burnt coconut, cacao nibs and dark toffee cadences.
FLYING DOG SEA SALT CARAMEL BROWN
Bona fide sea-salted caramel nuttiness softly captivates as butterscotch-candied chestnut, praline and almond illusions sway below. Though body’s a bit frail, its sharp-spiced ‘salty and sweet ‘combo never falters.
FLYING DOG BALTIC PORTER
Calm star anise adjunct influenced by semi-sweet Baker’s chocolate scape, embittered dark cocoa powdering and subtle soy saucing. Doughy chocolate midst gains modest fig-dried dark cherry tartness and distant coffee-burnt espresso snip.
(BOXING BEAR) BALTIC BEAR PORTER
Esoteric Baltic Porter contrasts brown chocolate sweetness and honeyed black molasses sinew against dried fruited souring in stylishly divergent manner. Moderate charcoal-dried hop bittering scours black grape, plum and fig illusions as dry mocha presence subsides a tad.
ANGRY ERIK HOPAROO
On tap at Amazing Grapes, lively candied grapefruit entry gains red cherry, pineapple, mango, orange and honeydew sweetness as well as wafting floral bouquet above clean-watered bitter hop bite of juicy IPA.
BOLERO SNORT MOOON LANDING GALAXY INDIA PALE ALE
Soft-toned grapefruit-peeled orange rind bittering picks up dry wood tones for streamlined Galaxy-hopped IPA. Moderate citric hop bittering lingers and watery celery undertones provide refreshingly clean respite.
BOLERO SNORT ROTATA-BULL INDIA PALE ALE
Woody Simcoe-Amarillo-Centennial hop triage inundates sharp floral-spiced yellow grapefruit bite and sweetly caramelized pale malt alacrity. After a few sips, sweet navel orange juicing gains affluence above grassy base as well.
SINGLECUT SOFTLY SPOKEN MAGIC SPELLS IIPA
Soft-focus Pacific Northwest hops bring light grain musk and dank wet grass astringency to easygoing lemony grapefruit resilience of moderate-to-medium-bodied IPA (with well-disguised 8.6% ABV). Subtle peach, mango, pineapple and tangerine tang gains momentum.
