Stylishly thin canned India Pale Ale maintains “aggressively laid-back” temperament, mildly black-peppered piney hop bittering and dainty floral respite. Light yellow grapefruit, orange, mango and lemon zesting brightens the overall tone.
All posts by John Fortunato
TWO ROADS ROADS GARDEN SAISON
Inviting edible flowering provides temptingly particular vibrancy to intriguingly complex saison. Tart lemon frontage gains herbal chamomile spell for refreshing lavender-calendula bouquet. Light white-peppered hop bittering contrasts honeyed pale malt sweetness as lively lemon meringue, lemon custard and lemon basil illusions tingle the tongue.
TROEGS MASTER OF PUMPKINS
Stylish brown-sugared pumpkin pie spicing given ginger-minted freshness as well as a lemony champagne twist (emanating from French saison yeast). Ample cinnamon, nutmeg, clove and coriander seasoning sweetens light vanilla creaming to contrast roasted pumpkin vegetalia.
BAXTER HAYRIDE AUTUMN ALE
Better-than-average canned medium body (lightly aged on American oak) offers sweet-spiced rye toasting to indistinct orange-peeled ginger and peppercorn adjuncts. Rich chocolate backdrop absorbs caraway-seeded rye influence to contrast resinous earthen nuttiness.
NARRAGANSETT HAVE A HEFEWEIZEN!
Mild and metallic canned hefe needs sweeter lemony banana tartness, more distinct coriander-clove spicing and thicker doughy wheat spine. Spritzy carbolic briskness brings lemony orange misting.
SOUTHERN TIER ONE BUFFALO
Straightforward yellow-cleared blonde ale slides down the throat with ease. Sugary citric-spiced pale malt pleasantry spreads across musky oats-wheat graining and earthen hop moderation. Crystalline German pilsner-like mineral base maintains easygoing flow. Fine mainstream brew served at Buffalo Sabres game.
STILLWATER AS FOLLOWS BELGIAN-STYLE GOLDEN ALE
Exhilaratingly zestful tripel-like moderation (with well-disguised 9% ABV) drapes lemon-sugared mandarin orange tang above creamy crystal malting and mild white-peppered hop herbage. In the midst, cotton-candied peach, pineapple and pear fruiting gains sweet vanilla snip and tart banana whim as salty Seltzer spritz crackles on the tongue. A blissful stylistic delight!
CUBS WIN WORLD SERIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I could not explain how huge this World Series win was. Watching every game possible on WGN and going to college in Chi-town to get tix to watch my favorite team. As a long-time suffering fan from NYC and fan of Randy Hundley and Billy Williams and Ron Santo and Ernie Banks, THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART! Holy Christ I don’t believe it!
TAPHOUSE 15
JEFFERSON, NEW JERSEY
Inside a meticulous maroon-hued freestanding edifice stationed at the middle of Route 15 in the northwest Jersey town of Jefferson (a few miles south of Sparta’s beer-centric Mohawk House), TAPHOUSE 15 opened for business, December ’15. Described as a “quintessential neighborhood gathering place,” its charmingly quaint ’70’s-vintage decor includes intermittent tiled walls, puke green booths and pristinely detailed stacked stone walls.
A mod American grill with a penchant for well-selected craft beer, Taphouse 15’s creative food menu features wood-fired pizza, burgers, nachos, baked crab, artichoke dip, tuna poke and thai calamari. Dining tables sidle the U-shaped bar and a separate left side room offers a beautiful gas-fueled hearth, Edison lights, leathery orange chairs and wood tables. Large screen TV’s are everywhere and provide an upscale sportsbar atmosphere.
I grab a seat at the black slate-topped 25-seat central bar and grab three diverse brews to go alongside a mid-afternoon Fig & Prosciutto Pizza. An antique automobile enthusiast sitting next to me enjoys the Schaumburg Car Show Auction while consuming white wine. I quaff lemon-dried, floral-perfumed Carton Harvest Ekuanot as well as oats-flaked, citric-spiced Terrapin All American Oat Pale Ale and lightly bourbon-aged Abita Bourbon Street Mint Julep Stout (all fully reviewed in Beer Index).
On second visit a week later on a crowded Friday afternoon before Halloween, enjoyed Happy Hour with three fascinating Southern Tier brews and delicious Thai Calamari. While Southern Tier Nitro Milk Maple Bourbon soothed the tongue with its éclair-headed creaminess and maple-molasses milk chocolate center, Rum Barrel Pumking and Cold Press Coffee Imperial Pumking subtly expanded the horizon of its original autumnal Pumking offering (all fully reviewed in Beer Index).
Posh, yet unfussy, Taphouse 15 will please beer geeks and local freaks with its fine pub food, delightful draft-bottled beer and cleanly sleek vibrancy. I’ve returned here many times since.
taphouse15.com
SOUTHERN TIER RUM BARREL AGED PUMKING
On tap at Taphouse 15, delightful (10.7% ABV) rum-barreled 2016 version of Imperial Pumking brings delicately spicy rum twist to brown-sugared pumpkin pie spicing. Cinnamon-toasted nutmeg, allspice and clove seasoning embraces latent molasses-sapped vanilla cake sweetness as well as brandy-soaked raisin snip to Graham Cracker-like wheat base. On tap at Morris Tap & Grill, Jolly Roger rum aging retains dry whiskey edge to contrast pumpkin pie sweetness for 13.4% 2018 version.
SOUTHERN TIER NITRO MILK STOUT AGED IN MAPLE BOURBON BARRELS
On tap at Taphouse 15, smoothly creamed éclair-headed nitro stout caresses milk chocolate mildness with subtle maple molasses bourbon sweetness, caramelized vanilla sugaring, toasted marshmallow niceties and black cherry hints. Dainty on the tongue.
RIVER HORSE HIPP-O-LANTERN IMPERIAL PUMPKIN – CASK (BOURBON CHIPS)
On tap at River Of Beer, cask-conditioned version steeped in bourbon chips maintains soft flow for delicate pumpkin pie spicing, toned-down molasses waver and dainty vanilla wisp. After a few sips, zesty lemony orange frisk settles alongside subtle pumpkin-spiced gingerbread, cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg seasoning.