Polite English-styled IPA lets mild oak-aged Scotch licks, dewy peat sweetness and grassy hop astringency caress zesty lemon snips over light baked bread spine. Earthen pale malts enhance oaken vanilla, crisp tobacco, fungal truffle, dried apricot and sugar glass subsidies. Soothingly smooth sessionable fare.
On tap at Ambulance, joyous Imperial IPL brings clean mineral water crisping to lively fruited hop tropicalia and biscuity cereal grain toasting. Zestful lemon-limed yellow grapefruit briskness and spiced-up mango-peach-pineapple conflux brighten up perfectly designed ‘big’ lager.
On tap at Ambulance, soft-toned sessionable light body brings impish lemon-soured tartness to toasted pale malt sugaring, light lemongrass herbage and mild grassy hop astringency. Serve to light lager fanatics.
On tap at Amazing Grapes, lemony yellow grapefruit and orange rind persistence meets sticky pine-oiled grassy hop bittering and light alkaline astringency. Tangy mango, peach, pineapple and guava tropicalia stays below piney citric interplay.
Durable Brit-American hybrid offers hard-watered English-styled herbal dewiness and toasted grain pleasantry to citric hop-forward American IPA crisping (and mild cookie dough sweetness). Zesty orange-peeled lemon rind bittering perfectly contrasts floral tangerine-grapefruit-peach-apricot tang. Recommended.
Mild lemon-candied tartness, peppy white-peppered lemongrass herbage and sweet pear-apple-banana conflux ride above thin honeyed wheat base. Wispy chamomile tea illusions flutter thru sleepy Belgian golden ale’s herbal citrus continuance.
On tap at Shepherd & Knucklehead – Hoboken, candied raspberry entry picks up mild lemon rasp and wispy floral nuance above light white wheat backbone for soft-toned, off-dry hefeweizen hybrid. A bit soapy by the dissipated raspberry finish.
On tap at Ambulance, idiosyncratic lo-cal ‘English dark mild ale’ retains ashen toffee resilience above musty brown rice tea rusticity. Soft-watered mineral graining freshens earthen truffle finish.
Most likely brewed a few miles east at Magnify and on tap at Rockaway River Barn, faux golden ale is really a semi-bold pilsner with cereal-grained honey malts and light lemon sugaring contrasting phenol hop astringency and mildly musky acridity.
On tap at Shepherd & Knucklehead – Hoboken, mild marzen links lightly creamed raw-honeyed Augustiner Vienna malting and biscuity lager yeast to serene citric-spiced briskness and dewy leafy-hopped earthiness. Note: ‘Oak’ in Oaktoberfest refers to Oakland, California’s annual beer festival instead of any true oak influence on the flavor.
WARWICK, NEW YORK
Along the rustic winding trail thru the historic Orange County town of Warwick, New York, there are several beer-centric destinations any craft brew enthusiast should check out post-haste. Popular Main Street pub, Eddie’s Roadhouse, has a quickly rotating tapped selection that included mighty Rushing Duck Part IV Barleywine and glorious dessert treat, Mikkeller Black Imperial Stout, as well as lemony German-styled moderation, Saurez Family Palatine Pilsner (reviewed at Beer Index) on my late August ’16 Saturday sojourn.
There are also two fantastic beer shops near the hilly center of town: Craft Beer Cellar and Beverage Plus II. And just down the street one mile within walking distance to the Warwick Drive-In lies the ever-popular PENNINGS FARM MARKET, a picturesque farmhouse, garden and grill that boasts a picnic-benched outdoor theatre, beer garden, food shop, plant sanctuary and grub pub.
My wife and I take a seat at the back pub to check out a few previously untried libations. Eight well-selected beers from near and far don the menu (along with one local cider). We grab a few bohemian-styled New York State brews such as Chatham Czech’rd Past Pilsner and New Paltz Hefeweizen before heading to the drive-in to watch a comedic double feature (Bad Moms and Sausage Party).
At Pennings, this cozy Old World pub features a unique 10-seat apple grater bar, a sloped maroon ceiling, several walled beer banners and fine food fodder (from the nearby kitchen). The outdoor patio-bound picnic area boasts five more separate taps.
A few days after we visited Pennings, a few more newly designed Empire State brews hit the taps: Shroon Lakes’ Paradox Beaver Bite IPA, Newburgh East Kolsch, Chatham Extra Special Bitter, Catskill Ball Lightning Pilsner and Southern Tier Tangier 2X IPA.
Ultimately, this multifarious market deserves proper recognition as its rural location beautifully contrasts New York City’s metropolitan hustle and bustle just 40 miles south. So get away from it all and relax in the countryside, y’all!
www.penningsfarmmarket.com
Considerable bourbon-barreled barleywine strikes a nerve with rich molasses-candied fruiting, chewy caramel malt creaming and boozy 11.7% ABV sway. Luscious bruised cherry, moscatel sherry, port, cognac and triple sec illusions pick up spicy tingle. Perfect late night dessert treat.
