On tap at Poor Henry’s, local Jersey blueberries get lightly soured over dried apricot, fig and plum supplement for newly hybridized berry-fruited saison. Gluey fructose malt extract adds slick plasticine glaze to descending waxy blueberry adjunct while saison yeast adds proper cellar funk to spritzy lemon rind bittering awaiting salted blueberry finish.
Initial blueberry compost lacquering and hefty blueberry waft fall off as phenol hop astringency and arid carbolic spritz oppress gluey pastry malt sweetness (and wafting floral perfuming).
Recalling a lactic Berliner Weiss with its delicate salt-spiced dried fruiting and ersatz woodruff syruping, unbounded saison provides desiccated white peach souring to briny black peppercorn respite, picking up lightly vinous green grape esters, distant lemon-limed watermelon dehydration and oaken vanilla riffs beneath the musky peach surface.
Resilient chili peppered heat contrasts advancing ginger-spiced peach sweetness. Ripe peach overtones gain sugary wheat-honeyed caramel malting and mild passionfruit-jammed Galaxy hop serenity. Intense peach-peppered persistence picks up wispy yellow grapefruit, sugared fig, apricot and tangerine illusions as peppery heat subsides.
Stylish departure relies more on sour lemon spritz and phenol-hopped acidulated malting than understated banana-clove expectancy. Ancillary vinous green grape esters and tart gooseberry notions add to slightly soured citrus nature (while smoked beechwood nuances come out of nowhere). On tap at Pennings Farm, mid-level hefeweizen sustains dry sour-candied lemon tartness while lowering stylish banana-clove sweetness above light wheat wafer base.
Classic Bohemian pilsner brings mild grain-toasted Czech hop pungency and musky lemon rot to pasty caramel malts and distant soy-sauced brown rice wisp. Just a tad cloy when warmed.
On tap at Eddie’s Roadhouse, crisp German pils guides freshly-squeezed lemon spritz and light herbal nuances across mild earthen hop pungency. Light grain-toasted caramel malting, sugar-spiced toffee restraint, mandarin orange neutrality and prune-dried retreat provide sweet contrast.
Brisk lemony orange-grapefruit-pineapple tang lightly embittered by musky mineral graining and grassy citric-spiced Galaxy hop dankness to its toasted biscuit wheat base. Wispy herbal and floral tones relegated.
On tap at River Of Beer, luscious 20th Anniversary celebrator lacquers tropical pineapple, grapefruit, orange, cantaloupe and mango tang atop creamily rum-spiced sugar malts. Crisp, clean and refreshing, hiding intense 10% ABV astringency, oily pine resin and mild floral bouquet beneath fruitful splendor.
On tap at Julian’s, fine West Coast Imperial IPA takes on richer malt-sugared profile than usual citric-pined hop-forward fare. Bitter lemony grapefruit-orange expectancy balanced abruptly by honeyed pineapple, mango, peach and papaya tropicalia as well as light floral herbage.
Understated moderation combines herbal black-peppered farmhouse yeast with funky fungi-fruited fragility and musky raw-honeyed astringency. Orange-peeled coriander spicing dissipates as cidery green grape esters grow sourer alongside lemony yellow grapefruit, banana and peach tones.
On tap at Poor Henry’s, aggressive 2016 limited edition Imperial IPA proves original as brisk citra-hopped avocado flower honey heightens floral-sweetened fruit juicing over chewy whiskey-daubed caramel malting. Capacious pink grapefruit, Valencia orange, red cherry, mango, pineapple, papaya, guava and apple bouquet really sings out! Minor earthen pine resin adds light astringency to the underside of ambitious avocado-honeyed 20th anniversary hybrid.
