On tap at Broadway Dive, well executed bourbon-aged Scotch Ale (12% ABV) brings creamy caramel-malted bourbon vanilla pleasantries to rummy molasses sugaring, syrupy dark chocolate richness and light peat-smoked whiskey dalliance. Resinous oak-charred hop astringency contrasts multiple sweet-toothed attributes. In the backdrop, toffee, toasted coconut, cola nut and molasses undertones speckle dried-fruited bruised cherry, plum, raisin, currant and black grape illusions.
On tap at Shepherd & Knucklehead, sensational Imperial Milk Stout layers whipped creamed Mascapone custard atop rum-soaked ladyfinger impression and fudgy brown chocolate malting (while nearly bettering Terrapin’s ambitious Moo-Hoo dessert treat). Subsidiary creme brulee, maple molasses, chocolate cake, toasted coconut, cherry cordial, vanilla wafer and wheat-honeyed sweetness receives powdered sugaring. For contrast, rich coffee bean bittering gains prominence alongside milky Yoo-Hoo chocolate syruping. Serve to all sweet-toothed fanatics.
On tap at Broadway Dive, deliriously complex Christmastime-spiced Imperial Stout (with mighty 10% ABV) layers creamy black chocolate syruping atop dry hop-charred roast and molasses-draped bourbon, whiskey and sherry boozing. Curtailed holiday spicing (ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon and coriander) shuffle across fudged brownie, coffee, vanilla, hazelnut and espresso nuances as well as lovely dark cherry, blackberry, rum raisin and sugarplum notions.
On tap at Broadway Dive, dry peat-smoked stout delivers dark-roasted chocolate malts to wood-burnt hop char. Ashen nuttiness, black coffee bittering, cacao nibs dalliance and smoldered charcoal singe increase full-on mocha template.
On tap at Broadway Dive, audacious IPA-inspired X-mas treat (brewed exclusively for NYC Dive Bar locales) drapes light maple syruping atop floral-spiced dried fruits and subtle cinnamon adjunct. Mild Scotch-licked dark roast malting, resinous piney hop bittering and oaken vanilla sedation awaken tangy cherry, plum, grapefruit, pineapple and orange illusions. Just a tad off-center with its clustered summer-winter mix.
Brash 2015 version (11% ABV) rocks hard as smoky dark-roasted chocolate and coffee overtones receive massive hop-charred nuttiness and chewy molasses-sapped burnt caramel sweetness. Bold mocha theme picks up latent anise-spiced dried fruiting at dry black chocolate finish.
Another fascinating Yeti! This time it’s a soothing Imperial Stout with ‘small’ raisin adjunct providing dried fruited complement to profound dark-roasted mocha malt influence and rolled oats sugaring. Gooey dark chocolate center enriches Nescafe instant coffee, powdered cocoa and cacao nibs illusions.
On tap at Shepherd & Knucklehead, passively interesting golden-hazed white stout affixes vanilla-sugared white chocolate adjunct to mild cream soda sweetness and mellow lemon meringue tartness – contrasting latent grassy-hopped astringency. But its vanilla affectation falls off before subsidiary cacao nibs, espresso and coconut illusions provide sufficient backup. Canned version contrasts lemon meringue tartness against sweet vanilla creaming, but not as convincingly.
On tap at Shepherd & Knucklehead, robust dry-bodied dark ale loads dark-roasted chocolate rye malts onto earthen Chinook hop char and burnt walnut bittering. Rampaging black coffee, burnt caramel and raw molasses illusions make deep impression upon bittersweet dark chocolate richness.
On tap at Broadway Dive, quaintly pleasing and delicately soured Berliner Weisse lifts soft white peach tartness above musty barnyard leathering, lemon-limed coriander salting and sour-milked yogurt respite. Beneath the surface, green grape esters contrasts ephemeral nectarine tang guarding lovely peach regalia.
On tap at Shepherd & Knucklehead, Napa Valley-barreled red wine esters positively affect tart saison yeast fruiting and desiccated barnyard acridity of nifty offshoot. Lemony yellow grape acidity, puckered orange juicing and zippy apple cider bite receive sedate black peppering beneath vinous Cabernet Sauvignon influence.
Anchor’s 41st Anniversary holiday ale resembles a dry porter with its burgundy-browned body, roasted mocha malting and ashen hop char. Sweet sugared spicing and evergreen freshness of many previous “Special” offerings lags, relying instead on chalky dried cocoa, nutty chocolate, black coffee and raw molasses tones to enhance dried-fruited black cherry, fig and plum illusions.
