Boldly swaggering Vienna lager loads sharp Citra-Simcoe dry hops atop oily pine resin, sweet floral perfuming and caramelized amber grain toasting. Vibrant orange-peeled yellow grapefruit tang and zesty lemon zing brighten tertiary mango, pineapple, peach, apple and pear fruiting. A fine crossover for middle-of-the-road IPA lovers.
A meal in a bottle! Peppery Belgian yeast infests lemon-dried herbal resilience, tart orange-spiced respite and rye-toasted honeyed oats spine. Well-balanced, if strangely designated, biere de garde, seemingly crosses dewy Extra Special Bitter crisping with herbal white-peppered Abbey ale musk.
Stylishly complex American pale ale retains brisk mineral-grained water crisping that smooths out lemony dry-hopped bittering, glutenous wheat-rye-whey conflux and herb-tinged earthiness.
“Balmy,” yellow-cleared, double dry-hopped pale ale retains balance and roundedness as tangy grapefruit, orange, pineapple, mango and tangerine tropicalia receives mustily reedy dewiness and raw grained minerality (reminiscent of an Extra Special Bitter) above sweet crystal malting. Never overwhelming bitter. On tap at Triton – Long Beach Island, vibrant grapefruit-peeled orange zest and sweet pineapple juicing zinged lightly pined juniper hop bittering with uncompromising sturdiness.
Fine golden blonde German styled pilsner boasts imperious motto: ‘Don’t float the mainstream.’ And that bold statement holds true by bringing pungent lemon bittering to grassy floral-spiced Saaz hops, earthen wood minerality and grain-roasted lager malts in an efficient manner.
Lupulin-hued green label of clear-yellowed pils promotes ‘mild’ German hops (as opposed to bitter American varietal). Honeyed cereal grains leave influence on softly creamed tongue. But skunked sour malt aromatics deprive sourdough base.
Ultimately bland Belgian pale ale fails due to unconvincing Hallertau hop presence and unwanted cider souring. Fluffy carbolic fizz overwhelms soggy grain malting and light citric effervescence.
On tap at Andy’s Corner Bar, coppery medium-bodied Belgian pale ale compares favorably to easygoing session lager. But grassy-hopped corn-maize astringency drags down blue-collar mediocrity. Dry rye wheat urging and wispy baguette toasting moderate musty fungi earthiness, allowing light honeyed creaminess to sweeten wavering raisin-breaded quince-pear fruiting. Nastily skunked canned version picked up sour malt liquor solvency and rancid cider derivation – an unfathomable drain pour way worse than draught option.
Tepid clear-yellowed malt liquor (despite lofty 11.6% ABV) is poor canned version of a strong pale lager. Cloyingly corn sugared alcohol solvency depletes Band-aid astringency, Scotch-licked crystal malting and sweet floral perfumed waft. Use as rubbing alcohol.
On tap at Biggie’s, inventively nostalgic oak-barreled English-styled barleywine from ’30s Newark recipe proves definitive in 2015 (11.3% ABV) version. Sharp hop-oiled IPA-like fruiting rises above rum-spiced alcohol burn and lightly creamed caramel malting. Bruised orange, red cherry, yellow grapefruit, pineapple, peach, plum, grape, peach, mango and tangerine illusions sweetened further by toffee-butterscotch sugaring to contrast oaken vanilla alcohol burn. Gentle on the tongue but forceful at the alcohol-drenched finish.
Link below is mighty thoughtful and informative:
http://beersinthehenhouse.blogspot.com/2010/02/if-ever-there-was-beer-in-american.html
Light Czech-styled pilsner (in a can) brings mild rye-breaded mineral graining and milled wheat flouring to soft lemon spritz with little fanfare. Papery cardboard acridity and slight metallic tinge desiccate barren toasted hop murk.
On tap at Poor Henry’s, locally roasted Benfatto Coffee beans provide easygoing creamed espresso entry above wispy hop char. Milk-sugared light roast coffee splendor picks up mild vanilla bean bittering and possible cinnamon snip.