On tap at Poor Henry’s, ill-defined Belgian IPA tastes more like a citric-dried American pale ale with its parched wood tone and bitter grapefruit rind tartness guarding sweet orange-peeled lemon, clementine and tangerine crisping. Light crystal malting and subtle coriander spicing sweeten backend of sessionable summertime dry body.
All posts by John Fortunato
OTTER CREEK BACKSEAT BERNER IPA
Brute citric hop bittering and musky pine needling fortify zesty medium-full body. Brisk grapefruit and orange rind bittering contrasts lighter candi-sugared tropical fruiting. Juicy pineapple, tangerine, mango and lemon tang adds sunny glaze to dry herb-induced citric finish.
CAMBRIDGE RED GOD RED ALE
On tap at Track 84, ambitious ‘ultra-hoppy’ Imperial red ale offers resinously wooded grapefruit-dried red apple skin dryness to raw-honeyed herbal spicing, dank cellar musk and leafy Simcoe-Amarillo hop rusticity. Light orange, peach and tangerine illusions linger below the surface.
MAYFLOWER SQUANTO FARMHOUSE ALE
On tap at Track 84, slightly askew limited edition (2015) saison brings wood-grained lemony grapefruit tartness to hop-spiced herbal tea stead. Wispy lemongrass, white pepper and earthen soil accents contrast tertiary banana bubblegum sweetness at sour citric finish.
HENNIKER HOMETOWN DOUBLE BROWN ALE
Monstrous mocha nuttiness comes to the fore above molasses-embittered hop char of rich Imperial Brown Ale. Chewy dark chocolate malting picks up brown-sugared hazelnut and pecan sweetness to contrast burnt walnut affluence.
HEAVY SEAS LOOSE CANNON HOP 3 ALE (GRAPEFRUIT ZEST)
On tap at Track 84, zesty grapefruit-juiced version of triumphant dry-hopped IPA retains softly creamed crystal malting and brisk lemon bittering. Delicate floral-daubed wood tones settle below sharp grapefruit adjunct. Quite refreshing.
MAGIC HAT ELECTRIC PEEL GRAPEFRUIT IPA
On tap at Aidan’s, brisk yellow grapefruit tang embittered by spry lemon rind pucker. Sugared crystal malting and light floral illusions contrast moderate citric bittering. Expressive grapefruit theme will please citra hop enthusiasts.
3 BEARDS SCALLYWAG IMPERIAL STOUT
Reasonably good scallywag brings oats-charred black patent malting, dry hop tarring and raw molasses bittering to dark-roasted chocolate setting, picking up mild burgundy licks at the bittersweet mocha finish.
3 BEARDS COW PUNCHER INDIA PALE ALE
Appealing dry-hopped West Coast-styled IPA utilizes chewy cookie dough yeast to envelop mildly embittered grapefruit-peeled orange tang, sweet pear-apple-peach conflux and delicate floral restraint. Light caramel malt spine holds up.
(3 BEARDS) BEARDED LADY RYE & RASPBERRY BELGIAN PALE ALE
Docile rye-spiced caramel malting provides soft-toned easement for sweet ‘n sour raspberry rasp infiltrating unspecific Belgian pale ale. Light candied Belgian yeast influence gets lost amongst fading raspberry tartness and overt carbolic spritz by mildly tangy fruited finish.
BREW KETTLE WHITE RAJAH INDIA PALE ALE
‘Assertive’ West Coast-styled IPA elevates brisk citric-hopped juniper bittering above dank pine resin and mild floral-spiced herbage. Lemony yellow grapefruit rampage gains weedy lupulin pungency to contrast sweet orange, peach, pineapple, nectarine and mango tang. Light rye-pale-crystal malting picks up veggie tinge. Astringent grain alcohol aftertaste lingers alongside citric tropicalia. Brew Kettle’s one of Ohio’s finest brewers and White Rajah’s arguably their best brew.
BREW KETTLE BLACK RAJAH INDIA-STYLE BLACK ALE
Caliginous mocha-influenced IPA brings dark-roasted black chocolate malting to resinous piney hop bittering and mild nut char, leaving stylish grapefruit-pineapple contingent way in the back. Light cocoa, coffee and raw molasses undertones fasten richly bittersweet mocha finish.
