On tap at Ambulance, 2015 draft-only Mad Scientist series continues with this heady medium-full body. Advertised cherry-pureed Black molasses bittering gains upper hand on charred hop roast and charcoal-burnt nuttiness, gaining coarse edge. Extreme ‘bitter heads’ should check it out.
On tap at Ambulance, smoothly sweet and generously creamy dessert treat tastes like a Sugar Daddy candy bar. Sugary toffee, brown chocolate, syrupy molasses, burnt caramel and cookie dough illusions reach chewy nougat center as mild peat-smoked hop roast contrasts sugary oats-flaked mocha malting. Subsidiary light-roast coffee, vanilla, cocoa, espresso and bourbon illusions add resiliency.
On tap at Ambulance, smooth cask version of frothy full body benefits greatly from toned-down dark-roasted mocha malting and soft-focus charred hop singe. Delicately creamed black chocolate, burnt caramel, dark cocoa and espresso illusions elegantly flutter above molasses-sweetened black cherry, blackberry and boysenberry undertones.
On tap at Ambulance, English brown ale perhaps stays a bit too nuttily sour for mainstream tastes. Soured prune astringency seeps into coffee-stained walnut and Brazil nut midst. Recessive brown rice tea, light-roast coffee and Blackstrap molasses illusions falter.
On tap at Ambulance, dry-hopped ’06 cult fave (with heavily kilned rye and wheat malting) makes comeback eight years hence. ‘De-bitterized’ black rye graining picks up ashen hop char, black toast acridity and burnt nuttiness. Black chocolate roast and raw molasses bittering deepen complexity.
On tap at Blue Ribbon Tavern, creamy vanilla bean version of fabulous dark ale spreads dark-roasted mocha malting across molasses-sugared flaked oats. Bittersweet vanilla piquancy deepened by black chocolate influence. Milked coffee, caramel latte, cappuccino, espresso, oatmeal cookie and chocolate chip illusions play superb backup for fine dessert treat.
Signature ‘robust dark ale’ offers light grain roast to nutty mocha richness and charred hop bittering. Toasted walnut-hazelnut conflux picks up black toast, Blackstrap molasses, black chocolate, black coffee and dark cocoa illusions for formidable backdrop.
Thin “Southern stout” needs deeper sweet potato penetration for lactic milk-sugared dark chocolate malting. Wood-charred nuttiness, raw molasses bittering, Baker’s chocolate chalking, candied yam hesitance and dark-roasted ground coffee snip lose out to ashen chicory acridity. Sour-creamed mocha finish dissolves quickly.
Sessionable moderate body brings subtle pecan roast to faded caramel-toffee sugaring. Honeyed peanut, praline, cola nut and brown rice tea illusions stay below the surface. Cardboard-like malts pick up buttery rye smidge at the distant nutty finish.
Confusingly “rustic” Delta Blues-inspired ale (with unsuspecting 8% ABV) recalls a nondescript brown ale with its phenolic maple-honeyed pecan and walnut influence as well as deficient caramel malting and meager earthen singe. Light pine twinge, delicate citrus tinge and latent black tea fringe overrun by metallic astringency.
Exquisite 2014 rum-barrel aged pumpkin ale sequel brings lemony orange peel souring to the fore alongside roasted pumpkin spicing. Vanilla beans lightly embitter the sour citric facade until autumnal brown-sugared gingerbread, cinnamon and nutmeg seasoning sweetens the pumpkin puree finish.
Lactic amber-cleared wild ale spreads acidic orange-soured lemon rot across white-wined vinegaring and herbal whims. Green grape tartness and raspberry vinaigrette bittering influence sharp citric facade. Rustic earthen compost waft picks up horse-blanketed hay, alfalfa and barnyard mustiness. Nowhere near as good as brewers’ sterling Omega.