Dry reedy-hopped nuttiness battles back brisk citric pining and varnished wood tones for unspecific medium-bodied dark ale. Phenolic nature and soapy undercurrent blur ashen walnut-roasted Brazil nut bittering and resinous hemp oiling.
All posts by John Fortunato
VICTORY 4 HOP BOCK
On tap at Shepherd & Knucklehead, springtime heller bock brings German pilsner yeast to zesty lemon dusting and floral honey mead wining. Delicate clay-hopped spicing tingles effervescent citric-soured finish. Grassy reminder nudges light white wheat spine.
NEW ENGLAND PREMEDITATED MURDER BARLEYWINE
“Ominous” full-bodied barleywine layers creamy dark-roasted mocha richness into resinous piney-hopped dried fruiting. Caramelized brown chocolate malts allow cocoa, molasses, toffee and vanilla undertones to graze fruit-caked fig, raisin and black cherry illusions as well as Madagascar bourbon vanilla nuances.
(CAPE ANN) FISHERMAN’S IMPERIAL PUMPKIN STOUT
Essentially, a more robust and intense version of brewers’ pumpkin stout. Larger dark-roasted black chocolate contingent rides above dry ginger-cinnamon-nutmeg spicing and brown-sugared molasses creaming. Beechwood-like smokiness drapes rich mocha malting. Distant florality adds depth to pumpkin-spiced backdrop.
STARR HILL BOXCAR PUMPKIN PORTER
Murky English-styled porter buries autumnal pumpkin pie spicing below fleeting black chocolate prominence. Dark-roasted mocha malt smokiness and ashen hop-charred nuttiness deplete vague cinnamon-nutmeg-ginger spicing. Black licorice reminder done in by dull plastique veneer.
TERRAPIN TREE HUGGER ALE
Bland German-styled altbier with diacetyl ESB-like toasted graining obstructing indifferent fig-soured herbal spicing. Raw molasses acridity picks up nasty metallic sheen.
NEBRASKA MELANGE A TROIS BELGIAN ALE (AGED IN CHARDONNAY)
Exquisite Belgian-styled blonde ale aged in French Oak Chardonnay barrels balances sweet n’ sour accents well. Vinous white grape pucker and oaken cherry bittering beautifully contrasted by vanilla-creamed honeyed mead sweetness. Ancillary peach, nectarine, pineapple and green apple tang envelops champagne-bubbled dry bourbon perk, musky white-peppered lemongrass tingle and latent lemon curry snip.
BALLAST POINT SEXTANT OATMEAL STOUT
On tap at Shepherd & Knucklehead, thin one-dimensional dark ale loses initial Hershey’s Kiss black chocolate delight and settles for arid hop-charred nuttiness. Despite adding Cafe Calabria coffee to barley-flaked oats roast, lactic cocoa-powdered acridity and sooty peat reminder outdo quick java swipe. Mucky mocha murk diverts black cherry snip. Way too watery, inefficient and uninvolving.
(COLORADO) GUANABARA IMPERIAL STOUT
Curious Brazilian stout (a.k.a Ithaca) nearly drowns out stylistic brown chocolate creaming with vinous purple grape souring and dry burgundy-wined plum, fig and date uprising. Warbly coffee-burnt molasses undertones drape sharp hop-spiced sensation. Soy-milked snip and charcoal blip make cameos. But expansive flavor profile seems murky.
(LOCAL OPTION) BLOOD OV THE KINGS
Balanced, though nondescript, pale wheat ale (bottled for Illinois’ Local Option Bierwerker) recalls rich multi-grained Extra Special Bitter. Clean-watered minerality allows brisk lemon crisping to soften bread-crusted wheat biscuit midst. Dewy herbaceous remnant and a hint of brown rice found at unresolved finish.
CAVALRY ARTICLE 15 NUT BROWN ALE
Perfectly straightforward English-styled brown ale just a tad less rounded than astonishing Samuel Smith Nut Brown Ale. Maple-sugared hazelnut and cola sweetness contrasts astringent walnut-dried hop char and raw molasses bittering. Tobacco-roasted barley malt crisping enhances pleasant nutty resolve. Brown-sugared dark toffee undertones increase sweet side.
KEEGAN LONGEST DAY IPA
Sessionable summertime fodder evenly spreads stylistic citric-pined bittering across creamy crystal malt sweetness and grassy hop florality. Moderate orange-peeled pineapple, grapefruit and apricot tang well-suited for softer thirsts ready to explore more approachable India Pale Ales.
