Ineluctable whiskey barrel aging adds sweet bourbon and dry Scotch alacrity to hybridized Belgian-style strong ale. Smoked cherry wood malting at peat-seared beechwood entry fades out to abundant rum-spiced brown chocolate midst. Brown-sugared maple sapping influences ancillary toffee, vanilla and hazelnut illusions as well as wispy cherry-fig conflux. Despite lacking advertised smokiness at busy mocha-spiced finish, rich chocolate dessert is highly satisfying slow sipper.
Confusingly indistinct ‘ruby farmhouse ale’ lacks stylistic specificity. Closer to a British-styled pale ale with its nominal barley toasting and mild hop spicing, but not far removed from an English Bitter’s dewy peated minerality and rye graining. Belgian ale yeast may induce lulling citric florality.
Even keeled IPA never allows stylishly justified piney fruited bittering to outmuscle caramel-toasted honeyed wheat sweetness. Hard-hitting hopheads may be upset, but others will enjoy less embittered profile. Behind brisk grapefruit peel overtones lie sugar-spiced peach, orange, tangerine and lemon illusions. Dark floral perfumed hops reinforce fresh-watered citric effervescence.
