Rangy upscale IPA will endear affluent hop-heads while scaring away softer palates. Elegant piney hopped fruiting cascades above creamy crystal malting, receiving an efficient alcohol burn. Apricot, peach, pineapple and pear sweetness contrasts gin-like juniper-hopped bittering. Well balanced, highly expressive, full-bodied nirvana.
All posts by John Fortunato
(DU BOCQ) LACU
Debonair Belgian pale ale ‘brewed with spices’ and ‘based on an ancient recipe’ emulates from Moscufo, Italy’s Biere D’Abbaye Lacu. Exquisite golden-hazed ‘blonde bier’ brings spring-watered lightness to sweet sourdough breading and honeyed citrus effervescence. Tart lemon-dried orange peel fruiting stays soft-toned placating polite grassy-hopped bittering and peppery coriander-clove spicing, remaining lively on the tongue. Fluctuant banana, apple and orange illusions sneak by for cameos.
BUD LIGHT PLATINUM
‘A bolder light-bodied lager’ redefining inoffensively pallid ‘lite’ category due to higher alcohol content (6%) and less calories than Budweiser (137). In a translucent cobalt blue bottle, aluminum-cleared softie brings pastry-sugared crystal malting to unspecific fruiting as delicate hops trickle through. Thankfully, avoids musty corn-dried astringency and nasty alkaloid oiling of Bud Light. Trendy 2012-originated triple-filtered offering is better, sweeter alternative to mass marketed gunk.
KEUKA RUSSIAN IMPERIAL STOUT
Anomalous (limited edition) 2011 Imperial Stout (from Adirondack Mountains’ Finger Lakes region) forgoes stylistic sweet mocha malting for sourer varietal. Vinous dried fruiting secures dank cocoa-powdered Baker’s chocolate bittering as sour cherry, prune, plum and raisin undertones find space next to burnt coffee remnant. Even the black currant reminder beats out any noticeable brown chocolate sweetness.
SOUTHERN TIER BOURBON BARREL BACKBURNER IMPERIAL BARLEYWINE
On tap at Copper Mine, glorious bourbon-aged version of standard barleywine (14% alcohol volume) perfect as slow sipping nightcap. Creamy Belgian chocolate-spiced entry enjoins brown-sugared vanilla, butterscotch, toffee and coconut sweetness as well as rum-soaked cherry, fig, prune and banana niche. Oaken remnant seeps into mocha influence. A terrific step up from original ‘back burner.’
SIXPOINT OYSTER STOUT
On tap at Copper Mine, adamant coffee bean roast and resilient cocoa-powdered dark chocolate backup engage briny salt-watered oyster shelling. Ashen nuttiness reinforces rich mocha frontage but only the slightest dried fruiting emerges.
DOGFISH HEAD POSITIVE CONTACT
On tap at Copper Mine, outlandishly hybridized witbier adds peculiar cider-spiced whimsicality to candi-sugared citric mix. Ripe red apple riff echoes through peach-lacquered lemon custard sweetness, wavering orange-candied pineapple tartness and cayenne-peppered cilantro herbage, picking up tertiary marshmallow, banana and cotton candy illusions to enlighten presumed crystal malt base.
RAMSTEIN SUMMER BOCK
On tap at Copper Mine, likable soft-toned helles bock brings polite citric-spiced lemon-limed tartness and ancillary banana sweetness to buttery white-breaded spine. Resinous herbal-hopped respite fills out delicate backend of easygoing summertime session beer.
ASS KISSER PORTER POUNDER SMOKED PORTER
Quite exquisite soft-toned smoked porter retains well-integrated bittersweet lactic mocha theme. Creamy dark chocolate-roasted maple sapping and peat-smoked cocoa malting ride above subtle wood-burnt hop sear to brown-sugared oats backdrop. Sweet vanilla, fudge and burnt toffee counter lightly embittered cocoa nibs/ Bakers chocolate conflux. Espresso coffee niche sidelined by peanut-shelled walnut, hazelnut and macadamia nuttiness as well as slightest tobacco roast. Strangely dirty earthen waft is inconsequential misnomer.
ROCK ART VERMONT MAPLE WHEAT ALE
Marginalized autumnal seasonal (brewed with maple syrup) needs better maple sapping, richer pastry-like malting and deeper honeyed wheat penetration. Syrupy sugared sinew sweetens bark-dried cedar-aged rum notch that fades way too fast to rancorous raw-honeyed dry hop astringency. Tinny finish disrupts latent chestnut, almond, pecan and toffee illusions. A nebulous disappointment less effective than Rogue’s similarly styled Voodoo Doughnut Bacon Maple Ale.
LOST ABBEY AVANT GARDE ALE
Unconvincing Farmhouse-styled ale closer to a wavering saison with its muted orange-oiled lemondrop frontage, phenol hop tingle and raw-honeyed fungi spell. Light white-breaded graining fails to properly insulate tertiary apricot, pear and apple smear.
BOCKOR CUVEE DES JACOBINS ROUGE SOUR ALE
Wonderful Flanders Red Ale collects brettanomyces barnyard funk for vinous white wine souring, dry sherry tartness, balsamic raspberry rasp and oaken cherry pucker. Candied apple remnant, lemon-dropped cranberry pucker and wispy vanilla bean bittering add depth to slow sippin’ sour ale.