All posts by John Fortunato

MAGIC HAT DEMO I.P.A.

February 28, 2011Beers A-Zblack ipaJohn Fortunato

Slick Black India Pale Ale (redefined as Cascadian Dark Ale) may lack sufficient hop bite and malt thrust, but its overall appeal maintains predictable efficiency. Black grape, blackberry, and black cherry (usual Black IPA suspects) reach mildly creamy milk chocolate center. Weedy fennel spicing and terse black currant dicing reach recessive molasses-sapped nut-tinged chicory coffee bittering.

COTTRELL OLD YANKEE ALE

February 28, 2011Beers A-Zpale aleJohn Fortunato

Basic moderate-bodied session beer perhaps closer to easygoing toasted lager than fruitful pale ale. Jaunty cereal-grained almond, pecan, and marzipan conflux drapes citric-dried lemon zest tingle. Mild orange-tangerine tang envelops roasted caramel malting. Phenol hop fizzing underscores doughy salted pretzel buttering.

SIXPOINT SEHR CRISP PILSNER

February 28, 2011Beers A-Zlight pilsner, SIXPOINT CRAFT ALESJohn Fortunato

On tap, brusque German-style bohemian pilsner retains musty bread-crusted grain malting, dried-out yellow-fruited pungency and earthen hop musk. Sweet biscuit-y notion placates raw wheat bottom, sour mash wort and mild resinous bittering. Stylistically robust. The Crisp - Pilsner Malt - Year Round Beer Options - Sixpoint Brewery

The Crisp - Pilsner Malt - Year Round Beer Options - Sixpoint Brewery

GREENPORT HARBOR TRITON BARLEYWINE

February 17, 2011Beers A-ZbarleywineJohn Fortunato

On tap, velvety soft-tongued ‘strong ale’ doesn’t try to knock guzzler over the head with covert 9% alcohol whir. Instead, brisk India Pale Ale-like floral fruiting and sugary caramel-crystal malting overtake relegated spice-hopped bittering. Sweet-buttered peach, pear, and orange tang gains luster over syrupy molasses sapping. Triton - Greenport Harbor Brewing Company - Untappd

Triton - Greenport Harbor Brewing Company - Untappd

VICTORY HARVEST PILS

February 17, 2011Beers A-Zlight pilsnerJohn Fortunato

Rustic German pilsner pleats leathery barnyard astringency with wood-dried lemon rot, peach mold, and mildewed orange coarseness. Mowed grass, horsehair, hay, and alfalfa harbor raw wheat backdrop. Iodine-like alcohol acridity, vegetal anomaly, and cardboard papering nearly sabotage protracted citric pungency.

HARPOON LEVIATHAN TRITICUS

February 17, 2011Beers A-Zwheat wineJohn Fortunato

Adventurous unfiltered dry-hopped wheat-wined ale blends dark fruited maple-molasses malting with rum-spiced bourbon-burgundy-sherry stimulation and sticky anise-currant viscosity. Fluctuant black cherry, blueberry, raisin, and grape illusions enrich chewy caramel-chocolate ascension.

BLUE POINT OLD HOWLING BASTARD ’09

February 17, 2011Beers A-ZbarleywineJohn Fortunato

On tap, sinister wintry aged barleywine emits creamy molasses-honeyed brown-sugared sweetness and massive IPA-like fruit tang above acetous wood-dried alcohol-burnt juniper bittering. Scotch-malted cherry, blueberry, peach, nectarine, and apricot engage raisin-breaded vanilla-caked Graham Cracker spine. Resinous hop-oiled pine needling bleeds into caramelized rye glaze.

GRAND TETON XX BITCH CREEK DOUBLE ESB

February 17, 2011Beers A-ZesbJohn Fortunato

Nearly as fabulous as original 20^th anniversary ’08 Bitch Creek, this cellar-reserved bottle-conditioned double-malted double-hopped strong ale retains ripe fruiting and deep spicing of inceptive version. Sharper woody hopped bittering brings iodine-like alcohol burn to everlasting aftertaste, contrasting crisp mineral-grained fresh water soothe while overriding grapefruit-peeled pineapple, apple, pear, and orange tang. Centralized chocolate-cocoa malting opposes cellar-like fungi yeast musk.

STILLWATER ARTISANAL AMERICAN FARMHOUSE ALE

February 17, 2011Beers A-ZsaisonJohn Fortunato

Curious gold-hazed beige-headed saison-styled farmhouse ‘wheat ale brewed with sage’ perfectly combines herbs, spices, and fruits. Black-peppered bay-leafed sage, hibiscus, lemongrass, rosemary, and lavender bolster lacquered clover-honeyed pineapple-tangerine-cherry-apricot tang before musty cellar funk plunders mild lemon-seeded grapefruit-peeled lime-lined bittering.

SIERRA NEVADA CELEBRATION ‘FRESH HOP ALE’ 2010

February 17, 2011Beers A-Zindia pale aleJohn Fortunato

Well-balanced whole-cone hopped India Pale Ale maintains worthily straightforward appeal. Tangy grapefruit-peeled apricot, apple, orange, melon, and cantaloupe fruiting perfectly juxtaposing piney hop-spiced juniper bittering freshly crisps intangible mineral-grained backup.

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SIERRA NEVADA HOPTIMUM IMPERIAL I.P.A.

February 17, 2011Beers A-Zimperial india pale aleJohn Fortunato

Complex ‘whole-cone’ hopped bitter drops alcohol-burnt juniper solvency into sugar-caned tropical fruiting and candied apple sweetness. Grapefruit-peeled peach, pineapple, mango, tangerine, and nectarine tang invigorates sticky maple-sapped pine-combed hop bite. Crisp California coastal water freshens intriguing hop-head fave.

MAGIC HAT HEX

February 17, 2011Beers A-Zamber aleJohn Fortunato

Perfunctory moderate-bodied gold-hazed ‘Ourtoberfest’ (registered as nebulous amber ale) lacks expectant autumnal gourd seasoning and suffers slightly from metallic soapiness. Mild honey-glazed pale malting weakened by soured orange-spiced lick, astringent lemon-drop slip, and arid apple-skinned apricot blip to washed-out dry-hopped citric finish. Slick toffee-caramel influence too weak to matter.

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