Understated straw-hazed pearly-headed summer ale (known previously as tap-only Eugene City Tracktown Honey Orange) brings subtle candi-sugared fruiting and herbal spicing to paper-thin oats spine. Mild wildflower-honeyed orange peel, lemon meringue, coriander, chamomile and menthol adjuncts brighten salty peppered grassy hop stead. Tertiary watermelon-soured tartness and tranquil lime spritz complete sunny light-bodied mood.
Obtuse clear-yellowed pearly-headed springtime ’10 moderation brings unexpected corn-dried barley-hopped bittering to mild fruit-soured rye breading. Lacks dominant sweetly soured fruitiness benefiting other kolsch beers. Citric-dried lemon-pitted iodine-tinged aftertaste may be off-putting.
Interesting Marzen-styled lager places cherry jubilee, rhubarb pie, and whiskey-soured cherry illusions above phenol-hopped earthiness to dry rye spine. Ancillary strawberry-peach-grape sourness, tertiary cinnamon-allspice spicing, and twiggy wood tinge fill out busy backdrop.
Soft yellow-fruited Cascade-hopped light-bodied American wheat ale makes for refreshingly clean lawnmower fare. Lemony lime zest goes under the radar, herbal whim is nebulous and delicate white-breaded spine falters on first tasting. Yellow grape, green apple, and white peach illusions are barely audible. On ’13 re-tasting: Summery lemon zest briskness lingered better over sweeter glass-sugared honeyed wheat spine. On tap at Tommy Fox’s, lemony orange peel tartness picked up herbal perfumed whim.
Scottish brewer specializes in lighter-bodied 4% alcohol beverages. Subtle opaque auburn moderation lacks depth but not flavor. Sweet ‘n sour walnut-seared hazelnut glaze cuts through pleasant cocoa-chocolate buttering and distant brown-sugared raisin-fig dash secured by cake-like pastry malting. Ashen leafy-hopped sear counters any leftover sweetness.
Too tame and pallid to be offensive, unenthusiastic ‘session ale’ will please less finicky ale heads yearning for an inexpressive light-bodied refreshment. Peculiar earthen fungi yeast and cardboard-y vegetal nuance take away from muted orange-oiled sour-candied tartness to cracked wheat spine. Blasé.
Smoother, less fruity, and less wood-embittered than most American-styled IPA’s, but quite rewarding as a simpler moderate-bodied changeup. Resinous earthen hop bittering comes to the fore, then fades abruptly as tangy orange-candied apricot-apple-pineapple mildness upends lemony grapefruit zest to toasted bread spine. Chewy honeyed malts underscore thin fruiting. Serve as crossover to lighter ale thirsts who’ll appreciate its understated nature.
Peculiar peat-mossy root-gingered herbal earthiness funks up oats-charred cola nuttiness to ashen smoked malt bottom. Sour soy saucing, curried cayenne peppering and black grape tannins increase herbal porter’s unconventionality. Rosemary, sage and thyme make background cameos. It’s all too much. Sake drinkers may enjoy alongside blackened steak grill.
BROOKLYN BREWERY
The bulk of New York’s beer elite converged upon Williamsburg’s eminent Brooklyn Brewery early September to promote 2010’s 3rd Annual NY Craft Beer.
It’s no surprise Brooklyn Brewery held NY Craft Beer Week’s press party at the old matzo ball factory they’ve occupied since ’96. There are few national competitors that boast such an arsenal of finely designed brews. Gathering at the tasting room for the pre-festival jaunt were several industry hotshots such as Yankee Brew News editor, Gregg Glaser, Shmaltz Brewing entrepreneur, Jeremy Cowan, and our devoted toastmaster, Garrett Oliver.
Oliver alluded to Brooklyn Brewery’s inconspicuous opening after an informal meet-and-greet. The pioneering brewer recalled his days at a defunct Manhattan brewery a decade after New York’s stalwart Rheingold and Schaefer breweries shut down. Though humbled at being part of Williamsburg’s recent arts renaissance, the cordial Brooklyn brewer warrants merit.
Alongside an ascending indie rock scene that’s second to none, he’s clearly revived the Big Apple’s brew crew. In 1900, 48 breweries existed in New York City, but Prohibition reared its ugly head, by 1980, none were left. However, new-sprung brewers, Kelso and Sixpoint, have helped Brooklyn’s revitalization.
“In 1994, nobody was on the streets. Tumbleweeds were rolling by,” Oliver reminisces about the once-dangerous neighborhood that’s now part of north side King County’s booming reawakening. Entering via a side entrance door, large brew tanks welcomed guests to Brooklyn’s brick-walled taproom, where exposed wooden beams and ducts provide a rustic warehouse feel tripled by the recently acquired 14,000 square foot space next door (adjacent to prevalent multi-venue Brooklyn Bowl).
Getting to the event early, I casually relished four inaugural host brews before the mad rush began. My complimentary glass captured four excellent Brooklyn brews. Mexicali-styled orange-spiced wood-hopped Sabroso Light Pils, placed mild orange-oiled lemon zest above dark floral nuances and herbal spices.
San Diego-styled pine-sappy red-fruited Detonation IPA retained a creamy brown-sugared red-fruited pine sapping reinforcing alcohol-whirred juniper-embittered pear-apricot-pineapple fruiting, tangy red apple juicing and herbaceous undertones.
Dortmunder-like Octoberfest brought soured cocoa and roasted chocolate to vegetal fungi, sugared fig, orange compote, and marmalade illusions.
Perhaps best of all, Cookie Jar Porter deconstructed an oatmeal raisin cookie recipe. Frothy brown-sugared Baker’s chocolate sufficiency and soft-watered peat-malted rye wheat spine amplify scrumptious chocolate-milked cookie dough theme thickened by sharp hop-charred fig-juiced raisin-pureed burgundy-dried stewed prune depth.
After munching down a hot dog (supplied by nearby Meat Hook) and cheesy comestibles supplied by Murray’s Cheese, I quaffed several newly discovered brews soon to be featured at New York Beer Craft Week (and reviewed fully in Beer Index section).
First, representing the South was Florida’s Cigar City Jai Alai IPA, a pine-spruced pear-browned apple-spiced bitter. Out of the Midwest came Goose Island Fleur, a soft-watered prickly-hopped hibiscus-flowered high-end Belgian knockoff.
Exemplifying the Northeast were Pennsylvania’s Victory Saison du Buff (an herbal Stone-Dogfish Head collaboration delegate Bill Covaleski claims will take your mind on an excursion); Maine’s Allagash Black Belgian-Style Stout (a dramatic chocolate-spiced tar-charred espresso alternative); and Cooperstown’s Ommegang Cup O Kindness (a malt-smoked meat-cured Belgian-styled Scotch ale curiosity.
At the top of America’s current Craft Beer Movement, Brooklyn Brewery has just started returning New York City to the glorious pre-Prohibition beer hall days by educating locals about interestingly diversified libations. And there’s always a few limited edition specialty brews waiting to be quaffed at the commodious tasting room.
Bringing back memories of riding pure blue-watered Mission Street waves in San Diego, fresh-fruited caramel-malted medium-to-full body renders fine West Coast IPA styling. Pine-spruced forest waft reinforces hop-charred grapefruit rind bittering above brisk apricot-tangerine-orange tang and tropical pineapple-mango-papaya sweetness. Granny Smith apple souring provides extra dimension.
Engaging 2010 autumnal treat amasses brown-sugared cinnamon-spiced pumpkin pie incisiveness above crystal-malted vanilla-extracted nutmeg-allspice tingle. Muscat grape and sun-dried fig illusions coerce white-wined cider-sharp souring that may be off-putting to less creative drinkers. Fuzzy carbolic fizz washes away some flavoring. 2012 version: dryer gourd astringency suffocates musty pumpkin pie spicing, sweet-spiced berry fruiting, lickety-split lemon souring and beckoning sourdough yeastiness.
