Dreary ‘one-time ’08 release’ too light up-front to maintain effective rauchbier oeuvre. Singed rye malts bring wood-smoked maple-glazed bacon and beef jerky illusions to dark spicing in need of pricklier hop jab. Lacking prolonged smoked malt intensity of better German rauchbiers, this soapy Side Project’s indistinct.
All posts by John Fortunato
TERRAPIN RYE SQUARED IMPERIAL PALE ALE
Sinewy honeyed amber hue nearly as thick as syrupy sugar malt creaminess. Hop-spiced butterscotch-enriched almond-marzipan sweetness (reminiscent of Blue Point Toasted Lager’s original version) absorbs latent floral-tingled pineapple-grapefruit dash to rye-induced breadcrumb bottom.
TERRAPIN RYE PALE ALE
Cozy dark amber augments subtle rye dryness with spruce-pine buffer and pleasant lemon-hopped spicing. Juicy orange-ripened red grapefruit tang entwines sugared malts countering oncoming raw-honeyed black tea bitterness.
TERRAPIN GOLDEN ALE
Grainy golden ale is casual fence-sitter, lacking adequate overall sweetness to counter emergent molded rye bittering. Brown-sugared honey biscuit nicety overlays maize-flaked corn-buttered dryness. As rye influence diminishes, orange pastry illusion caresses thin floral-spiced hop tingle.
TERRAPIN CREAM ALE
Not unduly original amongst subordinate stylistic competitors, but crisp lemony grapefruit slurp and bittersweet hop spicing enliven taut barley-toasted wheat-cracked baked bread spine above usual lawnmower session beers. Popcorn illusions will turn on lightweight pilsner addicts and Bud Lite suckers.
TERMINAL GRAVITY I.P.A.
Up-front piney ebb given prudent spiced hop bitterness, fresh fruit framing, and tame floral accents. Peach, apricot, mango, and melon fruiting squelched by resinous earthen mildew.
TEQUIZA MALT LIQUOR
Lime aroma and essence of tequila on first sip. Then, unbalanced blue agave nectar and awkward yeast crud lead to cloy 7-Up cheapness, leaving this “alco-pop” closer to ill-advised wine cooler than low level herbal beer. Disgusting.
TEN SPRINGS WHITEFACE PALE ALE
Rich velvety amber thickens resolve as bottle drains. Fresh mountain water softens fecund wood-burnt India Pale Ale-like hop bitterness. As smokiness subsides, slight citric zest lingers to honeyed maple finish.
TEN SPRINGS SARATOGA PILSNER
Bready yeast moderation tethers tingly hop sedation, giving rust-clouded web-laced pilsner initial light-bodied luster. Beyond delicately carbolic fresh-watered flow resides bittersweet fruited tang that suits tame simplicity.
TEN SPRINGS FAT BEAR STOUT
Deep-roasted mocha-malted nuttiness and mannered English-styled hop bitterness anchor frothy tawny-headed stout. But ridiculously fluffy carbolic foam conceals acidic fig-dried raisin sourness and tertiary kumquat splotch, blemishing re-heated coffee finish and full-bodied nature. If only it was richer…
TENNENT’S LAGER
Carbolic hop fizz, skunked sour malts, waves of barleycorn, and slight molasses creaminess give buttery Scottish premium well-balanced, though watery, flow. Frisky earthen bitterness lingers, but soapy finish weakens substantially. Strangely reminiscent of (and better-tasting than) Genesee Cream Ale.
(LEINENKUGEL) TED’S PAIL ALE
Steady hop-fizzed pale malting brings muted cereal-grained mocha-fruited sweetness. Latent chocolate wisp concealed. Eventually brewed by Leinenkugel’s (a.k.a. Special Ale).