Bone dry magenta-headed purplish red-bodied fruit ale spreads black raspberry soda-like thrust atop red wine spritz to effervescent Seltzer finish. Sharp oaken hops coarsen impending mouth puckered lemony sourness.
All posts by John Fortunato
SLY FOX PIKELAND PILS
Nonchalant clear straw moderate-bodied German-style pilsner allows vegetal lemongrass opening to dissipate as brisk grapefruit-pineapple tang picks up slack. Dry rye, straw wheat, and baked bread provide resolute backbone and currant bittering knocks back impending soapiness. Canned version had sudsy candi-sugared bruised lemon scamper, corn-oiled nastiness, and misplaced herbal tinge.
SLY FOX PHOENIX PALE ALE
Problematic canned American Pale Ale places nasty diacetyl overtones and tinny astringency above faltering sugared malts, distant orange-grapefruit tang, and musty pecan diffidence.
SLY FOX PANACEA BARLEYWINE
Though moderate-bodied for its class, tranquilizing libation possessed intrinsic brandy, bourbon, and rum warmth simmering succulent sugar-caned bruised banana, cherry puree, strawberry, and peach sweetness. Latent chewy vanilla respite adds harmony.
SLY FOX OKTOBERFEST LAGER
Brisk Bavarian lager layers tangy orange-peach tease and diffuse pumpkin spicing above biscuit-y caramel malts. Lively citric hop thrust wanes towards sedate mineral-grained finish.
SLY FOX INSTIGATOR DOPPELBOCK
Though dank olfactory mustiness, astringent alcohol acridity, and wafting prune pungency hinder blue collar consumption, bolder thirsts may find solace sorting through dizzying expressive complexities. Taut roasted hop concentration affects carbolic overflow, allowing fleshy head to surge prodigiously above brown-hued ruby-highlighted body of chewy Bohemian-styled bock. Durable molasses-thickened raisin-fig souring picks up plush burgundy-sherry illusions emanating from oaken red grape-cherry esters and leathery peat snatch. Flirtatious chicory segue imbues dried apricot midst haunting tobacco-stained woody grove as tertiary powdered cocoa acridity, smoked nut remnant, and scant pumpernickel trace counter residual brown sugar salvo.
SLY FOX ICHOR ABBEY STYLE QUADRUPLE
Meritorious bottle conditioned ruby-hued Belgian-styled quad brings strong prune nosing to thick dark rum-like sugar-caned maple-molasses sweetness, variable raisin-fig linger, chocolate liqueur simmer and earthen peat-tobacco remnant. Sticky licorice-candied malts rise against impending cherry-banana slumber, supple red grape tang and lemony raspberry tartness at plush sherry-port midst, further strengthening distinctive slow sipper. ’08 version brought burgundy, Merlot, and Chardonnay illusions and cherry puree whim to mellowed finish. Serve with hearty meal such as beef stew.
SLY FOX GANG AFT AGLEY WEE HEAVY ALE
Creamy chestnut-hued medium-bodied Scottish wee heavy brings whiskey-smoked caramel malts to sharp cola-hazelnut-walnut roasting and seductive black cherry-prune scamper. Toasted grains flatten out dried fruiting as sarsaparilla-like maple-birch sugaring rises.
SLY FOX CHRISTMAS 2007 ALE
Uncertain herbal-toned winter warmer boasts undeniable ginger frontage sweetened by sticky black licorice tongue, peppermint candied coolness, and teasing eucalyptus minting. After few swallows, sassafras-root beer component builds, but ruinous salty seaweed astringency outpaces advertised nutmeg-clove spicing.
SLY FOX CHRISTMAS 2005 ALE
Exquisite bottle conditioned seasonal brings ripened autumnal pumpkin-spiced nose and fruitcake tongue to oncoming wintry gingerbread-nutmeg-allspice combo. Cinnamon bun illusion coddles fig-raisin-chestnut recess below ever-increasing sweet malt frame. A bit sweeter than Samuel Smith’s Winter Ale.
SLO GARDEN ALLEY AMBER ALE
Creamy amber-clouded medium body comes across as a less filling, watered down Watney’s Red Barrel. In need of better cereal grain assertion and bitterer hops to strengthen resolve.
SLO EXTRA PALE ALE
Penetrating pale ale with engaging bitter grain intensity and dry hop finish. Soothing water consistency and polite wheat backdrop keep this soft.