Abhorrent 8.2% alcohol-fueled clear straw lager with uneasy initial skunked aroma and offensive cloying nature settling to soapy corn liquor-induced diacetyl flow nastier than shoddy American malt liquors.
All posts by John Fortunato
O’HANLON’S WHEAT BEER
Mediocre white-laced amber-clouded light-bodied English-styled wheat ale leans closer to mildly bitter wheat-husked dry-toned American version than sweeter German-styled Weiss. Sunny citrus fizz, herbal hop spiciness, and banana-clove wisp gain limed green apple tartness to downplayed honeyed biscuit finish. Serve with lemon or add honey drop to wake up casual floral nuances.
O’HANLON’S RYE BEER
Dry prune overtones ripen above middling rye influence and herbal hop persistence, fading quickly to grassy-hopped mineral grain earthiness. Mild lemon pucker and nutty bitterness counter tertiary honeyed malt sweetness, but mild acidity and watery consistency obstruct sinewy yeast effervescence indicative of thick rust turbidity and copper penny hue.
(O’HANLON’S) ROYAL OAK PALE ALE
Phenol chocolate malt wisp, herbal peppermint continuance, and floral violet-lavender seasoning intensify citric hop surge of turbid orange amber peculiarity.
O’HANLON’S ORIGINAL RUBY STOUT
Though ‘enriched with ruby port,’ mildly bitter dry stout lacks expectant bold wine sweetness. Instead, burnt coffee sourness infuses leathery smoked peat mouthfeel, cedar chip waft, roasted nut backdrop, and black licorice stickiness with coarse mocha resonance. Obtrusive artisan water zaps inconspicuous fruity malt finish of robustness.
OFFSHORE INDIA PALE ALE
Pour slowly or highly carbolic nature will overwhelm dry hop-charred piney bittering as well as adjacent raw honeyed pungency of puffy tan-headed amber ale. Leafy hops exert floral earthiness compensating mild orange peel serenity and vacuous apricot tinge.
OFFSHORE AMBER ALE
Delicately well-balanced rust-orange-hued Martha’s Vineyard brew integrates honeyed caramel malts with floral apple-peach-cherry fruiting and minimal lemony hop-spiced bittering. Barley biscuit-y bottom adds sweet assurance to maple sugared backdrop, though some phenol acridity wanders in.
(O’FALLON) WHEACH PEACH WHEAT BEER
Impressive hazy golden medium body brings soft peach essence to lemony hard candied tartness and tangerine-grapefruit-mango wisp. Perfume-y apricot aromatics and brisk carbolic fizz re-enforce syrupy citric soda spritz to cracked wheat spine. Way better than Peach Schnapps.
O’FALLON SMOKE (SMOKED PORTER)
Peculiar maple-cured bacon, barbecued beef jerky, and singed hickory fumes inundate superfine porter that compares favorably to Germany’s Aecht rauchbiers. Upon pouring, chunky spume forms lusciously cascading tan head atop velvety brown-bodied bottom. Efficient cedar-smoked black chocolate prelude receives dry char-hopped tar-like coffee midriff, ancillary tobacco-molasses-walnut respite, and nimble black cherry trifle.
O’DOUL’S PREMIUM BEER
Soft white-headed clear-toned dry-bodied musty-hopped non-alcoholic ‘malt beverage’ has bright, sunny disposition and ultra light resolution. Spry hop perk disguises lack of grain bite and true grit, yet crystal water crispness, polite bitterness, and lemon freshness appeals to tolerant lightweights.
O’DOUL’S AMBER
One of the better non-alcoholic beers (0.5% by volume), this amber lager has sweet wheat aroma, sturdy roasted barleymalt palate, and pallid burnt hop fizz. Dry pumpernickel backdrop provides more character than better known American macrobrews, though lack of yeast leaves flat mouthfeel and empty feeling in the stomach.
O’DELLS 90 SHILLING COLORADO ALE
Musty medium-bodied amber-toned Scottie barely overcomes nebulous nature. Fizzy chocolate malt graze, scattered floral-fruited spicing and resinous hop plod lead to uninterestingly slim peat-grained finish, becoming sulfuric. Brewer’s best selling flagship beer is strictly for lunkheads.