Coarse hop-roasted char and seared wood bittering joust musty waft of pencil shavings, crayon, and clay. Coffee ground midst musters Blackstrap molasses, cola nut, cocoa, and vanilla illusions, but tertiary port-wined plum-fig-black cherry whir lost by sticky black licorice finish.
All posts by John Fortunato
NOGNE O BROWN ALE
Boldly robust ale recalls finest dry stouts, easing nutty up-front thrust into molasses-smoked wood-seared oats-charred black coffee bittering. Hop-oiled espresso, tar, and tobacco chaw notes cake latent dark-spiced chocolate serenity.
(MOCTEZUMA) NOCHE BUENA SPECIAL HOLIDAY AMBER ALE
Billowy tan-headed copper amber too fizzy and soft-bodied to finish strong. Still, despite dank grains, lack of holiday spices, and inert chocolate flirt, it goes down easy. Dos Equis version is better.
(NINE G) INFIDEL IMPERIAL INDIA PALE ALE
Snazzy red deviled label and austere 8.4% alcohol ebb welcome sinister heretics to coppery hell-bent libation ultimately less brazen than prudently dulcet. Strengthened piney hop-spiced bitterness counters honeyed nectar inducement and resultant tangerine-grapefruit-apricot tang impacting mineral-grained toasted barleymalt spine reinforced by fluttered cookie dough sweetness. Brewery defunct: 2010.
(NINE G) BLACKSNAKE PORTER
Striking stylistic libation flaunts incipient visual stimulation as richly cascading rocky tan head slowly settles above proud mahogany body. Up-front, harsh Blackstrap molasses thickness overlays affluent black chocolate malting and muddy black coffee persuasion. Ensuing hop-roasted tobacco-charred bitterness intensifies burgundy-port influence, coarse walnut-cola nut jot, and earthen mildew bottom. Brewery defunct: 2010.
(NINE G) BITCHIN’ BETTY CITRUS WHEAT BEER
A fruity windfall scatters lemon-peeled orange-peach-tangerine tang above soft floral hop caress of coppery moderation. Mild pepper-spiced bitterness adjoins herbal eucalyptus-ginger twinge nuzzling cracked wheat base. Brewery defunct: 2010.
NIKSICKO TIVO
Snub-nose bottled, straw-hued Serbian pils retains aromatic muted peach sedation, faded buttered popcorn pleasantry, and phenol inclinations; lacking proper grain-hop assertion. Serve to Bud fans as a Euro alternative.
NICK STAFFORD TOLERATION
Here’s a first. A fruited full-bodied (no less) gluten-free English pale ale. Clear coppery liquid with tiny-bubbled soda-like carbonation lets astringent Cascade-hopped bittering sabotage initial artificial peach-cherry droll, impending green apple-browned pear lull, and cloy sorghum malt sugaring. Though corn syrupy stickiness and slight metallic snare constrain citric slide, this beats Anheuser-Busch’s similarly-styled Redbridge by a faux-barley-wheat strand.
NICK STAFFORD NIGHTMARE YORKSHIRE PORTER
More watery than bitterer mocha porters. Rocky tan-headed mahogany Englander delivers caramel-toffee malting to dry-hopped toasted nut bottom. Black-tarred molasses oatmeal recession deepens wood-seared stove-burnt coffee backend. Cola, hazelnut and peanut illusions lag behind. Not as creamy and hearty as most in its class, yet softly satisfying.
(NIAGARA) OLDE JACK STRONG ALE
Mild wheat-corn trickle and barren lemon souring inform grassy hop bittering. Displaced licorice niche and blunt alcohol astringency sink ho-hum slacker.
(NIAGARA) MILLSTONE PREMIUM LAGER
Smooth lemon-limed lightweight offers dulled whiskey malt sweetness to casual dry-hopped bittering. Soft wood smoked tinge leverages buttery finish.
NIAGARA HONEY BROWN MAPLE WHEAT ALE
Rarely do Canadian brewers dabble with ‘flavored’ beers and ales. So it’s disconcerting when this attempt aims high, but fails to deliver. Elusive maple thickness and dank barley-wheat backbone merely haunt astringent honeyed finish, compromising integrity.