Brisk medium-bodied Imperial Red Ale (in canned version) lets floral-fruited hop intensity and whistling pine needling embitter the bright front end while sugar-spiced caramel malting sweetens the tingly backside. Tangy yellow grapefruit, navel orange, baked pineapple, red grape and tangerine illusions and bitter lemon rind respite fortify piney spruce resin to biscuit-y bottom.
On tap at Dogfish Head – Rehoboth Beach, this superior coffee stout takes its name from the Replacements rampaging beer anthem, “Beer For Breakfast,” one of famed brewer Sam Calagione’s favorite tunes. Dousing Dogfish Head’s Chicory Stout in maple syrup thickens its anise-spiced dark roast coffee frontage, bittersweet black chocolate rampage and applewood-smoked barley resonance. In the bottle, rich medium-roast cold press coffee penetrates brown chocolate thickness, leaving recessive cola, hazelnut and walnut illusions as well as anise-spiced black cherry snips in the bitter wood-charred hop wake. Highly recommended.
On tap at Dogfish Head – Rehoboth Beach, dry Shiraz-wined sour stout goes for it all as black chocolate-roasted malts combat dark-spiced red wining, oak-aged vanilla tannins and stewed plum-cherry-prune illusions to the bustling burgundy-tinged rye wheat base.
On tap at Dogfish Head – Rehoboth Beach, soft-toned saison brings honey-spiced yuzu fruiting (kaffir-limed mandarin orange souring and lemony Ichang papeda tartness) to subtle white-peppered Saaz hop herbage and oats-flaked pilsner malting. Carbolic lemon spritz gets arid.
Sharply dry-hopped lemon zest increases tangy grapefruit peel bittering over salty Seltzer-watered bottom of easygoing moderation. Sour citric midst picks up mild pomegranate and crab apple pucker as well as candied orange nip.
Easygoing Imperial IPA spreads lively grapefruit zest and tangy mango-peach-pineapple-tangerine-papaya tropicalia across light Mosaic-hopped pine resin and sugary crystal malt creaming.
‘Abounding’ dry-hopped Citra variety allows juicy Ruby Red grapefruit zest to enliven floral tropic splendor of crisply clean-watered pale ale. Mighty Citra-hopped grapefruit frontage fortified by lemon-candied orange, mango and pineapple tartness above sugar wafer-like pale malting.
Rich Danish royalty proves to be provocative 10% ABV dynamo with its syrupy brown chocolate creaming, milked coffee scamper and sticky anise goo leading the way over sweet-grained Maris Otter malts and lightly-charred hop bittering. Fudgy molasses, cocoa, vanilla, toffee and caramel illusions add chewy texture to mighty mocha imperialism.
“Majestic” 3rd anniversary Imperial Stout (2016), aged in Heaven Hill and Wild Turkey bourbon barrels, drapes Mexican-styled chocolate malting and mild chipotle peppering over rum-spiced bourbon vanilla warmth. Mild coconut-toasted cinnamon, black cherry and almond illusions sweetly contrast light pepper heat below the mocha surface. A perfect nightcap.
On tap at Ambulance, densely full-bodied Imperial Stout gathers syrupy black chocolate creaming and black coffee-sugared black licorice overtones to rally against tarry Blackstrap molasses bittering. Wispy dark-spiced black cherry nuances and latent burgundy-port snips make cameos.
Engagingly rich milk stout with polite ginger spicing goes beyond mere milk & cookie promise as hickory-smoked maple molasses sweetness and cookie dough yeast sugaring pick up black cherry bruise, raisin cookie respite and musty dried fruiting. Dark chocolate overtones survive wintry gingerbread seasoning. A treacly chocolate delight.
“Luscious” full-bodied Imperial Stout brings dark-roasted coffee and chocolate tones to dark molasses sugaring and light hop bittering. Ancillary caramel, vanilla and fig illusions add color to rich mocha complexity.
