Sweet orange-candied sugaring, tangy mango-papaya-peach-nectarine tropicalia and wispy floral wafts square off against sharp orange-peeled bittering and piney hop resin. Walks the line between glossily slick and mustily dry.
Category Archives: Beers A-Z
OMMEGANG GAME OF THRONES SEVEN KINGDOMS HOPPY WHEAT ALE
Persuasively combining Belgian-styled witbier with hoppy American pale ale and prominent herbaceous overtones, well-balanced moderation deserves exalted status. Black-peppered thyme, rosemary, sage and fern herbage rumbles across lemon-seeded bittering and zesty mandarin orange tang above wheat-sugared oats spine. Lightly lingering resinous hop bite reinforces floral-bound citrus nature and raw-honeyed black tea respite.
NEW BELGIUM HOPPY BLONDE
Thin blonde goes down easy as mild grassy hop bittering and light pine prickle contrast subtle grapefruit-orange-pineapple-mango-tangerine tang and zesty lemon splurge. Dank raw-grained rye malting settles below the surface.
THIRD RAIL FIELD 2 FARMHOUSE ALE
On tap at Craft House, stylistically sweeter saison leans on sugar-spiced crystal malts more than conforming dry citric souring, rustic barnyard funk and herbal hop dewiness. Easygoing appeal furthered by soft-tongued Seltzer spritz, coriander-backed lemony orange tang and mild lemongrass snips for appealing moderate body.
LA CUMBRE MIND PHOC
“Strong pale ale with coffee” softly caresses the palate as delicately creamed coffee bean influence delicately rises above dewy tea-like pale malting and earthen hops. Casual coffee tones eventually fade into citric-spiced spritz. Instead of getting blown away by New Mexican ‘mind fuck,’ easygoing java-fueled moderation suits lighter thirsts as well as hard-core mocha mavens.
LA CUMBRE NOT EVEN BROWN
On tap at Blue Grasshopper, placid amber-hazed brown ale retains lighter stylistic template. Mildly creamed caramel malts and dry wood-lacquered hops get softly integrated for fruited tea-like flow. Red apple, peach and fig nuances coalesce in the midst.
LA CUMBRE SLICE OF HEFEN
On tap at Blue Grasshopper, lightly creamed hefeweizen brings lemon-dropped banana and clove expectancy to sourdough yeast-affected white wheat spine. In the can, stylishly dryer hefe lets vanilla phenols guard banana-clove-bubblegum scheme and mild lemony blood orange licks.
LA CUMBRE SOUTH PEAK PILSNER
On tap at Blue Grasshopper, sessionable ‘pizza beer’ offers polite lemon-soured Seltzer spritz to French-breaded pilsner malts, grassy Saaz hops and dry earthen wood tones. Rustic light-bodied yellow fizz water proves to be fine Czech-styled pils.
ABBEY MONK’S TRIPEL
On tap at Blue Grasshopper, warbled honey-fruited 2016-brewed tripel lacks sufficient herbal yeast peppering to mustily contrast temporal sugar-spiced banana daiquiri, lemon meringue, orange marmalade, mint liqueur, candied orange, apricot and fig illusions. Less expressive than most Belgian-brewed Abbey ales, but not drastically so.
ABBEY MONK’S ALE
A simple pleasure. Approachable soft-toned Abbey Ale emulating from New Mexico contrasts mild crystal malt creaming, vanilla-spiced honeyed fruiting and dewy sweetness against white-peppered herbal hops. Ancillary caramelized banana, sugarplum, burgundy, apricot and fig notions provide fruity center.
SIERRA BLANCA BONE CHILLER BROWN ALE
On tap at Blue Grasshopper, middling moderate-bodied English-styled brown ale offers toffee-sugared nut roast and caramelized dried fruiting to iced tea-like sweetness. Light pecan, fig and plum illusions fade quickly. In the bottle, dryer cocoa-powdered Bakers chocolate influence informs sourer-than-sweet dried fruiting.
RED DOOR PAINT IT BLACK MILK STOUT
On tap at Blue Grasshopper, smoothly creamed milk stout saddles nutty mocha entry with mild dark-roasted hop bittering. Brown chocolate-sugared coffee roast, vanilla fudging and cocoa powdering consume less effective hazelnut-cola-walnut conflux.
