Busy Belgian-styled farmhouse saison saddles prickly white-peppered rye malting, lemony candi-sugared banana-clove insistence and vanilla wafer sweetness with dry barnyard yeast funk. Rustic earthen graining fortifies dry-bodied Bostonian.
Category Archives: Beers A-Z
DARK HORSE ONE OATMEAL STOUT
Reputable sienna-headed mahogany-toned full body with dry coffee-oiled entry picks up Blackstrap molasses bittering over toasted oats backbone. Peat-y compost waft never sullies walnut-charred peanut shelling or dark chocolate undertones. Tertiary bourbon, vanilla, espresso, cola nut, black cherry, and ashen tobacco illusions barely touch the surface as heavy black coffee density overrides rich mocha finish.
NEW HOLLAND CHARKOOTA RYE
Terrific ‘Smoked Doppelbock Lager’ brings velvety smooth hickory-charred molasses malting, cedar-chipped bourbon whiskey sweetness and surging black chocolate creaminess to cherry wood-smoked vigor. Tertiary black cherry, red grape, pecan and almond illusions secure mossy bottom. Bacon-greased maple sapping enriches sturdy mocha backend. Advertised rye flavoring drowned out by rich mocha density to no ill effect.
EPIC GALLOWAY PORTER
Patchy dark-roasted coffee sedation stays a tad watery. Mild cocoa-dried brown chocolate malting saturates espresso binge, tobacco singe and hazelnut smidge to earthen peat bottom. Charcoal-fueled burnt toast bittering and recessive dry port wining encumber tertiary molasses-vanilla conflux. Inessential.
CALDERA I.P.A.
Approachable, softer-toned, canned IPA glides down the throat smoothly, intimating an admirable pale ale crossover. Moderate grapefruit-peeled pine comb bittering given a juniper pinch, contrasting lively pineapple, peach, apple and apricot fruiting to crisply mineral-grained bottom. Floral hibiscus, rose and daisy illusions flutter by sessionable summer treat.
BLUE HILLS BLACK HOPS
Convincing mocha-centered hop goblin (with grain bill akin to German schwarzbier) deepens blackened molasses malting and brown-breaded dark chocolate roast with toasted hop char. Hesitant piney grapefruit bittering and resinous nuttiness reinforce smooth mocha creaminess. Coffee-roasted espresso backdrop and distant dark-fruited sedation fill out medium-full-bodied Cascadian Dark.
NOGNE O WINTER ALE
Luxuriously robust Norwegian strong dark ale for Christmas season (alias God Jul) gathers stout-like black chocolate, vanilla and maple-smoked molasses richness over dried-fruited gingerbread-allspice-coriander dalliance. Whiskey-daubed black cherry, prune and raisin illusions reinforce mocha-bound full body and crystalline Grimstad water brings silken nature to exemplary winter warmer.
(CAPE ANN) NAVIGATOR DOUBLE BOCK WINTER RESERVE
Thick and creamy German-style winter lager brings chewy caramel-chocolate malting, brown-sugared molasses sinew and sweet Scotch warmth to soil-y wood-burnt bottom. Subsidiary raisin-pureed fig spicing and dark cherry tartness add depth. Milk Duds-like toffee finish reinforces initial mocha theme. A wintry doppelbock hybrid any chocolate lover will indulge.
DUGGES ½ IDJIT IMPERIAL PORTER
Marvelous mocha-bound full body retains advertised ‘salty licorice’ spell beneath hazelnut coffee sweetness and French roasted coffee urging. Burnt-sugared black chocolate, vanilla, cola, maple and molasses undertones plus nutty fudge reminder contrast lemon-twisted espresso souring.
(WELLS & YOUNG) COURAGE IMPERIAL RUSSIAN STOUT
Boldly rounded full body with exemplary sweet-sour-bitter balance allows hemp-like hop oils to positively affect milky brown chocolate entry, chewy maple molasses-sapped anise goo and sugary oatmeal-toasted backdrop. Advertised espresso adjunct pervades ancillary chocolate cake, chocolate pudding, soy, dried cherry and pipe tobacco illusions. Vinous red-wined sherry boozing settles beside rum-spiced tingle above earthen peat bottom and ashen pine soot. Lusty 10% alcohol thrust well hidden by luxurious chocolate creaminess and hop-charred pine char.
BROOKLYN BLACK OPS STOUT
Easygoing relaxant stays smoothly soft-tongued as oaken vanilla and dark chocolate seep into soothing bourbon warmth of wood-barreled Imperial Stout. Carbolic champagne yeast prickle yields burgundy-port undertones affecting black cherry, raisin, prune and blackberry tartness as well as subtle hazelnut-almond conflux. Dark-roasted stove-burnt coffee spell deepens complexity of 2011-brewed 10.7% alcohol mocha-bound digestif.
(HIGH & MIGHTY) FUMATA BIANCA SMOKED WHITE RYE BEER
Eccentric Bamberg-styled smoked beer retains watery soft-toned essence pitting evaporative beechwood-like cured meat smokiness against zesty lemon tartness. Light rye breading picks up latent white-peppered green tea herbage. Musty opium waft slowly recedes.
