Affluent bourbon whiskey theme of oak-aged wee heavy Scotch ale brings creamy 10% alcohol warmth to ancillary rum-spiced cognac, raisin-pureed fruitcake and red cherry illusions. Molasses-sapped maple syrup, oaken vanilla, crème brulee, marshmallow and butternut niceties abound, rounding out sweet bourbon fervor. Mighty dessert nightcap bourbon-barreled for hearty sippers.
Decent straw-cleared moderate body brings sunny lemondrop-candied briskness to corn-husked white breaded base. Fizzy carbolic pep ups the frisky spicing, but some metallic acridity seeps in. Betters just about all mediocre Latin American lagers.
Uniformly balanced Bostonian gains sharp citric affluence above woody spice-hopped dryness to cereal-grained toasted almond spine. Piney grapefruit-soured rasp overrides ancillary floral dalliance and distant celery tinge, but minor phenol astringency lowers backend appeal.
Illustrious cherry fermented ale perfect for fruity frolickers. Sweet cherry pie tartness and sugary cherry soda fizzing contrast soured cherry lambic pucker. Beneath affable cherrystone motif, lemon-juiced cranberry, strawberry, and raspberry rasp settles alongside bubbly pink champagne effervescence (with a hint of ginger). Works well as a stimulating aperitif or a luxurious digestif.
Strong natural peach frontage invites peach liqueur, peach pie and peach tea illusions over spice-hopped honeyed wheat spine. Syrupy peach creaminess contrasted by light blueberry bittering, but minor diacetyl buttering and cloying aspect stuff apricot-soured red licorice stint. Serve as sweet digestif in lieu of Peach Melba.
Fulsome tar-like hop-charred bittering supercedes stylishly traditional caramel-burnt dark chocolate creaminess. Viscous molasses-smoked pine char, oily black coffee residue, and heavy anise goo further embitter sludgy oats-dried backend.
Agile B.D.G. (a.k.a. Brunch Dinner Grub), a delectable medium body meant to be paired with food, retains a dry nut char and mild coffee roast, evoking French bread crustiness in the midst. Withered lemony herbal respite tweaks black-peppered tarragon, thyme and sage nuances.
On tap at Little Falls’ 381 Main, fine one-off prune-hued ‘dark common lager’ augments resinous Warrior hop bittering with dried fruited abundance. Ripe prune-raisin conflux and chocolate-spiced Belgian yeast funk saddle burnt toast bottom. A rich sessionable beer for more adventurous lager heads.
For a quick second, jaunty beechwood smokiness really subsumes dry American-lagered German-styled rauchbier. Smoked salami, beef jerky, pastrami, and bacon illusions perk up front end over cedar-burnt hop char. But soap-stoned carbolic aridity obliterates freeze-dried cured meat façade, relegating latent cocoa bean rancor to mere affectation.
Compelling Black India Pale Ale (aged with vanilla beans) invites stupendous coffee-roasted vanilla creaminess to enhance nutty hop-charred bittering and oats-bound chocolate roast, relegating expectant IPA-like dried fruiting to auxiliary role. Minor cocoa spree adds to mocha-laden tendencies.
Exemplary rum barrel-aged elixir brings soft-tongued bourbon whiskey boozing to creamy chocolate-vanilla sweetness and sharp cedar-burnt hop char. Though advertised sweet potato flavoring gets ambushed, affluent nutty fruiting deepens yam-jammed mocha-bound curiosity. Ample brown-sugared cola-hazelnut conflux thickens bruised cherry, red grape, raisin puree and dry burgundy illusions as well as fluffy marshmallow slipstream. A near-perfect adjunct ale.
Amiable ruby-marooned Belgian dark ale gains lovely raisin-prune theme above sweet candi-sugared caramel malting and peppery hop slipstream. Anticipatory cellar-like Belgian yeast funk adds pungent mustiness to dried fruiting. Harsh phenol spicing clouds slim banana-clove reminder, but accrued black cherry, bruised apple and apricot subsidy adds fruitier intrigue.