Amiably smooth tan-headed brown-bodied milkshake-like dessert treat nowhere near as ferociously heady as beastly name implies. A tad watery for ‘luscious chocolate stout’ status, but truly rewarding as moderate-bodied crossover for dark lager stylists. Mildly creamed brown chocolate-y cocoa bean sweetness lingers above recessive espresso coffee bittering. Ashen hop-charred roast dryly counters oncoming vanilla-sugared toffee dalliance.
Category Archives: Beers A-Z
LAGUNITAS LITTLE SUMPIN’ EXTRA ALE
Tangy fruit juicy gush brightens floral-hopped lemon-peeled bittering of terrific Imperial IPA. Honeyed orange, peach, and pear illusions absorb red grapefruit tartness, caramel apple sweetness, and tropical pineapple-cantaloupe-mango ascension. Sugared wheat spine counters oncoming piney juniper berry pungency. Perfect summer fare brewer claims to be recession proof for ’09 only.
CISCO WHALE’S TALE PALE ALE
Up-front lemony orange rind repose, brisk floral hop resonation, and biscuit-y wheat sweetness settle to tart apple goodness. Back-throated piney peppercorn restraint allows earthy barnyard and vegetal notes to fill acrid dry oak void. On tap at Cape Cod’s Di Palma Italian Restuarant, spicy orange-yellow-red fruiting and nut-tinged caramel malting mired by astringent hop splotch.
WILLIAMSBURG STOCK ALE
Caramelized ruby-hued ale reliant on barley-toasted cracked wheat sweetness to soured fruit midst. Embittered hops enrich red grape, grapefruit, and melon tangent as butterscotch finish recedes. Brewery defunct: 2006.
HIGH & MIGHTY BEER OF THE GODS
Slowly pour sunny-hazed pearly-headed blonde to avoid over-carbonation. Bark-dried orange peel and grapefruit rind bittering reaches tart hard candied center, enlivening white peach, pineapple, and quince fruiting. Herbaceous twang lingers through ascending peppery-hopped lemon seed souring.
HIGH & MIGHTY PURITY OF ESSENCE
Pour slowly unfiltered alcohol-tinged malt liquor-like pale lager. Peachy orange-tangerine tang overtaken by pine-barked grapefruit peel bittering. Wavering floral bouquet enhances tropical pineapple passage, mild blueberry souring, and soft currant lacquering. Ultimately, stylistically expansive as an adjunct lager.
ROGUE RED FOX AMBER ALE
Alcohol-soaked amber retains superb head, bitterly hopped mineral grain authority and rich caramel finish. Cracked wheat, toasted barley, and cereal grain sweetness trumps sugared cocoa-butterscotch illusions. Definitely for strong ale lovers.
CLIPPER CITY WEIZEN DOPPELBOCK
Strong cognac-inspired ‘unfiltered wheat beer’ (with loads of viscous yeast resin) boasts bruised orange, fig juice, and prune-dried banana-clove resonation. Closer to a midrange barleywine or a less potent sherry.
(PENNICHUCK) POZHARNIK ESPRESSO RUSSIAN IMPERIAL STOUT
Luxurious milk-sweetened chocolate-espresso theme runs through whiskey-creamed oak-barreled full body. Roasted hazelnut coffee slumber picks up cedar-burnt cherry bruise and raisin-pureed anise caress above rich oatmeal spine hiding vanilla bean reticence. Brewery defunct: 2010.
HOPPIN’ FROG WILD FROG WHEAT ALE
Robust for its style, well-balanced wide-ranging golden-hazed hefeweizen wields phenol white-wined green grape esters into sunny citric souring, pale wheat malting, dark floral potpourri and herbaceous nuances. Orange-peeled lemon zest brightens banana-coriander-clove sensation, gathering momentum over honey-sugared banana bread, cooked apple and vanilla cake illusions. Though minor phenolic acidity looms, fully realized brew retains endless expression.
MURPHY’S RED ALE
Sampled from breweries in Ireland and Holland without finding severe disparity (though Heineken’s version exudes firmer body), thin eggshell-headed malt-scented blue collar fodder retains overly familiar dry barley inefficiency and barest wood tones leading to mildly soured citric finish. Needs bitterer hop spice.
LOWENBRAU PILSNER
Pungent grain bitterness and rich pale malt sweetness combine for distinct full-bodied pilsner. Judicious fruited-hop tang and raunchy yeast souring punctuate musty grain grit. By peculiar tart cocoa finish, a mellow creaminess creeps through.