Bottled 3-21-06 and teasingly ‘brewed against better judgement,’ this busily majestic pilsner deserves highest praise. Heavily honeyed malts form sweet Scotch-whiskey base, picking up orange-bruised toasted almond snip while its lively Belgian-like yeast complexity scatters butterscotch-caramel niceties beside vegetal asparagus nook.
Category Archives: Beers A-Z
DOGFISH HEAD WORLD WIDE STOUT
Intriguingly bold blackish stout boasting “ridiculous amount of dark-roasted barley” complements aromatic bourbon-port-sherry-barleywine perk and lusty cherry jubilee sweetness with frighteningly elevated honey-syrupy 18.8% alcohol warmth. Fluctuant raisin-fig dryness, pithy cognac influence and sticky licorice-liqueur soothe retained to creamy chocolate brownie finish of excellent sipping beer perfect for fireplace dessert.
DOMINION SPRING BREW SPECIALTY LAGER
(DUBUQUE) PUBLICK HOUSE PALE ALE
Made in traditional style sans preservatives, sweet-grained hazy pale ale brings burnt wood chip essence to cider-y tartness ’til moderate dry-hopped finish dissipates. Brewery defunct: 2006.
J.W. DUNDEE’S WHEAT BEER
Disturbingly off-balanced moderate-bodied American-styled hefeweizen retains nagging solvent-like oxidation, metallic nastiness, and worse, an odious compost whiff. Meek honeyed caramel malting, musty corn-oiled vegetal dankness, rotted lemon spoilage, and doughy sorghum retreat prompt chemical waste illusion.
EDELWEISS KRISTALLKLAR WEIZENBIER
Sweet cocoa influence consumes burnt caramel and smoked barleymalts of moderately creamy fluffy white-headed medium body. Delicate clove spicing counteracts ‘dark’ beer tendencies such as ripe raisin interlude and milky texture. Possibly too ambiguous for wheat beer aficionados.
EGGENBERG MACQUEEN’S NESSIE RED ALE
Bright auburn complexion and buttery caramel aroma introduce soft-textured, deep-grained, peat-malted complacency. Illusions of walnut and tobacco come and go ’til fruited hop finish. Goes down easy, leaving infrequent dry sherry and bittersweet peach vibrancy. But it’s not as distinct as finer available red ales.
(ELLEZELLOISE) QUINTINE BLONDE
Tiny black yeast dots earthen wood-smoked grains consuming straw-hued silky-laced 8%-alcohol medium body. Yellow grape nuance closer to sour white wine than blonde beer, but weird mint-sage-lemongrass herbage, grassy vegetal notion, and phenol clove spicing upset wavered tangerine-quince tang.
(ELYSIAN) THE WISE E.S.B.
Worthy copper-toned Bitter counters sticky mocha malt pleasantry with piney floral-hopped bittering and dry cedar wood seduction. Nutty caramel-chocolate sweetness reaches sturdy charcoal-blackened grain backbone. A full-bodied libation sans stomach-bloating heaviness.
(ERIE) RAILBENDER ALE
Serviceable blue collar Scottish-styled copper body finds aromatic sweet cereal-grained malts, mossy barley-oats, and peachy red apple hints opposing mild grapefruit-lemon rind sourness bridging embittered black currant reminder to concealed 6.8% alcohol musk. Citric-splashed finish and peripheral butterscotch suggestion counter slight tea bittering.
FANTOME SAISON D’EREZEE – HIVER
Expressive hazily copper artisanal farmhouse ale brings bold 8% alcohol jab to initial Granny Smith apple tartness, secondary green grape souring, and tertiary prune-fig dryness. Earthen mineral-grained pomegranate interlude lamentably whisked away by leathery cork aridity and dank cellar acridity. Fantome, like many fine Old World Belgian breweries, enjoys experimenting within the expanding boundaries of beer styling.
FISCHER D’ALSACE LA BELLE STRASBOURGEOISE
Effusive cider-y champagne aeration negatively influences pallid hop-dried astringency. Restrained wheat husk backs ethereal citric lime pucker, limpid sudsy flow, and meekly tart white wine finish befuddling medium-bodied fecklessness.