Sweet butterscotch-yeast nose and caramelized crystal malt mouthfeel caress perky citric overtones as soft textured macadamia nut illusion fills balance. Best Floridian discovered by ’03. Brewery defunct: 2006.
Category Archives: Beers A-Z
ANCHOR SPECIAL ALE (2006 EDITION)
Bitterer but not better than usual holiday offerings, ‘06 ruby amber seasonal loads prune-soured cinnamon-nutmeg-gingerbread-allspice piquancy above weak brown ale-like nutty dryness, toasted hop astringency, teasing chicory dip, and ashy cinder parch. Dulled out pumpkin-pomegranate scamp fades to orange soufflé vamp. Needs better dimension and distinction.
ANDERSON VALLEY HOP OTTIN’ INDIA PALE ALE
Billowy full-bodied white-headed IPA scores big points for originality and well-integrated ingredients. Dry pine-needled orange peel bittering and tangy tangerine-pineapple-cherry crisping decorate bitter oily hop scheme. Toasted baguette reminder aids subsequent rich mocha malting to bittersweet citric-grained finish. Brussels lace clings to glass sides, adding visual pleasantry to remarkably consistent brew. On tap, loud pine forest waft and faint banana illusions endure alongside tropical fruiting. Rivals Ipswich IPA for world supremacy.
(ANHEUSER-BUSCH) REDBRIDGE BEER MADE FROM SORGHUM
Beating its hackneyed gluten-free competition with mild ginger soda flow, roasted Vienna-like malting, and teensy apple-cherry-strawberry souring, this clear amber pale lager with bubbly flesh-toned head lifts cloy sorghum-grained sugaring atop evaporative phenol Cascade hop bittering and wobbly metallic twinge.
ARBOR GREFF KRIEK
Deep ruby-hued pinkish-headed Belgian Kriek knockoff offers expected tart cherry pucker and oak-aged citron dryness. Herbal hops add immediate depth to grape tannin acridity and vegetal nuance, but vinous sourness crimps acidic finish.
ARCADIA WHITSUN ALE
Slack honeyed malt sulk, listless grain-toasted snub, and grapefruit-soured cherry-berry marmalade skulk leave weak off-dry honey finish exposed. Further tasting reveals more prominent red grapefruit tang undercut by danker sucrose plethora.
ATWATER DUNKEL LAGER
Brewed by Stoney Creek Brewery since ’04, this tepid caramelized German-styled lager lacks intensity from its bronzed mahogany body to its swirled tan-head. Dull hops, carbolic acidity, and displaced plum astringency ravage roasted barley spine, though herbal spicing and cola nut twinge save pithy dry-grained finish.
(SLACK TIDE) AVALON AMBER ALE
As refreshing and cleansing as the Jersey Shore wave depicted on the label, Avalon remains a solid-bodied ale perfect with dinner. Roasted barleymalts thicken steadfast bitter hop aftertaste. Mighty fine brew manages to be both lean and filling.
AVERY OLD JUBILATION ALE
Wood-toned sour malt aromatics juxtapose sweet Scotch mouthfeel interrupting muted hop-spiced dryness. Cedar-chestnut finish loses grip after several passes.
(AYINGER) CELEBRATOR DOPPELBOCK
Noticeably lacking Ayinger tag, Celebrator’s at the threshold of distinct full-bodied Bavarian-styled brewing. Its beautiful jet-black frame, frothy whipped cream tan head, and sweet chocolate whiff offer up-front resilience maintained by lactose stout-like chewy caramel thickness. Sharp charred hop bite emboldens tobacco chew, pine, fig, and cola nut illusions as brown sugar, honeyed molasses, and toffee coat lofty Black Forest cake signature. Buttered pecan, toasted almond, burnt cedar, and hazelnut paint the corners, enchanting the earthy grain bottom to an emphatic espresso finish perfect for heavenly dessert.
(BALADIN) NORA ALE
Lovely fruit ale inspired by ancient Egyptian beers features low-key myrrh, ginger and orange peel influences. Maintaining an abundant fluffy head, effervescent champagne-like carbonation and soft water freshness to its luscious Sangria finish, lovely Italian-bred medium body’s quince-wafted fruit spicing sweetens over time. Grape-ripened tangerine-honeydew-melon tang and tart raspberry-blueberry-blackberry subsidy wrap around clover-honeyed cotton candy frolic to complement sour-mashed cork dryness. Serve to red wine drinkers as a sweet alternative.
(BALTIKA) DON SOUTHERN LAGER
Problematic straw-hued pearly-headed pale lager retains repugnant skunked cannabis waft, soapy corn sugared butterscotch glut, and lazy apricot-tangerine reticence. Sticky honeyed wheat access dissolved by desultory diacetyl mustiness draping withered phenol hop resin of moderate-bodied bohemian-styled knockoff.