On tap at Taphouse Grille – Wayne, sharp dark-roast coffee bean scrum slams lemon peel rim as dark cocoa, tobacco chaw and charred hop bittering reinforce heavy mocha influence. Mild astringency seeps thru lightly acidic coffee tartness.
UFO MAINE BLUEBERRY
Pancake-battered blueberry tartness looms large for wheat-honeyed moderation. Mild citrus hop astringency underlies Maine blueberry puree lacquering, leaving blueberry muffin, blueberry pie and blueberry cobbler illusions on the slick sticky surface.
BOLERO SNORT / THE SEED THIS BEER IS NOT HYPEY ENOUGH
On tap at Pompton Craft House, cereal grained German pilsner malting picks up spritzy grapefruit-orange zesting, grassy herbage and lacquered pine, recalling a light IPA with its subtle piney citrus continuance.
ICARUS TWO POUNDS OF FEATHERS IMPERIAL PILSNER
On tap at Pompton Craft House, Imperial version of Ounces Of Feathers plies Heull Melon-hopped lemon liming and dry grapefruit-peeled yuzu zesting to sweet-spiced Belgian pilsner malts parched slightly by hay-dried barnyard astringency. During extended lagering phase, lupulin Citra/ Mosaic powdering brings musty perfumed sentiment to its sunny citric intrigue.
CROSSROADS BREWING COMPANY
CATSKILL, NEW YORK
Among a host of old red brick warehouses alongside the Catskill Creek, the second CROSSROADS BREWING COMPANY opened for biz October 2017. Inside a gray metal cross-barred printing facility five miles south of the original 7-barrel Brewpub in Athens, this neo-mod Industrial tavern is right down the road from historic Main Street.
The black-lettered Crossroads Brewing Company insignia spreads across the angled roof and an overhead door leads to the right side beer-barreled picnic area (featuring great views of the riverbank). Inside, an aluminum top bar with reclaimed wood siding complements the aluminum-chaired wood tables.
A huge glass-enclosed brewing operation with tanks heading towards the high ceiling delivers the liquid goods to the gray-walled bar where several caged Edison lights and two side TV’s fill out the spare space.
On my January ’23 afternoon trip returning home to Jersey from Cooperstown, Crossroads had five previously untried beers I imbibed with the wife.
Bruised lemon fizziness hit the nose for Green Fees German Pilsner, receiving sweetish green-peppered spicing, mild dried maize starching and slight Noble-hopped herbal pungency.
Spiced red apple and pear dappled across the dry hop astringency of Brick Row Amber Ale, picking up mild caramelized barley sweetness neutralized by its papery cardboard edge.
Sticky pine comb sapped embittered the yellow grapefruit-peeled pineapple zing and spicy orange tang of conventional West Coast IPA, Outrage.
Zesty tropical fruited NEIPA, Spare Parts, sprayed lemon juice on yogurt-soured gooseberry and guava tartness, salty mango tanginess and spicy pale malts given recessive piney hop resin.
The ‘smaller’Â Spare Parts Junior, a hazy pale ale variant, prompted lemony green grape esters and mild grapefruit-peeled orange rind bittering to settle above sugar-spiced pale malts.
SOUTHERN TIER FRENCH TOAST IMPERIAL ALE
On tap at Hoover’s Tavern, rummy French Toast knockoff pours maple syrup over powder-sugared cinnamon toasting, battered pancake flouring and mild vanilla nutmeg honeying to its sweet Scotch malt base.
ALEMENTARY B-WIZZLE BARLEYWINE
On tap at Taphouse Grille – Wayne, mellow caramelized toffee sweetness floats thru brandied whiskey, dry bourbon and buttered rum illusions as oaken vanilla leathering contrasts dark cherry sweetness in the distance.
NESHAMINY CREEK KNITTING RAMPAGE IMPERIAL OATMEAL STOUT
On tap at Hoover’s Tavern, black-malted dark chocolate entry further embittered by dark-roast hop char above treacly oats-flaked maple molasses.
BRADLEY KEG LEG STOUT
On tap at Taphouse Grille – Wayne, dry ‘hoppy session’ stout anchored by dark chocolate-bound coffee tones as espresso, tobacco chaw and seared wood provide adequate bittering for dark roast hop char. Smoked mocha finish gains slight orange peel sweetness.
GUN HILL VOID OF LIGHT FOREIGN STOUT
In a can, brewers’ pliable flagship stout takes dry black-malted cocoa bean and Bakers chocolate bittering on a frothily creamed maple molasses-sugared journey, picking up sedate hop-charred chicory coffee tones, light vanilla hazelnut sweetness, mild cola nuttiness and pureed black cherry whims.
GUN HILL WOODLAWN WARRIOR HOPPY RED ALE
Totally Americanized Irish red ale utilizes Mosaic-Crystal-Sabro hops to create zestfully fruitier stylistic variant. Lime zest speckles red apple, brown pear, tangerine and clementine fruiting as well as dry perfumed spicing above tobacco-roasted cereal grain crisping. Backend citric-pined phenol astringency reminiscent of Mosaic-hopped IPA.
