Dry hazy golden NEIPA bustling with formidable piney citrus alacrity. Zestful grapefruit-peeled orange bittering gains tangy pineapple-tangerine-clementine reminder and recessive herbal spicing in straightforward manner.
ATLANTIC CITY DIVING HORSE JUICY PALE ALE
Brisk dry-hopped New England-styled pale ale (a rewardingly understated NEIPA offshoot) bursts forth with juicy floral-spiced citrus zesting glowing alongside lacquered wood tones above cereal-grained pale malting. Lemony orange-peeled grapefruit bittering contrasted by subtle mango-guava spritz.
CAPE MAY CRUSHIN’ IT ORANGE INDIA PALE ALE
On tap at Hoover’s Tavern, zestful orange juicing packs taut Citra/ Mosiac/ Azacca hop tropicalia of briskly clean IPA (with totally unassuming 8% ABV). Sunshiny orange tang gains mild pineapple-lemonade licks over sugary pale malt sweetness.
CAPE MAY THE PURP GRAPE SHANDY
On tap at Hoover’s Tavern, sweeter-than-tart soda-like shandy retains fizzy purple grape gum sugaring that gets cloy quick. Syrupy candy-coated Concord grape soda pop alternative.
JACK’S ABBY RAY CATCHER LEMONGRASS LAGER
On tap at Taphouse 15, daintily floral-perfumed lemongrass adjunct gains musky mineral grained pilsner malting and mild lemon spicing for summery herbal tea-licked golden lager.
COMMONWEALTH TROIS TRIPLE IPA
Hazily beige-glowed Imperial IPA provides zestful lemony grapefruit bittering for reluctantly pungent grassy-hopped pine resin and sugary pale malt spine.
COMMONWEALTH LIMITLESS DOUBLE IPA
Waxy crayon-like fruiting persists. Yogurt-soured Nelson Sauvin-hopped gooseberry and guava tropicalia greets zestful lemon-peeled pineapple, grapefruit and orange rind bittering above crystal pale malting.
COMMONWEALTH BIG PAPI DOUBLE IPA
Sunshiny NEIPA brings brisk lemony orange-tangerine-clementine tang to dry piney hop resin contrasting caramelized pale malt slumber.
COMMONWEALTH CHARON
Dry rye musk gains earthen truffle fungi and peaty soiling to placate subtly spiced lemon-soured Hallertau Blanc-hopped guava, green grape and gooseberry snips.
NEW JERSEY BEER COMPANY – 2021
NORTH BERGEN, NEW JERSEY
In the blue collar industrial region of North Bergen just beyond the Lincoln Tunnel on Route 1-9, NEW JERSEY BEER COMPANY was co-founded by Matt Steinberg (check out my interview with him in the preceding 2010 NJBC entry) before local investor Paul Silverman took over a few years hence.
Now augmenting their usual fare (including indelible flagships 1787 Abbey Single, Hudson Pale Ale and Garden State Stout) with modishly experimental hybrids, sour ales and NEIPA’s, this rustic red brick fortress recently started producing canned beer for the entire Garden State, developing a prudently creative brewing team along the way.
On my rainy May ’21 sojourn, I discovered a dozen newly crafted elixirs (including eight kaleidoscopic India Pale Ales).
One of NJBC’s most popular India Pale Ale’s, beachy summertime moderation, LBIPA, brought sharp orange-grapefruit tanginess to piney hop resin contrasting honeyed pale malts above clayed grouting.
Laidback variant, Mango LBIPA, lost its subtle mango influence to lemony grapefruit-papaya tanginess and mineral-grained grassy hop acridity. But its Blood Orange LBIPA variant fared better as sweet-tart blood orange tanginess picked up candied pineapple-tangerine tartness in a fizzy pale malt setting.
Brusque beige yellow-hazed Imperial IPA, The Real Vaccine, contrasted sunny lemon-sugared tartness and sweet floral-perfumed grapefruit spicing against mild orange rind bittering and a gently persuasive black pepper burn.
Soft-toned tropical fruited Imperial IPA, Wearin’ My Birthday Suit, relegated its orange-peeled grapefruit, mango and peach tang and light wood tones above doughy malts.
Deeper and denser taste-wise, Tasting Colors, a double dry-hopped Imperial IPA, plied perfumed floral spicing to slightly sharp lemon-bruised grapefruit bittering and waxy mango-peach-tangerine tanginess.
Midrange West Coast-styled IPA, Decoration Day, let mellowly dry perfume-spiced citrus fruiting linger lightly over pale malt sugaring, rendering spritzy pineapple, grapefruit and orange zest.
Perhaps my favorite IPA, creamily milk-sugared ambrosial fruiting fortified Mixed Berry Milkshake, a Madagascar vanilla-conditioned dessert treat with marshmallow-sugared blueberry, raspberry and strawberry tartness gaining yogurt-soured kiwi-mango souring as well as pink lemonade nods and tertiary lingonberry-boysenberry snips.
Sunshiny orange-peeled grapefruit, peach and pineapple tang secured sessionable New England-styled Pale Ale, Garage, leaving herb-tinged pine resin on its splashy citric spritz.
Orange-dried fennel grassing and mild hop astringency surrounded the spelt grain minerality of easygoing golden ale, Beach Watch.
Salt-licked powdered candy raspberry tartness received pink wine-blushed oaken cherry acidity and pink lemonade sugaring for lollipop-like Raspberry Sunset Sour Ale.
Rapturous pink-headed, purple-bodied sour ale, Blueberry Waves, scurried tart blueberry pie sugaring into musky muscat grape, pureed raspberry and cranberry snips, finishing like blueberry jam.
WOLF & WARRIOR BREWING COMPANY
WHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK
Offering sidewalk, indoor and beergarden seating, WOLF & WARRIOR BREWING COMPANY became White Plains first brewpub January 2019. A 5-barrel brewhouse in the center of town, this red-bricked wood floor pub serves easygoing brews alongside gourmet hot dogs, chili, cheese and hummus.
Crafting over 50 different beers in a mere two year period, Wolf & Warrior’s high ceiling interior includes a 12-plus draught bar with central TV. A small couch area at the front sidles the right sided chair-tables.
A beautiful psychedelicized warrior mural spread across the backdoor area enriches the brick-pavered beer garden, where I grab a seat to consume five simply inviting refreshments this sunny May ’21 afternoon.
There were three New England-styled India Pale Ales available on my initial journey, along with an Italian pilsner and English porter.
Brisk lemony grapefruit tanginess spread across dry wood tones and oated wheat malting for Punch It Chewie, a tidy NEIPA with waxy crayon-grouted pineapple and guava tartness.
Vibrant juniper-licked grapefruit rind bittering gained dry pine resin and salty white peppering to contrast the milk-sugared oats base of pilsner-malted B127, letting pineapple, mango, peach and berry tanginess emerge at the juicy citrus-spiced finish.
The driest IPA, dewy hazily golden-hued Pack Leader, utilized tropical fruited Norwegian yeast to contrast its oniony chive respite, leaving tertiary bruised lemon, dried apricot, burnt orange and dehydrated grapefruit illusions on the backend.
Crisply clean golden-cleared light body, Forza Italia!, a fizzy ‘pizza-paired’ pilsner with desiccated lemon tartness grazing perky Noble hop herbal fungi and grassy wood chipping will please soft palates.
Dark-roast chocolate and day-old coffee combined for dry peat-soiled English porter, Mr. Manchester, picking up mild hazelnut, cola and walnut snips.
BAR HYGGE
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA
Bringing some Danish bohemian spirit and contemporary American cuisine to the City of Brotherly Love’s tree-lined Fairmount Section, BAR HYGGE’s concept is to find genuine peace thru ordinary pleasures. Established during 2016, this friendly North Philly neighborhood bar serves the quaint Art Museum area with rangy house brews.
A beer barrel hanging from a metal pole leads to the entrance. The elegant black-ceilinged art deco right side features several wood tables-chairs-barrels fronting the 10-seat railroad-tie walled bar (with brew tanks behind) and an earth-toned flat stone segment with four black leather booths. Just as exquisite is the separate left side upscale dining section. Patio tables under the two awnings provide outdoor dining.
During a rainy Friday in May ’21, I consumed a few IPA’s with wife and dog, returning for brunch the next day to try the fine maibock, kolsch and nitro stout alongside Lox & Bagels, Pretzel Beignets and Breakfast Sandwich.
Smoothly clean kolsch, Nexus, let spritzy lemon sparkle its orange-dried tartness and grassy hop astringency.
Rangy maibock, Recoil, coalesced candi-sugared lemon zest with white-peppered cilantro herbage and mild lemongrass snips.
Tart lemon zesting and pale malt pasting secured soft-tongued Lemon Meringue IPA, leaving sharp orange-peeled grapefruit and pineapple bittering on dank pine residue.
Laidback sour ale, Tropicalia, draped tart blood orange oiling and salted mango atop sourdough breading as floral-licked guava and green grape illusions stay back.
Creamy eclair-headed stout, Sorry Tom, brought dark-roasted black chocolate and powdered cocoa sedation to nutty hop-charred bittering in a mellow way.