Penetrative lemony grapefruit zesting contacts oaken vanilla bittering in mildly lactic NEIPA environs. Sharp orange candied tartness picks up intensity as wispily soured papaya, passionfruit and guava tropicalia and resinous pine tones flutter.
FOUNDATION FLIGHTS OF FANCY
Semi-sharp Citra-Mosaic-hopped yellow grapefruit salting and oily pine resin stay crisply clean above passively oated pilsner malts.
NON SEQUITUR THIS IS ME NOW NEW ENGLAND IPA
Politely unassuming NEIPA places lightly salted yellow grapefruit bittering above herbal-nipped pale malts as mild mandarin orange tartness and salted pineapple whim check in. Subtle champagned orange juicing brings teasing Mimosa snip.
BRADLEY FROM MAKING DREAMSICLES INDIA PALE ALE
On tap at Kitchen And Beer Bar, lemony grapefruit zesting rides above milk-sugared vanilla sweetness in delicate oated wheat NEIPA setting. Sessionable though briskly sharp Citra-Mosaic-hopped moderation stays juicily fruitful.
BRIX CITY ORIGINAL JUNGLIST
On tap at Seven Lakes Station, rangy moderate-bodied Imperial IPA places orange-peeled lemon oiling and salted mango-pineapple-passionfruit tropicalia atop dankly pined herbal notions for zesty easygoing summertime sunshine.
COMMUNITY BEER WORKS SPRUCE HORNSBY DOUBLE IPA W/ SPRUCE TIPS
“Intense floral citrus” brightener liltingly levels off for refreshingly spruce-tipped evergreen serenade (reinforced by woodsy Chinook-Columbus hop blend) above creamy crystal malt pasting. Lemony orange-peeled yellow grapefruit sunshine and pineapple candied tartness effervescently merge.
EQUILIBRIUM VULGAR DISPLAY OF FLOWER DOUBLE IPA
On tap at Seven Lakes Station, dry lupulin flowered moderation relies on floral citrus hop sunshine to caress its dank pine resin. Subtle yellow grapefruit bittering, lemon rind souring and orange peel sweetness combine for soft-toned essence above tingly caramelized pale malt sugaring.
BLAZE ONE WAY #7
Milder ‘juice bomb’ lets zestful lemony grapefruit salting and mellow piney bittering embrace lightly creamed crystal malt sugaring. Mild orange, pineapple, nectarine and cantaloupe illusions aid daintily spectral fruitiness.
TIN BARN HYPNOTIC ORANGES NEW ENGLAND DIPA
On tap at Growler & Gill, salted orange zesting picks up mild grapefruit bittering and wispy tangerine-clementine tartness over dank piney hop astringency.
WINTER HILL BREWING COMPANY
SOMERVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS
A rustic hillside pub in the heart of Somerville and a mile east of Aeronaut, WINTER HILL BREWING COMPANY opened in 2016. Specializing in small batch beer as well as craft coffee and fine pub fare (BBQ, sausages and sandwiches) this freestanding industrial brewery-cafe overlooks the Boston skyline in a shop-filled residential neighborhood.
Winter Hill’s interior features a capacious lacquered wood serving station with a few chairs surrounding the bar and Edison lights plus exposed pipes dangling from a black ceiling. A four-tabled patio deck with Trex composite decking adds further seating.
My wife and I took seats at the front window across from the large refrigeration unit during our March ’21 rendezvous to try all three current draught offerings.
Sessionable saison, Testing Testing, bent stylistic boundaries as its expectant lemony perfumed herbage and earthen wood rusticity received intensified lemongrass tartness and quirky lavender-chamomile-mums florality.
Zestful hazy yellow glowed IPA, Johnny Juice Bomb, paraded sweet orange-peeled pineapple, mango and peach tanginess alongside salted lemon-candied grapefruit tartness, leaving floral-daubed pine resin upon its sharp citrus-spiced finish.
Bittersweet raspberry-pureed carob tartness anchored Raspberry Russian Ending (a fruited offshoot of Russian Ending Imperial Stout), picking up chocolate-covered cherry, strawberry rhubarb, raspy raspberry and blueberry compote illusions in a semi-sweet chocolate setting.
AERONAUT BREWING CO.
SOMERVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS
Inside a cavernous unfinished warehouse, Somerville’s AERONAUT BREWING CO. opened 2014 and soon after began operations at nearby Aeronaut Cannery. Just off Union Square down an alleyway to a glass-doored entrance, the huge cement-floored indoor facility features simple cafeteria tables and plastic seats plus a 20-plus seat L-shaped bar. Already crafting 100-plus seasonal, one-off and recurring brews in its first six years, Aeronaut has annually increased capacity.
My wife and I grab a folding chaired table near the Venezuelan cuisine booth in a dank room left of the bar area while others brave the cold March ’21 dinnertime breeze at the benched picnic tables outside.
We tried the flagship pilsner and a mocha dessert treat before heading to Boston’s Little Italy for an exquisite meal at Rabia’s Dolce Fumo.
Mild lager-malted Robot Crush coalesced lightly spiced apricot-dried peach tones with earthen raw-honeyed minerality and quaint Citra-hopped lemony orange zest.
Bittersweet creme bruleed dark chocolate engaged caramel-roasted Creme Brulee Pastry Stout, leaving dried cherry, vanilla cream and toffee illusions on the back end.
THE BRUERY BAKERY COCONUT MACAROONS (IMPERIAL STOUT AGED IN BOURBON)
Bold and decadent coconut macaroon knockoff works subtle bourbon vanilla sweetness into tarry dark chocolate-fudged toasted coconut prominence, picking up rum-spiced sugarcane, sappy molasses and caramelized cherry Cordial snips. Perfect confectionary nightcap.
