Sunny yellow grapefruit and lemon pith bittering receive ethyl-like 6.6% ABV thrust as herbal tea earthiness and dry wood bottom secure collaborative West Coast IPA. Heavenly floral-wafted citrus stead gains latent pineapple-guava tropicalia and light crayon waxing.
Summery hefe loads zesty lemon spritz atop white wheat base as stylish banana-clove sweetness takes back seat to sunny citric splash.
Pronounced jammy strawberry tartness receives lactose souring as unique chocolate-covered pretzel riff and pie-crusted wheat flouring enter the fray. Radical peanut butter-jellied continuance gains sugary jellybean indulgence and distant raspberry-blueberry-boysenberry smear.
Vinous mixed culture sour saison aged in oak lets lemon-juiced green grape esters slink and tart white peach fuzz into acidulated wheat base.
Delightfully expressive fruited barleywine permeates invigorating raspberry puree thrust with sticky caramelized red cherry candied glaze. In the plush midst, figgy raisin-plum scrum, dark rum swirl and light whiskey snips receive medicinal cherry alcohol burn. Chewy molasses-sugared caramel center thickens tartly sweet raspberry jam continuance (with slight raspberry rhubarb pie twinge). A resplendent dessert-styled variant.
Spectral sweet-spiced red and orange fruiting plus honeyed rum splash lacquered by sticky caramelized malts. Candied apple glaze, sugary tangerine caking, candied orange tartness and red grape tang perk up richly creamed maibock.
Sessionable red-orange-yellow fruited East Coast-styled pale ale sashays mild orange peeled grapefruit rind bittering across briny mango-guava-papaya snips and peachy quince and pear whims. Its gluey yeast sinew, mildly oats sugared creaming and springtime floral spicing combine for a maibock-like finish.
On tap at Ambulance, fine English-styled pub ale not unlike English special bitter or mossier pale lager. Crisp tobacco roast leads dewy peat, earthen resin and herbal hops into crusty bread base, nearly hiding dried orange musk.
On tap at Ambulance, crisp 'adjunct' lager slips pilsner-malted white rice and flaked corn past lightly herbal Saaz hops before spritzy lemon fizz enlivens the midst before slight cabbage musk flutters. Almost stylishly kolsch-like.
Musky maize-dried astringency underscores crisp lime spritz as briny lemon peel bittering, slight champagne sparkle and perfumed agave snip squeeze thru white-breaded pilsner malting of summery light-bodied Mex lager.
On tap at Ambulance, clean kolsch-like lemon spritz and grassy hop meadow receive vegetal scurry over buttery biscuit bottom.
CHATHAM, NEW YORK
Inside a spacious white shopping center-like corner pub, CHATHAM BREWING resides in the heart of Chatham's Main Street. On top of crafting diversified local beers, Chatham's also well-known for its 'build your own burgers.' Despite its inconspicuous blue collar rusticity, casual smalltown appeal and olden yellow wood paneling, the cement-floored, maroon-walled microbrewery operates a sizable backspace canning line, distributing throughout New York.
The left side main space features a 12-seat U-shaped bar where 24-plus draughts get tapped and 3 TV's are situated. A few windowed front tables, a wood-benched atrium and a few booths add further seating. Exposed pipes hang from the black art deco ceiling and a few semi-private 4-seat wood tables reside in the rear.
I had quaffed a few Chatham brews in the can previously (all reviewed in Beer Index) before visiting March '25 on a Friday at noon. Took home Blitzkriek Belgian Quadrupel for good luck.
Dry maize and corn-sugared starching fortified light lager, Local Hero, leaving a mild lemon spritz.
Lightly wood-smoked maple syruping glazed toasted amber graining of red ale, Maple Amber, a mildly spice-hopped moderation.
Smoky peat surfaced in the dewier Irish Red Ale, a richer grained, somewhat fruitier turnabout.
Zestful soft-toned Imperial IPA, Nectaron Of The Gods, placed peachy nectarine sweetness across lemony grapefruit bittering and dry pine resin.
Another tropical Imperial IPA, Mango Bombogenesis, retained salted mango resonance as mild yellow grapefruit bittering and floral perfumed spicing drifted above buttery pale malts.
Re-tasted Dry Irish Stout, in its draught (instead of canned) version. Its dry Black Patent malts left smoothly creamed coffee nuttiness upon its bittersweet dark chocolate frontage.
A bit dry for and Imperial Stout, Northern Comfort stayed bitter as dark-roast coffee, black cocoa powder and raw molasses coalesced.