On tap at Ambulance, refreshingly soft-toned moderation brings zestful lemony yellow grapefruit tang and spritzy mandarin orange dalliance to the fore alongside peppery hop pining. In the backdrop, pineapple, mango and peach illusions join the fold above sweetly spiced crystal malting.
Easygoing, soft-textured IPA with bittersweet citrus-candied tartness gains resinous pine serenity and salted herbal restraint as mild grassy hop astringency advances. Stabilized orange-peeled lemon zesting picks up lightly soured pineapple, mango and papaya tropicalia, but the finish drops out quickly.
On tap at Hoover’s, brisk lemon spritz and lively grapefruit-orange zesting encounter trusty banana daiquiri, peach, pineapple and mango illusions atop sweet wheat base. Dry barnyard acridity stays setback as spry citrus zest spreads out. On tap at Shepherd & Knucklehead – Hoboken, sensational Imperial Saison (with bullish 8.5% ABV) lets honey-sweetened tropical fruiting contrast herbal pleasantries to its salty bottom. Sugared grapefruit, pineapple and mango tang keeps it sweeter than usual saison fare. Recommended.
On tap at Ambulance, lemony blueberry bite receives mildly soured buckwheat-honeyed barnyard rusticity and sweetly tart banana quirk for nifty Belgian-styled strong blonde posing as a dry farmhouse ale.
Bone-dry, rosé-wined, ‘hot pink’ gose brings vinous lemon-salted green grape souring to subtle hibiscus tartness, leaving sparkling rosé reminder. Pink sea-salted citrus rind bittering gains mild cranberry pucker and acidic raspberry vinaigrette tinge upped by lactobacillus saison yeast.
On tap at Ambulance, easygoing gose brings zesty lemon peel adjunct to tart briny lime souring and dry Sauvignon Blanc white grape tannins above delicate white wheat spine.
On tap at Ambulance, subtle Vermont maple syruping drapes mild dried fruit spicing and milder caramelized brown chocolate malting. Maple molasses-sugared mocha fruiting, dewy hop foliage and wispy chestnut-pecan-acorn tease need better forward thrust.
On tap at Shepherd & Knucklehead – Haledon, floral grapefruit-peeled orange tang and mild grassy hop astringency envelop Grateful Dead-inspired granola knockoff. Honeyed almond, oats and cereal grain influence unassuredly secondary to dry pale-malted citrus stead.
NIANTIC, CONNECTICUT
Residing at a cement-floored Industrial mall inside an inconspicuous light blue-walled, black-ceilinged, 15-seat taproom (with track lighting and wooden US flag), NOBLE JAY BREWING COMPANY serves its quaint Mystic-area village of Niantic with a small variety of well-crafted homemade nano brews.
Owned and operated by proud military veteran, Mike Lincoln, Noble Jay dedicated three tap lines to lagers, a surprisingly large amount for such a small pub, during my mid-January ’19 afternoon perusal. Its diminutive interior features a small living room space with couch, rug and overhead TV plus multiple service academy flags along the walls. Led Zeppelin plays in the background as I down the three lagers, one rangy saison and a porter.
Open for business since August ’18 (and out of biz summer 2020), Noble Jay had joined Niantic Public House as one of Niantic’s initial craft breweries.
Musky German-styled pre-Prohibitionist flagship, Mo Pilsner, retained wet-grained pilsner malt breading and herbal Noble hop lemon rot.
Brisk orange-candied Lager Jammin Double IPL gained grassy-hopped astringency to contrast its sugared pale malt spine.
Perhaps the finest lager, stylistically dryer Chappy’s Red Valor regaled spicy red fruiting and dewy caramel malting to counter sour orange tartness in a briskly clean manner.
Inarguably, the most dynamic offering, complexly balanced First Ladies Saison coalesced its lightly sour fruit-spiced farmhouse dryness with the vanilla-sugared banana daquiri sweetness (and lemon meringue twist) of a heady tripel.
On the dark side, Fatty Boom Boom Baltic Porter contrasted soy-milked peanut oiling with sweet hazelnut-glazed caramel malts, leaving dark cocoa traces on the back end.
On tap at Beef Trust, subtle kiwi and strawberry sweetness embraces light ‘acidic bitter coffee curbed by milk and sugar’ of fabulous fruited version of Basic Coffee Imperial Cream Ale. Milk-sugared coffee goodness also caressed by cinnamon, vanilla, blueberry and several anonymously wondrous illusions. Naturally recommended.
On tap at Beef Trust, charmingly decadent full-bodied mocha dessert plies velvety whiskey-bent Irish cream liqueur to bitter black coffee overtones and fudgy vanilla-spiced brown chocolate stead. Tertiary cocoa, espresso, pecan, walnut, cola and hazelnut illusions deepen its complexity.
On tap at Poor Henry’s, Tavalon’s subtle chai tea influence guides peppery-spiced black chocolate syruping above silken oats-flaked spine. Milk-sugared mocha malting sweetened by cinnamon, cumin and cayenne piquancy, overwhelming latent green tea bittering of fine herbal-spiced stout hybrid.
