On tap at Taphouse 15, easygoing moderation lets juicy Citra-Mosaic hop fruiting seep into oily lupulin-powdered resin. Perfumed lemony grapefruit frontage gains pineapple, peach and mandarin orange seduction caressed by tingly herbal minting above pale malt sugars.
On tap at Taphouse 15, murkily marbled gold-hazed turbidity saddles lactose-injected IPA conditioned on passionfruit puree. Lactic acidity lightly engages ultra-dry lemon-pitted passionfruit tartness as well as bittersweet orange juice pucker and tertiary grapefruit-guava-gooseberry illusions.
On tap at Ambulance, complex apple-buttered champagne yeast picks up white wine tannins, tartly citric saison fruiting and musky earthen funk for brandy-sweetened sour ale. Lemony white peppering spices up apple brandy template as well.
On tap at Ambulance, creamsickle-inspired dessert-styled sour ale (with deep purplish pink hue) allows lemony blueberry tartness to sidle lactic milk-sugared vanilla yogurt splurge, salty red wine tannins and relegated hard cider bittering. Sour blueberry pucker maintains a certain gravitas.
On tap at Hoover’s, tart lime-juiced cranberry sedation and mild coriander-spiced salinity given lactic yogurt spurt. Desolate lemon, mandarin orange, gooseberry and green grape esters trail sour cranberry juicing.
Well developed, stylistically advanced and creatively designed Christmastime cream ale harnesses chai tea spicing to honeyed vanilla glaze and wintry coniferous hop bite. Brown-sugared gingerbread sweetness engulfs sharply chai-spiced nutmeg, allspice and fennel vibrancy while spritzy citrus crisping settles way below.
On tap at Taphouse 15, easygoing beige yellow-hazed pale ale pairs perfumed yellow grapefruit tanginess with musky hop-oiled astringency, slowly gaining mandarin orange, tangerine and pineapple illusions above sweet grain malt bottom.
Pleasant moderation blends mellow yellow grapefruit tanginess with subtle orange-tangerine linger, floral lemon dusting, grassy hop astringency and bready pale malts. Well-balanced dry Mosaic-hopped mainstream fodder.
On tap at Growler & Gill, musky raw-honeyed grain malting, herbal Noble-hopped lemon rot and dank floral nuances reinforced by pale-malted sourdough spine. Underneath, bread-crusted millet, wheatgrass and straw grass rusticity stays firm for crisp German-styled pilsner.
PINE BROOK, NEW JERSEY
Making fantastic wood-fired pizzas and serving top-notch local craft beers since 2014, Pine Brook’s WOODSTACK PIZZA also specializes in worthy pasta dishes and nifty original cocktails. Right on bustling Route 46 in Morris County, this rustic ranch-styled lodge features a 12-tap front bar with colorful beer-cocktail blackboard displays and two opposing TV’s for sports fanatics.
Pristine industrial wood-metal furnishings abound and a tiled open kitchen and large wine humidor add to the splendor. Two multi-stooled tables with Edison lights sidle the 20-seat bar. A right side V-framed room with wood paneling offers extra dining and the warmth of a large brick fireplace. There’s even a private left side lounge area for parties.
During my mid-January 2019 lunchtime perusal, enjoyed creamy tomato soup with fried eggplant, mozzarella cheese, tomato and basil panini while imbibing terrific Two Roads Two Evil Saigon Scooter Selfie Stout (reviewed in Beer Index).
woodstacknj.com
NIANTIC, CONNECTICUT
Inside an inconspicuous beige-bricked square edifice tucked in behind the village of Niantic’s Main Street just down from the Long Island Sound, NIANTIC PUBLIC HOUSE came into fruition during the autumn of 2018. The spacious blue-walled interior echoes to its black pipe-exposed ceiling height and a few small community tables sidle the bar.
Readied to expand their limited house beer lineup (only two available on my mid-January ’19 late afternoon sojourn), Niantic did also feature ten well-selected local outside brews and fine wines. The electronic blackboard at the L-shaped wood-lacquered serving station listed all liquids.
During my friendly half-hour binge, tried well-balanced Audens Pale Ale, a double dry-hopped moderation utilizing the tropical Nelson Sauvin variety and leaving spicy orange-tangerine-grapefruit tanginess, tingly lemon zest and grassy musk upon its dry pale malted bottom.
Also quaffed crisply clean Shell Yeah! Imperial IPA, where floral-perfumed orange peel sweetness and tangy yellow grapefruit zest got glazed by candied malt sugaring.
www.nianticpublichouse.com
EDISON, NEW JERSEY
Despite its small, demure serving station area, CYPRESS BREWING COMPANY has the warehouse capacity for enormous growth. Open since 2015, its large silver tanks prove expansion doesn’t have to take place off-site anytime soon. Residing at a tucked away tan-bricked Industrial Park just off the Garden State Parkway near the Raritan River, Cypress currently specializes in a few recurring draughts, some canned fare (such as the popular cranberry-pureed Thanksgiving offering, Miigwetch Pale Ale) and sundry tapped one-offs.
A beautiful back wall-painted Cypress banner salutes patrons to the left side hunter green-walled, blacktop-slated, stone-laid serving station (with eight taps, two TV’s and blackboard beer listing). Its porcelain grain wood floor tile, three rounded black-hued Industrial tables and inlaid cypress tree mural on the opposing wall bring a sterling feel to the pristine bantam space.
My wife and daughter join me on New Year’s Eve 2018 as I down five worthy afternoon draughts – four of which leaned to the dark side.
First up, vivacious dry-hopped medium body, Insane In The Grain IPA, brought sharp yellow grapefruit tanginess and sweet orange peel zest to the fore as resinous piney hops subsumed the backend (where wispy mango, peach and pineapple tropicalia snuck in). A true counterpoint to the following darkies.
Dry Northern English Nut Brown contrasted its walnut-seared hop char with less enthusiastic glazed hazelnut sweetness and soap-stoned peanut shelling.
Ample nuttiness also welcomed Alva Imperial Porter, leaving molasses chocolate-sugared dried fruiting on the tongue alongside serene walnut, Brazil nut and charred chestnut licks.
Fully realized dessert treat, Nice Imperial Lactose Stout, let cocoa-beaned milk chocolate richness gain cinnamon-spiced ginger leaf minting.
Its more aggressive chili-peppered version, Naughty, allowed its fudgier cocoa persuasion to retain tidy brown-sugared cinnamon coffee tones.
cypressbrewing.com
