OK yellow-blanched pale lager reminiscent, at times, of a cream ale, due to lager-ale yeast combo providing buttery corn-starched cracker dryness to mild grassy hop astringency. Lightly juiced lemony orange tang picks up floral-perfumed alacrity below the grainy surface.
THREES VLIET PILSNER
On tap at Ambulance, “verdant” German pilsner retains gritty grain musk, mild lemon rot bittering and latent herbal hop whim. Musty barnyard leathering and wild oats dryness consume wheat cracker bottom.
FOUNDERS SOLID GOLD LAGER
On tap at Poor Henry’s, crisply clean ‘classic’ golden lager merges floral-cologned lemondrop tartness with maize-dried musk, corn-sugared sweetness and doughy malts. Spicy lemon zest briskly spritzes up the mild citric-grained finish.
MEDDLESOME MOTH
DALLAS, TEXAS
Inside an ivy-covered red brick edifice deep in the heart of Dallas, premier gastropub MEDDLESOME MOTH opened in 2010 and boasts 40-plus beer taps plus three beautiful stain glass murals honoring rock legends Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry and Jerry Lee Lewis.
Maintaining an upscale appearance and classy sportsbar atmosphere, Meddlesome Moth’s 20-stool pewter-top bar services a cavernous dining space (with plush leather booths and tables). $1,100 in silver quarters don the draught board (with 40 taps) and an open kitchen offers large portions of gourmet pub cuisine.
The prominent Cathedral-like ceiling and broad brown wood columns arch down towards the back end and a wood-furnished side patio offers extra seating.
Visited on a sunny Sunday in April ’18, Meddlesome Moth is packed at noon. I got to quaff four previously untried brews, including Boulevard Jam Band Berry Ale, Peticolas Match Day Session IPA, Peticolas Too Soon IPA and St. Arnold’s Bourbon-Aged Bishops Barrel 10 (all reviewed in Beer Index).
www.mothinthe.net
BRAINDEAD PARTY POOPER
On tap at Brass Tap, fruitful 10.6% ABV strong ale combines candied pineapple sweetness and orange-bruised cantaloupe, melon-mango conflux with ethanol-laden hop astringency.
SAINT ARNOLD BISHOPS BARREL 10 – BOURBON-AGED BARLEYWINE
On tap at Meddlesome Moth, part of St. Arnold’s recommended Bishops Barrel Series, luscious bourbon-aged barleywine (#10) drapes generous whiskeyed cognac sweetness with compact brown-sugared dried fruiting. Black cherry-bruised date, fig and plum tones adorn caramelized bourbon chocolate midst and molasses-candied finish.
TUPPS FULL GROWN HOMBRE IMPERIAL STOUT
Tantalizing coffee-forward full body allows mild ancho chili pepper heat to contrast dark chocolate, bourbon vanilla, molasses and anise luster. Roasted coffee richness never relents as pureed black cherry and blackberry illusions add depth to complex elixir.
TUPPS FULL GROWN SCALLYWAG COCONUT VANILLA IMPERIAL STOUT
Creamily rich milk chocolate foundation gains bourbon vanilla and fudged brownie sweetness for busy dessert treat. Milk chocolate center gathers crème brulee, chocolate liqueur, molasses, toffee, cocoa and toasted coconut illusions as well as lightly soured dried fruiting to contrast cedar-burnt hop char.
903 LAND OF MILK & HONEY
On tap at Taverna Rossa, dewy brown chocolate spicing and honeyed pale malts gain a musty fungi tinge for lactic golden stout. Milked chocolate honey glaze mellows above brown-sugared wheat breading. Just a tad fatigued by the finish.
LAKEWOOD THE TEMPTRESS
On tap at Brass Tap, stable milk stout brewed with lactose-sugared vanilla gains immediate coffee-beaned black and brown chocolate influence as well as soy-sauced umami splurge. Mild molasses-smoked cocoa, caramel, coconut and almond milk undertones flutter.
BLUE OWL ADMIRAL GRAVITAS
On tap at Brass Tap, softly creamed milk-soured mocha theme gains soy-sauced snip for silken nitro-like acidulated stout. Musky cocoa-dried dark chocolate and black coffee bittering plus mild hop char undone by soapy finish a tad.
OAK HIGHLANDS DF DUB
Delightful banana-clove sweetness, brown-sugared toffee tingle and subtle raisin snip greet the tongue. Sharp hop spicing increases dewy peat resonance below the surface.
