On tap at Poor Henry’s, mouth-puckering oak barreled wild ale utilizes brettanomyces yeast acidity to conjure extremely tart blueberry-raspberry scrum and vinous grape-skinned tannins. Soured rosé wining perhaps elevated by acidulated malts.
UINTA READY SET GOSE
Lifeless sessionable fare. Delicate salty coriander expectancy goes nebulous. Light lemon rind acidity fails to gain enough salinity.
WEYERBACHER SEXY MOTHERPUCKER SOUR ALE
Inspired by classic blending of iced tea with lemonade, mouth-puckering brown-bodied sour ale retains lemon-soured prune-plum niche as well as ancillary oaken cherry tartness, moderate citrus acidity and lightly vinous green grape tannins. A wild ale for dried-fruited black tea lovers.
KCBC MARBLE OF DOOM
On tap at Ambulance, mild kettle-soured ‘wild ale’ brings soured blackberry and pomegranate musk to lightly pungent gose-like lemon limed salting. Tart cranberry pucker adds further souring while subtle sulfuric snip funks up acidulated barley-oats-rye malting.
(VAN STEENBERGE) CELIS WHITE
Original Pierre Celis witbier recipe from Belgium (bastardized by a few American breweries in Texas and Michigan). Stylishly indelible orange-peeled coriander sweetness gains lemony banana-clove-vanilla respite and honeyed chamomile niche while Belgian yeast adds funky fungi snip. Brisk citrus spritz endures while tertiary peach-apricot-pineapple-quince reminders dawdle.
(OFF COLOR) TOOTH & CLAW DRY-HOPPED LAGER
Despite vapid India Pale Lager tag, simple moderation better recalls German and Czech lagers with its carapils malting and grassy Perle-Magnum-Tettnang hop design. Raw-grained minerality picks up salty corn respite, floral honeyed tinge and zesty lemon spritz.
TIRED HANDS PRAYER GROUP
On tap at Ambulance, refreshing oak-fermented ‘spring lager’ plies white-red wheat pilsner malting and grassy hop astringency to lemon-lime juiced Sauvignon Blance tannins. Crystalline mineral-watered lightness softens sulfuric citrus whim.
SAMUEL ADAMS SAM ’76
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.
