Bourbon-barreled oak staves provide only meager influence upon bittersweet vanilla bean scheme. Fudgy dark chocolate sweetness slowly depletes most of the vanilla adjunct as musky Blackstrap molasses leathering and sharp hop phenols embitter the back end. Latent hickory-burnt charcoal singe relegates coffee, cocoa and espresso undertones in busy mix.
Inspired by brown-sugared oatmeal cookies, rich mocha-bound nightcap picks up cinnamon-toasted vanilla and nutmeg sweetness as well as chewy anise spicing to counter sharp roasted hop bite. Dark chocolate syrup drapes molasses-baked oats, cookie dough malts and recessive raisin or black cherry illusions.
Mildly creamed molasses sugaring cakes wheat-flaked chocolate malts as well as light-roast coffee tones and dried cocoa powdering. Subtle vanilla, caramel and black cherry sweetness seeps in slowly.
On tap at Plank Pizza, rangy 11.5% ABV porter drapes creamy dark chocolate syrup atop mildly spiced dried fruiting. Mocha-bound black cherry, raspberry, raisin and prune tones gain slight rummy molasses and bourbon vanilla licks while ashen hops relegate distant wood-seared tobacco leaf crisping. Yummy chocolate cherry cake dessert alternative.
On tap at Growler & Gill, ‘rich but not heavy’ light-bodied porter leaves dry roasted coffee and dark chocolate tones upon mild nut-charred hop bittering. But its ‘floral fruited’ Belgian yeast influence seems null.
Vintage oak-aged Flanders Red Ale (2012 – Barrel #170) flaunts leathery cherry-raspberry tartness at the fore as vinous green grape souring, oaken vanilla tannins, green raisin snips and fungi-like saccharomyces yeast sugaring merge alongside dry sherry licks. At the complex finish, sour cherry abundance gains acidic balsamic vinegaring to contrast less prominent caramelized amber graining.
On tap at Plank Pizza, easygoing Kentucky bourbon-barreled barleywine (8% ABV) needs ‘no overwhelming alcohol kick’ to stay pleasing. Gentle caramel-toasted Scotch malting and light oaken vanilla buttering sidle up against placid bourbon sweetness in mild manner.
On tap at Ambulance, straightforward tropical fruiting streamlines flaked rye malting of somewhat stylistically unassuming 10% ABV barleywine. Continual citrus-spiced spritz overrides dry rye spine (and resinous pine snip). Serve to IPA fans.
On tap at Plank Pizza, ‘surprisingly mellow’ Imperial IPA places sweet tropical fruiting and mildly creamed sugar malts above toned-down piney hop musk. Juicy pineapple, navel orange, tangerine, mango, nectarine, honeydew and peach tanginess suppresses distant lemondrop souring. Viscous honey-spiced fruiting gains candied coating over time while spelt-grained pilsner malting provides soft, but effective, backbone.
On tap at Plank Pizza, sweet pineapple juicing spreads across equally sugared mango, guava and tangerine tartness as well as less emphatic lemon-seeded orange rind bittering, retaining lingered piney hop pungency (and astringent ethanol musk).
On tap at Biggie’s, briskly sharp hop-forward rye spicing deepens persistent ESB-like earthen grain rusticity and resinous lupulin bittering alongside lemon-seeded grapefruit, orange and pineapple tanginess of 2017 IPA – picking up mild pepper breading at finish.
On tap at Biggie’s, cryogenic hops intensify citric bittering, resinous hemp-oiled musk and mild floral-spiced perfuming. Tropical mango, pineapple and tangerine tang contrasts lightly lingered lemon-juiced orange peel and grapefruit rind bitterness. Fairly bold.