Sweet ‘n sour blueberry (huckleberry) tartness spreads across light white wheat malting of fizzy summertime moderation. Lemony gooseberry, curacao orange and white grape tang plays backup to juicy blueberry invigoration. Easygoing session ale.
VOODOO GRAN MET TRIPEL
‘Delicate’ soft-tongued tripel (with astoundingly quiet 9.5% ABV) needs richer malt profile and more up-front resonation as tart beet-sugared crystal malting never sweetens enough. Dryer than most stylistic competitors with daintily candied Belgian yeast influence and blanched pilsner malts needing a push forward. Mildly perfumed banana tartness pick up desolately spiced pineapple, mango and orange tropicalia.
VOODOO KILLAPILZ
Updated version of brewer’s Pilzilla (circa 2017) relies more on earthen tea-like herbal musk than dry piney grapefruit sustenance. At the finish, grassy hop astringency upends tart lemongrass spurt (and subdued leafy foliage).
ALESMITH MOUNT CRUSHMORE CREAM ALE
On tap at Ambulance, dry golden-paled moderation places mild corn-dried grain malts next to brisk grassy hop spicing and latent herbal gourd tinge. Easygoing sessionable fodder.
BARCADE – EAST VILLAGE
MANHATTAN, NEW YORK
In the center of St. Mark’s Place in Manhattan’s East Village, the fourth Barcade franchise opened during 2015. Taking the space once occupied by iconic New York record shop, Kim’s Underground, Paul Kermezian’s latest arcade-laden beer pub provides the same fine craft beer and wine as its other idiosyncratic locations.
Retaining the crudely rustic black-walled interior and exposed pipes of its predecessor, Lower East Side’s Barcade features 20-plus taps at its right side 12-seat lamp-lit bar. A central blackboard lists current beer selections.
On my terse half-hour stopover, October ’17, I discovered Great South Bay Splashing Pumpkin (reviewed in Beer Index). On deck were a few brews I hadn’t yet tried, such as Barrier Tanto, Shmaltz Hannukah in July in Napa, Du Claw Collusion, Chelsea Pumpkin Pie and Kelso Berliner Weisse with Cranberry.
barcadestmarks.com
THE BRUERY MASH & COCONUT BOURBON BARLEYWINE
On tap at Ambulance, lovely bourbon-barreled barleywine fuses toasted coconut sweetness into enchanting dessert treat (with well-hidden 13% ABV). Brown-sugared molasses, spiced toffee, caramelized pecan, almondine, marshmallow and vanilla illusions receive plentiful bourbon-sweetened coconut glaze.
OMNIPOLLO NOA PECAN MUD CAKE STOUT
Luxurious Mud Cake-designed dessert treat features candied pecan sweetness and dark chocolate syruping. Smoked mocha malting unveils ancillary hazelnut coffee, creamed vanilla, chocolate cake, cacao nibs, Kahlua, toasted coconut and burnt marshmallow illusions. In the deep recess, black cherry-pureed red grape and plum tones increase overall complexity.
HOPPIN’ FROG TOWER TUESDAY SERIES INFUSION A COFFEE PORTER
Superfine coffee porter nightcap! Milked hazelnut coffee entry gains fudged brownie, creamed vanilla, roasted cocoa, toasted almond and peanut-buttered cookie dough influence before reaching its chocolate nougat center. Tingly cinnamon-curry-cumin seasoning and bottoming brown-sugared oats expand rangy dessert treat.
ROSCOE TROUT TOWN TWO HEADED STOUT
Smoothly creamed Baker’s chocolate dryness gains light roast coffee tone and espresso bean snip over mild hop char. Light molasses sugaring contrasts scorched earthiness below the surface.
CZIG MEISTER BLACKSMITH STOUT
Richly dry oatmeal stout pounds smoky chocolate walnut resilience and coffee-stained vanilla beaning into lightly lingering hop-charred bittering. Tertiary Baker’s chocolate, cacao nibs and espresso illusions pick up latent plastique coating at nutty dark chocolate finish.
CZIG MEISTER BLACKSMITH STOUT WITH MINT
On tap at Beef Trust, smoothly creamed oatmeal stout brings smoky black chocolate malting, mild minty anise freshness and iced coffee continuance to oats-dried spine. Tertiary cacao nibs, charcoal and pipe tobacco illusions wander.
BOULEVARD SCOTCH ON SCOTCH OAK AGED IMPERIAL SCOTCH ALE
Desirable merger pits rauchbier-like kilned barley malts and wood-singed peated Scotch dryness against brown-sugared molasses sweetness for 9.6% ABV limited edition 2017 release. Oaken vanilla seeps into kiln-smoked Scotch continuance, dampening its campfire setting while Band-Aid-wafted cured salami, seared bacon and glazed ham undertones emerge.
