On tap at Biggie’s, dry light-bodied marzen (formerly Goose Oktoberfest) greets dewy earthen peat with floral-spiced Hallertau hops and baked breaded rye malts. Dried apricot and orange illusions fade in the recess.
HANGAR 24 ORANGE WHEAT
“Airy” summertime moderation lets tart navel orange adjunct provide sweet ‘n sour candied coating to white wheat spine. Tangy mandarin orange, tangerine and clementine illusions reinforce carbolic navel orange frontage.
AGAINST THE GRAIN BLOODY SHOW LAGER WITH BLOOD ORANGE
Easygoing collaboration with Denmark’s Mikkeller Brewing brings tart blood orange zest to pilsner-malted Danish lager yeast and light grassy hop astringency. Floral-daubed blood orange continuance gains mild candi-sugared sweetness at the finish.
RIVER HORSE CHERRY BERLINER WEISSE
Subdued “wheat ale aged with tart cherries” retains mild lemon-juiced acidity to its salty bottom. Laid-back oaken cherry souring picks up bitter cranberry spell and plain yogurt snip, but washed-out white wheat base falters as tart cherry influence fades abruptly.
FULL SAIL SESSION MEXICAN-STYLE LAGER
Mellow off-dry yellow-cleared pale lager brings mild lemon-spiced spritz to subtle mineral graining, wispy hay-like earthiness and distant floral snips. Light cilantro herbage caressing the delicate citric finish goes fine with Mexican salsa.
PORTICO TWO POINT PILSNER
On tap at Grafton Street – Cambridge, dry IPA-like German pilsner brings delicate floral-pined Hallertau hop bittering to zesty lemon-dropped orange peel briskness and tart lime twist. Mild carapils malt sweetness lingers below.
NOTCH SESSION PILS
On tap at Russell House Tavern, crisply dry Czech-styled pilsner brings moderate Saaz hop astringency to tingly lemony spicing as well as earthen spelt, oats and wheatgrass graininess. Soft doughy biscuit spine holds up well.
Shepherd & Knucklehead – Hoboken 1st Anniversary
HOBOKEN’S SHEPHERD & KNUCKLEHEAD CELEBRATES 1ST ANNIVERSARY SHEP-IVERSARY SEPTEMBER 8TH THRU 10TH
With a veritable shitload of Jersey brewers’ special one-offs and seasonals, Shepherd & Knucklehead’s Hoboken site celebrated its 1st Anniversary in great fashion, spreading sixty home state draughts across their already spectacular liquor menu.
Before reviewing the 16 new finds I quaffed on Sunday, September 10th, 2017, here’s a list of some of the new brewers whose ales ran out before I could get my grubby paws on them.
Belford Lobster Pot Nut Brown (Belford)
Conclave Gravitational Waves IPA (Flemington)
Dark City Summerfield – Cherry (Asbury Park)
Last Frame A-Frame IPA (Point Pleasant)
Lower Forge Against The Grain Amber Ale (Medford)
Ludlam Island Inescapable Wordliness Pale Ale (Oceanview)
Referend Bier Blendery Sound & Fury Wild Ale (Pennington)
7 Mile 7 Suns Double IPA (Rio Grande)Â
Tonewood Chief Pale Ale (Oaklyn)
Troon Chained To Bottom Of Ocean Imperial IPA (Hopewell)
Tuckahoe Snack Session IPA (Little Egg Harbor)
Twin Elephant Lil Shimmy Ye Pale Ale (Chatham)
Wet Ticket Watermelon Wheat (Rahway)
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CYPRESS FREEDOM TOAST STOUT
On tap at Shepherd & Knucklehead – Hoboken, creamy oatmeal stout perfect for breakfast. Tranquil dark chocolate, milked coffee and powdered cocoa uprising given maple-sugared cinnamon sweetness and Madagascar vanilla beaning as well as sweet cumin-nutmeg spicing to perk up intense mocha mouthfeel.
LITTLE DOG SEAFARER’S STOUT
On tap at Shepherd & Knucklehead – Hoboken, dry Irish Stout brings stylish dark chocolate-bound coffee roast to the fore as unsweetened black licorice tones gain hold above moderate hop char.
TOMFOOLERY SINISTER PUMPKIN STOUT
On tap at Shepherd & Knucklehead – Hoboken, dry earthen musk contrasts caramel-burnt brown chocolate malting, receding cinnamon-spiced pumpkin sweetness and subtle minty tingle of heady medium body.
DEVIL’S CREEK CARAMEL APPLE BROWN ALE
On tap at Shepherd & Knucklehead – Hoboken, lingered brown-sugared cinnamon apple overtones gain rich chocolate fudging and molasses-sweetened toffee, vanilla and butternut illusions. A most welcome candied apple alternative.
