Luxuriously detailed oak-aged stout brings richly creamed black chocolate syruping to mighty sweet bourbon vanilla overtures, gaining an intense anise-spiced tongue coating by the molasses-smoked mocha finish. Ancillary black cherry, burgundy grape, toasted coconut and caramel latte illusions deepen resolve.
PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND
Inside a small middle space at an inconspicuous West Fountain Street mall just across Route 95 from Providence proper, intimate LONG LIVE BEERWORKS thrilled its local neighbors, who came out in droves to celebrate its grand opening, January 2016. ‘Hardcore New Haven-bred hop enthusiast’ Armando De Dona utilizes a backroom seven barrel system to craft his highly respected original recipes. Unlike downtown breweries Union Station and Trinity, Long Live Beerworks is a traditional production microbrewery – meaning it only serves beer, not food.
Settling in on a cold Saturday evening February ’17, my wife and I grab seats at the L-shaped 8-seat serving table. On the right side, a large mural-like Long Live Beerworks canvas counters the black-walled bar area. In the springtime, a small exterior patio provides more room.
On tap during my 1-hour stopover were two magnificent coffee-flavored dark ales and one juicy IPA. Though we’re crunched for space, the tiny facility has no problem keeping the customers satisfied.
Lemony yellow grapefruit zest fronted Citra-Centennial-hopped Wesside IPA, a crisply clean medium body anchored by mildly creamed crystal malts and dank pine resin.
Next, Harry May Oatmeal Porter (with Dave’s French Roast Coffee) reigned luxurious coffee bean essence over sweet toasted oats, gaining cappuccino, café latte and cocoa undertones at its sweepingly majestic finish.
Just as enjoyable, Coarse Grind Stout (with Dave’s Coffee Espresso Blend) brought medium-roast coffee tones to the fore, as dry espresso, cacao nibs, dark chocolate and macchiato notions reinforced its java goodness.
www.longlivebeerworks.com
Enchanting lupulin-powdered medium body in a can (not far removed from a Belgian Golden Ale with its funky white-peppered herbal yeast profile) contrasts effervescent yellow grapefruit tang against raw-honeyed lemon souring. Wispy Citra-hopped curacao orange, mandarin orange and tangelo illusions provide subtle hard-candied tartness.
PAWTUCKET, RHODE ISLAND
In a red brick warehouse section just off Main Street and about a mile from fellow Pawtucket brewpubs, Foolproof and Crooked Current, BUCKET BREWERY uniquely built its imposing brewing system alongside the L-shaped serving bar during autumn 2013. Bucket’s old industrial setup includes a plain white interior with cement floors, double-hung windows and community tables.
On this late afternoon February ’17 perusal, I get a flight of six elixirs, which included two distinctly rewarding gose beers for starters.
Approachable Patience & Prudence Gose brought stylish salted coriander spicing (based on Leipzig’s 19th century-designed Ritterguts Gose) to slightly tart citrus licks and floral hibiscus-like rose hips snips over a light sourdough base.
Somewhat hybridized Creamsickle Gose, infused with orange and vanilla sugaring, gained a lemony snicker for a sweet shandy-like alternative that forgoes the spicy saline route for a neat Creamsickle likeness.
One step beyond its humble lager auspices, 33rd Inning Red Rye Lager laces its subtle rye spicing with sweet caramel malts to contrast the latent dry wood temperance and desiccated hay stash. Distant black currant and cinnamon notions fade fast. Way cool.
Fine mainstream fodder without being predictable, Pawtucket Pail Ale placed perfumed “apricot and tangerine” subtleties inside fig-sugared caramel malting, mild citric hop bittering and recessive nutmeg spicing.
Efficient medium-bodied Leroy: The Million Dollar IPA utilized Calypso-Citra-Centennial hops to generate lemony grapefruit, orange and green apple briskness as well as resinous dry wood tones.
Joyous Christmas-spiced milk stout, Black Goat Of The Woods, dripped syrupy dark chocolate atop cinnamon, ginger root and coffee ground adjuncts, gaining a mild black licorice snip beneath the mocha surface. Serenity now!
bucketbrewery.com
Approachable summertime lightweight (in a can) loses carbolic luster and sour pucker of draft version, but coriander-spiced saline spritz maintains crispness alongside lemony strawberry rhubarb tartness and lightly perfumed rosehips adjunct.
PAWTUCKET, RHODE ISLAND
Inside an old red brick industrial mall with green doors, CROOKED CURRENT BREWERY came into existence during 2016 when Narragansett-raised brewmaster, Nichole Pelletier, and entrepreneurial businessman, Jason Lourenco, combined forces. Proudly obtaining the title of “smallest brewery in the smallest state,” this friendly dive features a gigantic right-walled Crooked Current sign, cozy left side tasting bar, slanted white-walled ceiling, several cool caricature drawings, painted wood floor and exposed ducts.
Packed to the hilt on a freezing afternoon in February ’17, my wife and I grab a counter and consume samplers of each three fine offerings currently available on draught.
First up, tropical Kiwi-bound fortified New Zealand IPA #3, where subtle passionfruit, pineapple, mandarin orange and grapefruit pith tartness sits atop alder wood-lacquered hop bittering.
Bringing its stylized vanilla-chocolate-strawberry flavoring to the surface, Neopolitan Brown Ale allows tart raspberry, plum and prune subtleties to affect its coffee-grounded earthen hop bottom.
Another dessert treasure, White Stout, brewed with cocoa and coarse ground coffee, picked up a sweet-spiced vanilla tingle, powdered sugar-glazed donut bumrush and lemon rind-embittered coffee snip (as well as a green tea spot), finishing a l’il like a coco caramel latte.
crookedcurrentbrewery.com
On tap at Growler & Gill, lovely collaboration with Norwegian brewer, Lervig, inspired by a “super-tasty” chocolate martini cocktail, interlocks scintillating brown chocolate creaming with bourbon vanilla sweetness, picking up creme brulee richness. Subsidiary dried cherry, toasted coconut, chalky cocoa and sugared spices gain traction.
On tap at City Tap – Cleveland, rich whiskey-bent Imperial Stout spreads subtle barrel-aged Traverse City bourbon sweetness across milky brown chocolate fudging, dark-roast coffee beaning, vanilla-spiced creaming, dark cocoa leaning and cola nut preening. Luxurious.
On tap at Plank Pizza, Jersey City brewer hooked up with local ModCup Coffee to make mild milk stout with midrange cold-brewed coffee roast upending bittersweet black chocolate complement and dark-roast nut remnant. Lightly creamed mocha nut char at finish reminiscent of dry Irish stout. In the can, mild coffee bean roast, dry espresso sashay, distant nuttiness and tarry black licorice licks define light-bodied collaboration.
On tap at Growler & Gill, velvety nitrogenated milk stout brings delightful Hershey’s dark chocolate syruping to cocoa-spiced vanilla adjunct above barley-roasted oats spine. Mildly creamed chocolate sweetness delicately caresses soft-watered pleasantry.
On tap at Growler & Gill, engaging milk-sugared brown chocolate fudging further sweetens toasted coconut, glazed vanilla and cacao nibs adjuncts. Tertiary toffee, Kahlua, hazelnut coffee and creme brulee notions add impressive backdrop.
On tap at Growler & Gill, dry cocoa-powdered dark chocolate frontage retains black-malted bittering, mild coffee roast and nutty respite.
