OAK BAY BREWERY

October 1, 2024United States BrewpubsHYANNIS MA, OAK BAY BREWERYJohn Fortunato

A hidden gem on Main Street in downtown Hyannis, family owned and operated OAK BAY BREWERY opened its doors, Memorial Day 2024. A black awning with white Oak Bay lettering welcomes patrons to the harmonious bungalow-like nanobrewery. Nestled amongst thrift shops, boutiques and music stores, this alleyway pub features a cozy pergola-topped courtyard with plastic furnishings to go alongside its tiny oak-lacquered barroom (with four-seat table, stark wood floor and white ceiling).

Oak Bay’s silver stainless steel tanks feed directly into the draught lines and a small pub food menu suffices. My wife and I settled in on a warm September afternoon ’24 to sample four brisk golden hued offerings.

An interesting witbier variant, Marlo Whit, united salty mango, sweet peach, Chinese plum, kumquat and kiwi tropicalia with stylishly sweet orange-peeled coriander spicing above its honeyed pale wheat bottom.

Made with phenol fruited Omega yeast ale, Irish Blonde Ale, NormAle, draped barley-flaked pale malt buttering atop dewy peat, mild herbage and raw-honeyed orange oil.

Soft-toned New England IPA, El Zapparado, let raw-honeyed oated wheat creaming seep thru subtle mandarin orange, white grapefruit, white peach, guava and cherry seduction.

Spirited West Coast IPA, Rooks, laced its floral yellow grapefruit and orange peel tang with sour passionfruit, sweet apricot and red apple goodness in a lightly lacquered wood setting given spicy caramel malting.

ICARUS KALASHNIKOFFEE IMPERIAL STOUT W/ MAPLE SYRUP & VANILLA BEAN

October 1, 2024Beers A-Zbourbon stout, ICARUS BREWINGJohn Fortunato

On tap at Taphouse 15, dazzling Buffalo Trace bourbon-aged Kalashnikoffee variant segues perfectly from brown-sugared maple vanilla resonance to bittersweet dark cocoa richness. Draping bourbon-sweetened heavy maple syrup onto spunky Madagascar vanilla beaning thickens its oncoming mocha penetration, imparting lovely medium-roast Sumatra coffee tones (given mildly hop-charred black peppering).

MORTALIS AS ABOVE SO BELOW MARSHMALLOW IMPERIAL STOUT

October 1, 2024Beers A-Zimperial stout, MORTALISJohn Fortunato

On tap at Taphouse 15, luscious confectionery coffee stout plies chewy chocolate marshmallow sugaring to advertised “brownie-battered coconut rum” sweetness as well as espresso, pecan pie, toasted almond, dark cherry and rum-buttered cinnamon swirl illusions. Its thick vanilla coffee creaming wins out at the bold finish. A superfine As Above variant.

MORTALIS PERCES

October 1, 2024Beers A-Zimperial stout, MORTALISJohn Fortunato

On tap at Taphouse 15, sumptuous pastry stout brewed with peach coffee cake, almond and cinnamon basks in Black Forest cake richness. Mild bourbon vanilla, black cherry soda, spiced toffee and cola illusions reach creamy dark chocolate base alongside peachy cinnamon-spiced almond nuttiness. Heavenly nightcap.

MAGNIFY 9TH ANNIVERSARY SUNDAE BORN DAY BIRTHDAY CAKE IMPERIAL STOUT

October 1, 2024Beers A-Zimperial stout, MAGNIFY BREWINGJohn Fortunato

On tap at Taphouse 15, luxuriously detailed Sundae-creamed birthday caking soaked in Willett Barrels for seven years and conditioned on Rice Krispies and coffee drapes fudgy dark chocolate syruping all over its confectionery vanilla cake-battered affluence. In the recess, bruised black cherry, stewed prune and rum raisin deepen its rich dessert resolve.

TOPPLING GOLIATH TERM OIL VANILLA BEAN IMPERIAL STOUT

October 1, 2024Beers A-ZTOPPLING GOLIATH, vanilla stoutJohn Fortunato

On tap at Kitchen & Beer Bar, richly exquisite vanilla bean variant pelts toasted marshmallow fluff at chocolate nougat and whipped cream adjuncts. Fudgy dark chocolatey vanilla creaming gains black coffee, dry bourbon, sweet burgundy and whiskey tones at its chewy nougat center.

BOLERO SNORT FABULLED IMPERIAL STOUT

October 1, 2024Beers A-ZBOLERO SNORT, imperial stoutJohn Fortunato

On tap at Taphouse 15, rich pastry-styled stout conditioned on peanut buttered marshmallow in a boozy (10% ABV) rye whiskey setting. Brown chocolate sweetness outdoes mild peanut buttering, sweet marshmallow swipe and faded rye sequence above honeyed Graham Cracker base.

MAGNIFY HUNGRY? IMPERIAL STOUT

October 1, 2024Beers A-Zimperial stout, MAGNIFY BREWINGJohn Fortunato

On tap at Taphouse 15 and conditioned on Snickers Bar candy, milk sugar, nougats and peanuts, confectionery stout retains heavy black chocolate syruping to counter its clustered caramel nuttiness and chewy marshmallow fluff.

WELDWERKS SEALED ENVELOPE IMPERIAL STOUT

October 1, 2024Beers A-Zimperial stout, WELDWERKS BREWINGJohn Fortunato

On tap at Kitchen & Beer Bar, dry dark chocolate syrup drapes bourbon-aged banana, pecan and cinnamon adjuncts of rich pastry stout. Mild bruised black cherry, toasted almond, creme brulee and Amaretto illusions soak into bourbon chocolate vanilla creaming.

LOUGH GILL DARK MAJIK IMPERIAL IRISH OATMEAL COFFEE STOUT

October 1, 2024Beers A-Zimperial stout, LOUGH GILL BREWERYJohn Fortunato

Lovely milk-sugared coffee creaming picks up dark chocolate bittering and ancillary dried fruiting given slight hop char above maple oats base of bold 11% ABV breakfast stout. Mighty mocha penetration allows latent brandy, rum and whiskey tones as well as dark cherry, raisin and blueberry whims and distant mulling spices to advance.

THESE GUYS LITTLE WILLY STOUT

October 1, 2024Beers A-Zimperial stout, THESE GUYS BREWINGJohn Fortunato

On tap at Jealous Monk, lighter Kaiser Willy variant stays dryer as blackened mocha frontage places cocoa-dried black chocolate, day-old coffee and espresso banter above musty root ginger, cinnamon bark and anise seasoning.

OMMEGANG / LIEFMANS DREAM PATCH FRUITED SOUR

October 1, 2024Beers A-Zfruited sour, ommegangJohn Fortunato

On tap at Jealous Monk, offbeat berry-influenced rosy-hued Flanders Red Ale retains spritzy sour candied center as sweet blueberry and tart raspberry merge with wild cherry coughdrop pizzazz, gaining slight lemon acidity, vinous grape snip and distant solvent alkalinity.

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