Slick pale lager barrel-aged in tequila tastes like a salty lemon-limed margarita while conforming to cloying radler-shandy trendiness. White-sugared ginger ale sweetness and candied pineapple tang gain syrupy soda flow for fizzy tequila-infused concoction.
COMMON ROOTS BREWING COMPANY
SOUTH GLENS FALLS, NEW YORK
Across the Hudson River from Glens Falls and down a few blocks, COMMON ROOTS BREWING COMPANY had its soft opening December 19, 2014. A magnificent father-son operation with a well-rounded and wide-ranging craft beer lineup, the sterling brewpub takes pride in adding “artisanal boutique styles to the culinary landscape.” After buying, then gutting, the small corner building housing Common Roots, owners Bert and Christian Weber began investing time on sundry recipes.
Originally a home brewer, son Christian received a graduate degree in biology from Plymouth State and utilizes his brewery’s upstairs space for yeast propagation. Impressed by the innovative spirit and articulate nature of Dogfish Head founder, Sam Calagione, as well as the historic lambic stylings Jean-Pierre van Roy maintains for Belgium’s Cantillon Brewery and the highly prized ales defining Hill Farmstead’s award-winning Shaun Hill, he now operates a 20-barrel system as of my January ’16 Adirondack tour. And expansion of the mustard yellow-walled pub (with splendid wood- carved fish theme) seems imminent as the popularity of the Weber’s elixirs holds no boundaries.
For openers, clean mineral water provided the smooth base for Modern American Pale Ale, a Chinook-hopped, crystal malt-spiced moderation with yellow grapefruit peel bitterness extending into tropical mango-guava-passionfruit fruiting.
Approachable Last Light IPA draped tangy yellow grapefruit, navel orange and pineapple juicing atop sugar-spiced sweetness. Bitterer Daylight Double IPA contrasted wood lacquered piney hops with crystal malt-sugared grapefruit, orange, mango, peach, cantaloupe and melon sweetness.
Gaining lots of local attention, Belgian Style Honey Ale let its creamy wildflower honeying inform peppery Belgian yeast funk, tingly citric crisping and mild vanilla licks.
Expressive ‘citrus hops’ enlightened Burly Monk Belgian Pale Ale, as its lemon-bruised orange tang contrasted dry gin tonicity and white-peppered herbage above honey-spiced caramel malts.
Closer to a sessionable Berliner Weisse, perhaps, Farmhouse Style Ale brought coriander-salted lemon souring to brettanomyces-dried barnyard acridity and lemongrass snips.
Highly impressed with the tremendous fare already quaffed, I then dive into two fine strong ales. At 9% ABV, the monumental Coffee Cup Double Stout revealed sweet, sour and bitter coffee bean roasting to caramelized chocolate sweetness and wood-charred tobacco resin.
Not to be outdone, mellow Bourbon Barrel Dark Ale (aged 18 months in Bullitt Bourbon barrels) retained a sweet bourbon chocolate affluence above dry burgundy-port wining, burnt caramel sugaring, oaken vanilla illusions and roasted cola nuttiness.
During quick December ’18 stopover, enjoyed Snowy Night Double Stout, a richly fudged mocha sensation with lactose highlighted by rapturous vanilla-beaned dark chocolate, cold-brewed coffee and maple molasses abundance. Mild espresso, cola, hazelnut and cookie dough illusions add depth.
An absolute destination spot along the Adirondacks foothills a few miles off Route 87, Common Roots will appeal to all beer connoisseurs.
www.commonrootsbrewing.com
COOPER’S CAVE ALE COMPANY
GLENS FALLS, NEW YORK
In a pale green aluminum building a few blocks off Glens Falls historic downtown, COOPER’S CAVE ALE COMPANY has operated as a brewery since 1999. During 2009, the cozy backdoor brewpub opened for business serving craft beer alongside homemade sodas, locally sourced ice cream and upscale pub food. Tannish earth-toned furnishings provide a soft elegance while a private room serves business and party functions.
On my January ’16 afternoon sojourn, my wife and I sit at the 10-seat bar to share nachos with pulled pork while sampling eight mid-range brews.
A few fruit ales reach my palate first. Raspberry Wheat offered a bittersweet raspberry rasp sharpened by phenol hops and spritzy carbonation while Cooper’s Cave’s ‘fastest selling beer,’ Bluesberry Ale, went down even easier with its perfume-hopped blueberry lacquering.
Next, there were three British styled ales. Traditional English bitter, Tavern Ale, featured raw-honeyed rye, roasted caramel malts and fungi earthiness. English-styled India Pale Ale brought dewy moss and musty earth tones to mild citrus snips. Dark mild ale, Bummpo’s Brown, retained a soft-toned chocolate malt sweetness for its slick hop-roasted nuttiness.
Uniquely hybridized Fenimore Froth Winter Warmer brought medicinal alcohol astringency to honeyed oats, ginger spice, orange zest, sugared cinnamon and earthen musk without getting peculiar. Equally medicinal, ‘rocket fueled’ Strong Ale draped its ethanol burn with honeyed Maris Otter malts, blanched barley malts and dried fig illusions.
Though a bit underwhelming, dry Irish stout, Sagamore, plied oats-dried coffee roast to nutty cocoa and sweet chocolate.
In canned version, musky Brit-styled Pathfinder Porter delivers chalky black chocolate malting to bourbon-dried Muscat grape mustiness, walnut-oiled raw molasses astringency and mildewed cellar dankness.
www.cooperscaveale.com
ANDERSON VALLEY HUGE ARKER BOURBON BARREL IMPERIAL STOUT
Opulent brown chocolate richness saddles exquisitely detailed Wild Turkey-barreled bourbon vanilla sweetness. Just below the bold molasses-sapped mocha surface, its cigar-leafed cedar char spreads into subsidiary cocoa, coconut, toffee, marshmallow, burgundy and hazelnut illusions while brown-sugared fruitcake recession brings subdued raisin, date and plum undertones.
KEEGAN ALES BOURBON AGED MOTHER’S MILK STOUT
Though lacking the full-bodied richness of top shelf oak-barreled ales, easygoing milk stout aged with Widow Jane bourbon offers lightly creamed dark-roasted milk chocolate sweetness to musky scorched earth char, rum-spiced burgundy-brandy-concord wining and dry whiskey snicker. Mild vanilla, toffee, black coffee, raspberry puree and bruised black cherry subsidies waver. Subtle bourbon influence needs deeper resonance.
BERKSHIRE MINT CHIP DRAYMAN’S PORTER
On cask at Brew City Grill, soft-tongued chocolate mint seduction gets whisked away by soapy subsidy. Laid-back black chocolate, coconut and cocoa undertones fade precipitously alongside refreshingly terse mint stint.
MAUI COCONUT PORTER
On tap at Brew City Grill, creamy coconut-toasted porter proves to be mocha-bound taste sensation. Dark chocolate nougat, coffee bean, cocoa powder and espresso tones reinforce toasted coconut frontage. Roasted hop bittering, light walnut char and cola nuttiness contrast almond biscotti-laden coconut theme. In can, black chocolate-malted dark cocoa insistence and hop-oiled coffee bittering nearly outdo coconut cluster.
KNEE DEEP SOMEWHAT DERANGED BARLEYWINE
On tap at Ambulance, sweet golden-cleared barleywine (aged in white wine and rum barrels) loads spiced rum sugaring onto botanical-wafted tropical fruiting. Sweet orange, pineapple, mango, peach and nectarine illusions pick up light ethanol astringency from well-hidden 11% ABV.
MYSTIC THREE CRANES SAISON WITH CRANBERRY
On tap at Brew City Grill, dry saison lets light cranberry adjunct fade into oblivion as fizzy salt-watered lemon zest, tart lime acidity and tannic green grape esters go sour above musty minerality, dissolving any true cranberry influence.
MYSTIC EN GARDE, CONNARDS!
On tap at Ambulance, unspecific biere de garde tries to merge phenol alcohol astringency with musty dewiness, fig-sugared dried fruiting and spiced toffee nicety, but seems ill-defined and characterless.
TWO ROADS HOLIDAY ROAD
Vaguely defined winter warmer brings blustery medicinal alcohol heat to restrictive black cherry, sugarplum and raspberry illusions as well as murky brown-sugared molasses sugaring, distant nutmeg-cinnamon tingle and caramelized oats base. Ample alcohol astringency consumes and coarsens the unspecific dried fruit-spiced finish.
LOGSDON FAR WEST VLAMING
On tap at Ambulance, approachable oak-aged Flanders Red Ale brings oaken cherry tartness to vinegary green grape tannins, sharp cider bite and sweet red apple goodness. Leathery bacterial lactose acidity and mild barnyard acridity coat casual oats-dried base.
