Pungent Czech-styled pils brings raw-grained barnyard rusticity and sharp Saaz-hopped bittering to the fore as musky lemon rot souring increases over buttered biscuit malt base. Tertiary lemongrass herbage and minor straw grass acridity waver. Clean mineral water crisping battles back astringent ethyl alcohol burn. A must-have for heartier pilsner thirsts.
Dissipating molasses-sapped burnt caramel sweetness knocked back by less effective soy-sauced stale coffee sourness. Reminiscent of an oilier-hopped Baltic porter (with mild mocha-smoked black malting), though murkier flavor-wise. Too bad its constricted chocolate-milked Yoo-Hoo sugaring stays far below the dreaded mocha souring.
Slick contract-brewed (by Genesee) moderate-medium body scatters caramelized-spiced lemon, grapefruit, mango and peach tang above lingering acidic bittering that brings harsh solvency to desolate citric finish.
KENT, CONNECTICUT
Connecticut’s first farmhouse brewery is a doozy. Inside a 2,400 square foot barnhouse on 48 rural countryside acres, KENT FALLS BREWING COMPANY relies on its own locally grown ingredients to craft small batches of intriguing sour ales, saisons, goses and India Pale Ales. Open for business during autumn, 2014, this organic well-watered brewery has already began bottling for local distribution and each beer brings something “unique to each season.”
Using a solar hot water system for sustainability and feeding spent grain to local livestock, Kent Falls’ mission is to responsibly serve the local community by crafting uniquely blended or hybridized beers from freshly harvested grains and hops.
On a sunny Tuesday afternoon in September ’15, I quaffed nine selections at Nanuet’s Ambulance Brew House. (In fact, Ambulance took several good customers on a trip to Kent Falls thereafter.) The reviews are listed separately in the Beer Index.
On tap at Ambulance, adventurously hybridized India Pale Ale (given heavy metal-related moniker) provides salt-licked yellow fruited pungency to its hard wood surface. Clean well-watered minerality and briskly carbolic hop prickle sharpen bruised lemon souring as well as tidy Golden Delicious apple scruff. Lightly spiced tart citrus finish picks up clean-watered celery nip.
On tap at Ambulance, mild brettanomyces bacteria given juicy-hopped tropical fruiting and subtle raw-honeyed lemongrass herbage. Sedate lemony orange tang picks up tertiary mango, guava, papaya, grapefruit and lychee illusions over leathery barnyard acridity. Another delightful soft-toned moderation by organic farmhouse brewer.
On tap at Ambulance, “modest” dry-hopped gose plies ultra-sour lemony peach-orange-gooseberry tartness and acidic lip-smacking white grape vinegaring to mineral-grained brininess. A true ‘marriage of sour and hoppy’ thru organic ingredients.
On tap at Ambulance, zesty lime-juiced pucker and lemony tartness deepen stylish salted coriander souring of light-bodied gose. A hint of fennel sweetness contrasts sharp citric-soured finish.
On tap at Ambulance, lightly dispersed hulled spelt adds mineral-grained rusticity to horse-blanketed barnyard leathering and strawed hay acridity as oily-hopped citric spoilage subtly advances. Eye-squinting lemon juicing and desiccated orange souring spread above mild sourdough yeast.
On tap at Ambulance, easygoing soured saison offers orange-dried lemon rot and yellow grape acidity to acrid barnyard-derived white wheat spine. Delicately detailed light body will please sessionable drinkers with a penchant for sour candy.
On tap at Ambulance, tart saison with mint adjunct retains soft mouthfeel. Minty freshness stays recessive, providing distant candied sweetness to lemony orange tartness and sweet cider snip in a unique, if debatably unconvincing, manner. Approachable session beer will suit herbal citrus beer lovers.
On tap at Ambulance, strangely appealing and well-balanced farmhouse hybrid blends light oaken brettanomyces bacteria into mellow green grape tannins and tart citric licks. Distant cotton-candied marshmallow sweetness counteracts more prominent dry yellow fruiting at mellow finish.
