Muddled off-dry medium body blurs lemony orange-grapefruit spicing, leafy hop resin and dewy malt graining by never fully integrating with nutty caramel smidge, funky vegetal nudge and metallic tinge, ultimately interrupting vague citric pleasantries.
BARRIER ROTATIONER PILSNER
On tap at Ambulance, yellow-fruited German pils utilizes herbal citric-spiced Santiam hop oiling to moderately embitter brusque grain musk. Wood-toned lemony grapefruit tang spreads across grassy earthen dew, botanical floral-perfumed wisp and musty vegetal snip. Not far removed from a light summertime India Pale Ale.
SPELLBOUND IPA
Fine flagship offering (in a can) will please avid hopheads with its oily hop bittering, resinous pine tarring and brisk juniper berry pungency. Sharp grapefruit-peeled orange rind tang brightens all the musky bitterness. Wispy pineapple, peach, mango and mandarin orange tropicalia found in deep recess.
LOGSDON KLEINE STOUTERD
On tap at Ambulance, earth-scorched moderate body loads lemon-peeled oaken cherry souring atop stout-styled dark roast chocolate and raw cacao bittering. Soy-milked souring adds lactic residue.
NINKASI MAIDEN THE SHADE SUMMER STYLE IPA
On tap at Ambulance, approachable warm weathered IPA seems closer to a dry-bodied American pale ale with its floral yellow-fruited entry picking up muted grassy hop astringency and straw wheat respite. Lightly pined lemony grapefruit-pineapple tang gains vegetal gourd notion. In the backdrop, sugary mango, orange and passionfruit tropicalia finds space.
NINKASI / DEVIL’S BACKBONE THE DEVIL WENT DOWN TO OREGON IMPERIAL DARK RYE ALE
On tap at Ambulance, worthy Oregon-Virginia collaboration offers buttery rye-toasted honey nut sweetness, spiced prune-raisin richness and dry cereal graining to sharp charred hop thrust and subtle grapefruit dirge. Mild chocolate roast inundates caraway-seeded chestnut, almond and praline subsidy. In the 22-ounce bottle, heady auburn-browned roggenbier brings spicier prune-raisin affluence to Blackstrap molasses-sapped pumpernickel rye thrust.
ALESMITH NUT BROWN ENGLISH-STYLE ALE
Sessionably smooth English-styled moderation brings stylish mocha nuttiness to mild hop char. Creamy hazelnut chocolate insistence picks up cocoa bean, cacao nibs, roasted coffee and sweet vanilla subsidy as well as cola nut, macadamia and walnut illusions. Modest dried fruiting (blackberry-fig-date) lost to gassy carbolic acidity.
STONE SAISON
“Modern take on Belgian classic” is apropos motto of resolute farmhouse ale. Though not as audacious as indicated, its winningly tweaked formula ulitizes lemon zest, grains of paradise, lemon thyme and lavender adjuncts to counteract embittered black tea resonance. Dry white-peppered herbal stronghold picks up rustic barnyard acridity and floral respite to engage summery sweet ‘n sour citric slumber.
BALLAST POINT CALM BEFORE THE STORM CREAM ALE
On tap at Ambulance, quirky warm-weathered delight brings creamed coffee sensation to light lemony orange tartness and corn-sugared vanilla respite. Winsome cold-brewed Caffe Calabria coffee tones delicately collapse above honeyed wheat base. Faint butterscotch, vanilla and roasted tobacco illusions waver.
ANCHOR ZYMASTER #7 SOUR MASH IPA
Floured mash tun grist provides sufficient sourdough breading to contrast citric Nelson Sauvin hop dryness of stylishly softened IPA hybrid. Tropical lemon, grapefruit, mandarin orange and passionfruit illusions tail off as Scotch-licked peat malting and subtle rye spicing ascend.
BEAR REPUBLIC CUVEE BUBBA WILD ALE
On tap at Ambulance, inviting oak-aged sour ale brings mildly vinous wining to dry barnyard leathering and ‘cherry pie’ souring, maintaining large head retention. Tannic grape pucker never gets oppressive, allowing crossover possibilities for more mainstream thirsts. Dark purple grape-skinned pinot noir tones scurry across pinkish blush rosé snips and black grape-skinned zinfandel notions as well as tart plum, quince and berry wisps.
DU CLAW / CIGAR CITY IMPEY BARBICANE’S MOONGUN SESSION AMBER ALE
Abstruse collaboration may be sessionable, yet its stylistically rich and adventurous for a mere amber ale and therefore hard to pin down. Herbaceous orange-oiled lemon musk picks up dewy sweetness to contrast oats-flaked pale malting, torrified wheat starching and dank leafy hop resin. Tertiary tangerine-clementine tang and marginal rhubarb souring distend dry citrus spell.
