Muddled pale lager with comic moniker spoofing lager’s declining stylistic interest while parodying Rolling Stones decadent “Sympathy For The Devil” lyrics on side of can. Navel orange-dried grapefruit-pineapple-lemon fruiting diminishes above white-breaded Vienna malting, toasted hop stead and floral-herbal nip.
Magnificent full-bodied black ale bests stylistic competition with its richly creamed mocha theme and sublime floral-bound fruited nature. Dark-roasted black chocolate malting allows nutty coffee, cocoa nibs and molasses tones to flourish above ashen piney hop acridity (and fresh evergreen aromatics). Orange-peeled grapefruit rind bittering affects subtler pineapple-papaya-mango-kiwi tropicalia as well as laidback black cherry, tangerine and navel orange smidge. “Fear the Dark,” indeed!
GALVESTON, TEXAS
In a freestanding garage-like edifice near the beach, GALVESTON ISLAND BREWING got off to a good start with its June ’14 Grand Opening. Featuring outback ‘Sunset Bleachers’ that overlook the island, this concrete-floored brewpub (with epoxied bottle caps) promises a huge amount of future expansion. A 12-seat yellow wood bar with six-plus taps distributes homemade beers emulating from rear brew tanks. Its sportsbar atmosphere gets reinforced by the 10 TV’s showing baseball, basketball and hockey games.
On tap are four diverse offerings and the small cask room readies barrel-aged ‘big beers’ aged in Four Roses whiskey and Makers Mark bourbon. On the light side, sessionable soft-toned pilsner-like Ze German Ale brought bread-crusted cereal graining to yellow-fruited niceties, picking up a dankly dewy rye malt splurge.
Piney Simcoe-hopped acridity seeps into citric-spiced Excelsior IPA, a wood-lacquered medium body offering clean-watered briskness to dry grapefruit, pineapple, navel orange, tangerine and lemon zest as well as minor floral-wafted white peppering.
Dewy earthen peat drapes The Scotsman Scottish Ale, a caramel-malted moderation allowing a dash of Scotch, a hint of caraway-seeded pumpernickel, and a daub of dark nuttiness to outdo its desiccated orange fruiting.
Like an instant brown coffee, Predido Porter placed smoky mocha malts in a cocoa-beaned dark chocolate setting with hazelnut, walnut and peanut illusions.
www.galvestonislandbrewing.com
GALVESTON, TEXAS
Open for business in springtime 2014, Galveston-based BEERFOOT BREWERY, plans expansion beyond its one flagship offering. Right near the pier ‘looking out at Seawall Boulevard,’ this beachfront sportsbar/ taproom not only crafts its own brews but also provides 100-plus selections in a large cooler. At its L-shaped and V-shaped bars, several worthy Texas brews get served alongside Beerfoot’s own homemade offerings.
My friend Dennis was kind enough to bring back to New York a half-gallon sample of the soft-toned Beerfoot Island Kolsch. A sessionable moderation, its lemon-soured grapefruit, navel orange and lime tartness received a dry grassy-hopped mildness.
FYI: Grocery store chain H.E.B., with many Texas locations, features goodly Build-A-Six-Pack deals and high-profile bombers.
www.galveston.com/beerfoot/
Richly creamed dessert treat (limited edition circa June ’14) tastes like a chocolate cupcake, Devil’s Food cake and nutty Brownie all at once. Chalky Baker’s chocolate bittering and dry hop char contrast heightened mocha sugaring. Vanilla, cocoa, espresso and pumpernickel hints tail off at mellowed-out chocolate cake finish.
Trying to succeed as a uniquely hybridized curiosity and doing so for the most part, this ambitious German smoked beer combines its stylish beechwood sear with sweet chocolate malts and dark-toasted wheat sugaring. Hints of cured meat such as salami, sausage and spiced bacon ride alongside ashen campfire wisps. May lack body, but very sessionable as crossover fodder for dunkelweizen fans.
Fine draft-only medium-bodied East Coast IPA less reliant on heightened stylistic piney bittering than mild earthen-grained Galaxy hop pungency and strident herbage. Sedate grapefruit-pineapple tang embraced by tropical passion fruit, mango and kiwi snip (with possible orange marmalade, blood orange, tangerine and clementine wisps).
‘Easy drinking’ session ale utilizes stylistic piney fruiting and dry pale malts for toned-down grassy hop bittering. Muted navel orange and yellow grapefruit tartness nearly pushed aside for gentle floral-perfumed herbage. Lemon-rotted champagne yeast souring beckons. Low alcohol IPA could be summery saison alternative.
Workable soft-toned ‘golden ale infused with Orange Blossom honeyed’ cereal grains picks up musty earthen fungi and herbal black peppering above barren grassy-hopped dried fruiting. Mildewed apricot, lemon rot and moldy peach undertones get soured by raw honeyed sinew. Overall, lacking sunny citric spicing of more stylish hot weather moderation’s.
Rustic German-styled pilsner brings musky grain minerality and mildly embittered Noble hop astringency to gentle citrus midst. Pungent vegetal herbage suits dewy peat-like malting but minor aspirin-chalked acridity may be drawback.
Favorable springtime amber lager soaks raw-honeyed orange, red and yellow fruiting in perfumed citric hop resin to its wheat cracker spine. Lemon-rotted navel orange, yellow grape, tangerine, crab apple and pink grapefruit illusions as well as boozy vodka-tinged astringency desiccate pleasant sugar-spiced malting.
Sparkly IPA fruiting brightens sharp piney hop bite of boozy (9.5% ABV) tripel. Orange-peeled yellow grapefruit, pineapple and tangerine tang given vodka-tinged banana daiquiri spike. Dry rye spine plays possum for subtle white-wined peach, melon, mango and quince flutters.
-i