Venerable Cincy dopplebock shows off Queen City’s affluent German heritage. Expressive Munich-crystal malting allows banana-chipped toffee, molasses and vanilla creaming to prosper just as emphatically as its cinnamon-spiced raisin, prune, plum and dark cherry insistence. Rum-sugared burgundy sweetness and subsidiary nut-roasted coffee bittering fill out the mocha-spiced finish of enthralling medium-full body.
BREW KETTLE FOUR C’S AMERICAN PALE ALE
Easygoing moderation celebrates Cascade-Centennial-Chinook-Columbus hop influence with mild IPA-like piney fruiting, fresh-cut grass crisping and brisk carbolic spritz. Mellow orange rind bittering serenades yellow grapefruit, pineapple and tangerine tang, picking up sweet floral bouquet by affluent citric-spiced finish.
BREW KETTLE SUMMER RAYS ALE (BREWED WITH SPICES)
Herb-spiced Belgian witbier brings dry oats-flaked raw wheat rusticity to spry citrus juicing and cellar-mildewed sourdough yeast dankness. Sunshiny lemon zest and tangy yellow grapefruit brighten light peppercorn, basil, rosemary and thyme seasoning as well as subsidiary green grape-soured gooseberry tartness.
BREW KETTLE ONE EYED JACK PORTER
Musty dark-roasted chocolate prominence and nutty soy-sauced souring provide typical Baltic porter styling, outdoing caramel-burnt brownie fudging. Hop-charred black coffee roast, Russian black-breaded backup and wispy dried fruiting reinforce dry Baltic notions.
BREW KETTLE KITKA COCONUT CHOCOLATE MILK STOUT
Like a liquified Mounds Bar, its milk chocolate sweetness, flaked coconut roast and subtle cocoa powdering lead the way. Creamy lactose sugaring and fudgy almond-hazelnut-cola conflux battle back lightly astringent hop-oiled Blackstrap molasses bittering.
MAUMEE BAY TOTAL ECLIPSE BREAKFAST STOUT
Profound full body brewed with resilient espresso beans (from Toledo’s Flying Rhino coffee grinders) loads lactose-sugared coffee roast atop thickly creamed milk chocolate sweetness and oats-sugared molasses sapping. Major vanilla upheaval halfway thru further sweetens chocolate-caramel malting. Dark spiced rum, rum raisin, black cherry and red cherry puree illusions intensify the busy backend of marvelous breakfast treat.
MAUMEE BAY AMARILLO BRILLO DOUBLE INDIA PALE ALE
Floral-spiced citrus overtones from Amarillo hops ride above sugary cookie dough malts. Sweet orange peel zest overtakes ripe red plum, peach, grapefruit and berry illusions as well as tertiary pineapple, mango and melon tropicalia. Dank hop resin brings mildly alcohol-burnt ashen astringency to the fruitful finish.
MAUMEE BAY GLASSHOPPER INDIA PALE ALE
Mild tropical fruited IPA regales Ruby Red and yellow grapefruit rind bittering with soily grassy-hopped pungency to contrast sugary crystal malting. Floral-daubed pineapple, mango, tangerine, guava and kiwi tang provides tropical fruitcake finish, gaining resonant lemony grapefruit respite during the elongated aftertaste.
HORNY GOAT WISCONZIN IPA
Leaning more towards the moderate side, well-balanced India Pale Ale evenly blends sweet tropical fruiting, stylish citric hop bittering and caramel-toasted cookie dough malting. Sugar-spiced pineapple, red grape, tangerine, mango and peach tang contrasts grapefruit-peeled orange rind bitterness and reddy hop wood tones.
GREAT LAKES ALBERTA CLIPPER RASPBERRY CHOCOLATE PORTER
On tap at Shepherd & Knucklehead, creamy Belgian chocolate-spiced raspberry fruiting will charm sweet-toothed dessert lovers. Like a chocolate-dipped raspberry tart or chocolate raspberry truffle, its temptingly rich decadence proves addicting. Chewy cocoa-fudged raspberry puree entry picks up molasses cookie sugaring, nutty coffee splurge and dried fruited respite. Distant blackberry and black cherry undertones as well as casual cola, hazelnut and pecan nuances fluctuate beneath dark-roasted mocha malting. Bottled version: bittersweet raspberry-pureed Godiva chocolate likeness fortified by blueberry compote, bruised cherry and plum wine illusions.
GREAT LAKES RALLY DRUM RED ALE
On tap at Shepherd & Knucklehead, straight-ahead amber-hazed moderation brings lightly creamed caramel toasting and floral hop spicing to sharp red-orange fruiting. Pleasingly sugar-spiced peach, red apple, ruby red grapefruit, clementine and tangerine tang never relents.
GREAT LAKES TRUTH JUSTICE & THE AMERICAN ALE
On tap at Shepherd & Knucklehead, centrist American pale ale utilizes nationalistic Superman motif to describe sessionable lawnmower fare. Lemony orange-peeled grapefruit bittering brings IPA appeal to sweet red cherry, mango, pineapple, melon, blood orange, mandarin orange, tangerine and passionfruit tang. Resinous grassy-hopped floral spicing and restrained pale malting pick up subdued raw wood tone beneath the fruited surface.