Appealing dry-hopped West Coast-styled IPA utilizes chewy cookie dough yeast to envelop mildly embittered grapefruit-peeled orange tang, sweet pear-apple-peach conflux and delicate floral restraint. Light caramel malt spine holds up.
(3 BEARDS) BEARDED LADY RYE & RASPBERRY BELGIAN PALE ALE
Docile rye-spiced caramel malting provides soft-toned easement for sweet ‘n sour raspberry rasp infiltrating unspecific Belgian pale ale. Light candied Belgian yeast influence gets lost amongst fading raspberry tartness and overt carbolic spritz by mildly tangy fruited finish.
BREW KETTLE WHITE RAJAH INDIA PALE ALE
‘Assertive’ West Coast-styled IPA elevates brisk citric-hopped juniper bittering above dank pine resin and mild floral-spiced herbage. Lemony yellow grapefruit rampage gains weedy lupulin pungency to contrast sweet orange, peach, pineapple, nectarine and mango tang. Light rye-pale-crystal malting picks up veggie tinge. Astringent grain alcohol aftertaste lingers alongside citric tropicalia. Brew Kettle’s one of Ohio’s finest brewers and White Rajah’s arguably their best brew.
BREW KETTLE BLACK RAJAH INDIA-STYLE BLACK ALE
Caliginous mocha-influenced IPA brings dark-roasted black chocolate malting to resinous piney hop bittering and mild nut char, leaving stylish grapefruit-pineapple contingent way in the back. Light cocoa, coffee and raw molasses undertones fasten richly bittersweet mocha finish.
ELEVATOR BLEEDING BUCKEYE RED ALE
Uninvolving Extra Special Bitter-derived red ale plies murky orange-grape-cherry tartness to dirty earthen nuttiness, musty wet-grained cardboard staleness and phenol hop astringency. Favorable tobacco-roasted crisping fills the midst but wavered hazelnut sugaring and rye-breaded fennel neutrality need a push.
MAUMEE BAY SUMMER STINGER AMERICAN PALE WHEAT
Murkily defined summertime moderation brings stale wheat malting to musky lemon peel souring, light honeyed herbal pungency and Noble hop astringency. Off-putting acidity drowns out light rye breading.
RUSHING DUCK BEANHEAD COFFEE PORTER – NITRO
On tap at Ambulance, sedate nitro version offers soft Guatemalan coffee bean roast that sours above bittersweet cocoa and resinous dark chocolate illusions (and recessive black pepper snip). Oily coffee finish lingers lightly.
LONG IRELAND HOOLIGAN STOUT
On tap at Craft House, soft-tongued dry Irish stout never fully develops, staying too tame and lacking depth. Easygoing coffee-oiled bittering fades quickly above hop-toasted char, dark-roasted chocolate malting and black-breaded caramel tease.
LONG IRELAND RASPBERRY WHEAT
On tap at Craft House, pronounced raspberry tartness spreads above sweet honeyed wheat spine. Carbolic seltzer fizz and mild citric hop pep become phenol, decreasing its up-front sweet ‘n sour raspberry pleasantry just a tad.
BROOKLYN I WANNA RYE-IT
Emanating from fine Brewmaster Reserve Series (circa spring ’15), dry-hopped rye ale contrasts caramelized grain roast with moderate hop-spiced grapefruit bittering. Wavered rye malting needs a push forward.
ITHACA CAYUGA CRUISER BERLINER WEISSE
On tap at Track 84, easygoing dry-bodied moderation allows salty sea-watered minerality to embitter tart lime-peeled lemon licks and sour-milked yogurt zing. Light lactic acidity grazes straw-hay-barnyard acridity at astringent citric finish.
ANDERSON VALLEY BOONT BARL BOURBON BARREL AMBER ALE
Mild bourbon-influenced Boont Amber Ale aged 6 months in Wild Turkey barrels gathers light barley roast, soft citric hop spicing and honeyed vanilla-coconut subtleties. Watered-down whiskey reminder mellows out at dry grain-husked finish.