On tap at Shepherd & Knucklehead, polite Chardonnay-soured Bahl Hornin’ Mowkeef Saison uses wild yeast to accentuate dry white-wined vinegaring, lemony limestone acridity and oaken vanilla phenols. At mouth-puckering finish, lilting rosé and pinot gris illusions as well as tertiary raspberry-cranberry tartness pickup hay-seeded barnyard rusticity.
On tap at Shepherd & Knucklehead, well-rounded medium-full body spreads lustrous spiced fruiting across pine-needled hop bittering and biscuit-y malts. Lemony orange, grapefruit, pineapple and mango tropicalia brightens summery mood as latent apple, pear and peach undertones increase juicy fruited profile. Light peppercorn insistence bumps up against crisp celery watering at backend.
On tap at Shepherd & Knucklehead, aggressive springtime IPA brings spicier fruit juicing and bitterer white-peppered herbage to ESB-like dewy earth tones. Evenly spread grapefruit, orange, tangerine and apricot tang picks up subtlest Bartlett pear lick and mildest floral accent above sugary cereal-grained base. Zesty citric peel briskness muted a tad at plodding finish.
On tap at Shepherd & Knucklehead, dry kettle-soured gose brings lactobacillus acidity to sea-salted coriander expectancy and mild lemon-limed blood orange tartness. Sharply carbolic citric spritz reinforces casual summertime session ale.
So-called “fractional ale” keeps the alcohol volume low but the hop count high as lemon-seeded bittering dominates big time. Towing the line between easygoing sessionability and mighty hop-headed bittering, well-rounded moderate body plies powerful grapefruit-peeled lemon bittering, juicy orange-pineapple tang and mild floral herbage to sugary crystal malt sweetness. Light resinous pine pungency settles beneath the briskly clean-watered citric surface, never overwhelming the senses. Zesty mango, peach and lime twang plays backup while musky mineral graining gains strength above dry-hopped wood tones and recessive herbs.
On tap at Craft House, enchanting Belgian-style golden ale (with tripel-enhanced 9.2%ABV) really hits the mark with its illuminating fruit spiced sweetness, candi-sugared yeast syruping and honeyed malt buttering. Vanilla-creamed banana bubblegum initiation and lemony orange-pineapple-nectarine tang sweetened further by ample clove-coriander-allspice influence. Mild white-peppered herbage subsumed by tropical fruited goodness. On par with the best Belgian tripels. (Photo courtesy of mybeerbuzz.com)
Effervescently smooth summertime moderation offers sunny lemon zest and modest pineapple tang to tingly allspice-clove-coriander seasoning. Beneath sunny citrus spree, honeyed vanilla malts and candi-sugared Belgian yeast contrast white-peppered herbage. Soft white-breaded spine secures the bottom end.
Bodacious medium-full body brings tropical-fruited nature to brisk hop-oiled bittering and piney evergreen freshness with magnificent sunshiny results. Initial pink and yellow grapefruit tang picks up zesty lemon, navel orange, pineapple, nectarine, mango, peach and papaya juicing. Orange blossom-honeyed crystal malting adds sugary respite to crisply clean mouthwatering delight.
Pedestrian limited edition IPA lacks ‘imperial’ strength, sharpness and pizzazz. Instead, dankly dry grapefruit-orange tartness gets murky, distant piney hop bittering falters and mild sugared spicing dissipates. Just too lackluster, even for indiscriminate centrists.
On tap at Track 84, rogue Danish dry body (brewed at Belgium’s De Proef Brewery) loads bustling bourbon-burgundy wining inside smoky black patent malting, bruised black cherry tartness, black chocolate-embittered espresso lilt and light anise spicing. Cedar-aged cigar aromatics flow thru tantalizing hybridized stout.
Admirably hybridized Belgian dark ale (brewed with cocoa nibs) showcases Stagecoach French-roast coffee above sugar-spiced yeast expectancy. Milky brown chocolate creaming and burnt caramel malting deepen capacious coffee theme. Sharp dark-roasted hop bittering lingers beside mocha java intensity. In deep recess, mild pineapple, grapefruit and orange peel nuances waver.
On tap at Shepherd & Knucklehead, rich anise-spiced espresso stout receives candi-sugared Belgian yeast influence to sweeten dark-roasted mocha malting. Bittersweet coffee bean vibrancy increased by gooey anise, fudgy vanilla, black chocolate, dark cocoa and gunky molasses for chewy mocha-spiced dessert.