Taking its warm and fuzzy moniker from Grateful Dead classic “Sugar Magnolia,” lovely sessionable IPA allows bright yellow grapefruit tang, brisk orange rind bittering and mild hop astringency to sculpt tropical summertime lightweight. Floral pineapple, passionfruit, mango, guava and tangerine illusions as well as light evergreeen pining and dank hemp oiling add further alacrity.
(NEW ALBANIAN) HOOSIER DADDY CRIMSON & CREAM ALE
Leaning closer to the ‘Crimson’ (Imperial Red Ale) styling than its Cream Ale hybridization, indistinct lactose-sugared medium body maintains cask-like soft-watered texture. Weird flavor profile collides caramel-spiced dried fruiting with mildewed cellar musk. Dessicated prune, unripe fig and moldy raisin illusions pickup weedy fungi funk. Sweet butterscotch and vanilla undertones fade fast alongside cocoa-dried molasses buttering. Awkward, but not unappealing.
HOPPIN’ FROG KARMINATOR IMPERIAL DOPPELBOCK LAGER
Tidily traditional doppelbock brings expectant dark-fruited sweetness to chocolate-roasted caramel malting. Pureed raisin, stewed prune, black cherry, sugar plum and apricot illusions pickup sappy molasses sinew as well as light vanilla-toffee undertones. At mocha-fruited finish, mild port-burgundy wining and subtle pecan-almond nuttiness deepen busy flavor profile.
HOPPIN’ FROG HOPPIN’ TO HEAVEN INDIA PALE ALE
Heavenly IPA’s summery sugar-spiced fruiting brightens pine-oiled hop resin that contrasts creamy caramel malting. Tangy yellow grapefruit, navel orange, pineapple, peach, mango, melon and tangerine tropicalia enlivens juicy-fruited finish of rounded medium body.
HOPPIN’ FROG GULDEN FRAUG BELGIAN STYLE ALE
Stylishly genuine Belgian pale ale (with warming 10.2% ABV) brings candied yeast spicing to white-peppered dried fruiting, caramelized butterscotch-toffee conflux, hard cider dryness and mildewed cellar musk. Apricot-bruised peach, cherry, pear and apple tones spread across sharp hop bite. In the midst, sweet yellow-caked banana and vanilla creaming tingled by clove, allspice and cardamom seasoning.
RHINEGEIST GRAMPS AMERICAN BARLEYWINE ALE
Stylistically thin, despite “rich malty, berry, grape and graham” assertion. Yet its centrist appeal will not displease bolder thirsts. Molasses-sugared dried fruiting and sweet wheat-flaked caramel malting contrast Cascade-hopped citrus bittering in a creative manner. Zesty orange-peeled grapefruit, pineapple and tangerine tang outdoes black cherry, raisin and fig conflux, picking up candied apple glaze by the fruitful finish. Tertiary Grand Marnier, almondine, port and blackberry wine notes sit below the surface.
RHINEGEIST PANTHER ROBUST PORTER
Though lacking resilience and definitive stylish design, thin canned porter nevertheless will please most seasoned dark ale thirsts. Milk chocolate-y carob influence spreads across dark-roasted malting and murky hop char, but fades abruptly. Oily day-old coffee staleness and weedy basement dankness disrupt light molasses-soaked black licorice nuances.
RHINEGEIST TRUTH INDIA PALE ALE
Sessionable canned IPA provides ‘peach, mango and passionfruit’ tropicalia to creamy sugared malts contrasting lemon-seeded piney hop bittering. Centrist grapefruit, pineapple, orange and peach tang picks up floral nuances. Making fine use of Pacific-styled Centennial, Citra and Amarillo hops, Cincy-bound medium body hits the mark despite minor metallic tinning.
RHINEGEIST COUGAR BLONDE ALE
Summery straw-yellowed moderation (in a can) offers sugary lemon-grapefruit-orange-pineapple tang to delicate grassy hop spicing, pale-malted white bread spine and mineral watered crisping. Predictable, but efficient.
RIVERTOWN ROEBLING VANILLA ESPRESSO IMPERIAL PORTER
Unresiliently updated ‘vanilla espresso-infused’ 2015 version utilizes creamy Ugandan vanilla bean sugaring and less engaging Peruvian espresso influence but fails to fully charm. Bitter cocoa cacophony, slick coffee ground compromise and oaken hop char distract (instead of contrast) sweet side, leaving tertiary hazelnut brownie, sappy molasses, black cherry and blackberry illusions in the dust. By the finish, most of its vanilla espresso luster has faded and become a tad phenolic.
VICTORY DEEP COCOA
“Decadent” chocolate porter offers pronounced cocoa nibs adjunct to dark-roasted mocha malting, nutty coffee ascendance and moderate hop char. Bittersweet black chocolate influence deepens dark cocoa insistence. Sinewy molasses sapping seeps into distant raspberry and black cherry rasp.
THIRSTY DOG SIBERIAN NIGHT IMPERIAL STOUT AGED IN BOURBON BARRELS
Exemplary bourbon barrel aged Imperial Stout retains fudgy milk chocolate goodness and dark-roasted hop char for oaken vanilla sweetness. Black coffee, cappuccino, burnt caramel, cocoa powder, anise and coconut illusions reinforce prosperous mocha theme. Wispy black cherry, fig and blackberry undertones fill out sugared molasses backend.
