First new year round offering in four years, 2015’s supposedly profane brown ale loads “obscenely malted hoppiness” atop dark-roasted nuttiness, black tea herbage and light floral citrus perk. Dry walnut, sweet pecan and honey-glazed hazelnut illusions inundate black patent malt setting. But its charred hop bittering seems understated despite obscene gesture.
ABITA BOURBON STREET IMPERIAL STOUT (AGED IN BOURBON BARRELS)
Velvety bourbon influence and caramel-burnt sugaring define soft-toned New Orleans digestif. Rum-spiced bourbon sweetness intensified by oats-roasted chocolate malting and creamy vanilla subtlety. Cookie dough, toasted coconut, maple molasses, fudged brownie and almond nuances settle below.
ABITA SEERSUCKER SUMMER PILS
Moderate German-styled pilsner (in a can) picks up shady blueberry-soured respite for polite lemon seltzer spritz, mild raw-grained grassy hop bittering and wispy herbal nip. Minor phenol astringency never depletes lemony blueberry tartness.
(BRECKENRIDGE) BRECK IPA
New ‘Colorado-styled’ year round offering (2015) stays mellow and crisp. Floral-daubed tropical fruiting and light pine resin seep inside honeyed wheat spine. Easygoing Mosaic-Cascade hop influence sharpens lemony orange, grapefruit, pineapple, tangerine, peach and passionfruit tang over fresh mountain water base.
BLUE MOON GRAPE SCOTT! WHEAT ALE
Moderate wheat hybrid brewed with Chardonnay grape juice loses vineyard essence to cloy corn-sugared malt liquor syruping. Pomace-bound grappa brandy dapple, dry champagne sparkle, vinous green grape tartness and musty Scotch lick never blend effectively, leaving inefficient Chardonnay wining to fade near the bland wheat cracker bottom.
MARBLE RESERVE ALE
Outstanding bourbon-barreled elixir loads spiced brown chocolate sweetness inside rich vanilla creaming, burnt caramel center and oaken barleywine conviction. Lovely bourbon tones coat its smashing interior as brown-sugared maple molasses, glazed hazelnut, cherry puree, buttery rum, toffee, blackberry, cinnamon and fig illusions lightly sweeten the warm mocha-bourbon finish.
MARBLE BOURBON BARREL IMPERIAL STOUT
Luxurious bourbon influence spreads across rich black chocolate syruping and lightly wood-charred ashen hop bittering, picking up vanilla-sweetened burnt caramel, smoky molasses, black coffee and fudge illusions. Tertiary bruised cherry, red plum and sugared fig nuances bring dried fruit contingent to back end of comforting bourbon-aged dark ale.
(SIERRA BLANCA) DE LA VEGA’S PECAN BEER
Abundant pecan pie sweetness gets loaded atop maple-sugared hazelnut, honeyed praline, toasted almond, white chocolate, coconut shavings and butternut illusions, leaving an intense and unique impression. Candied pecan glaze picks up latent cinnamon-spiced pumpkin puree respite, mild cream soda impression and light almondine glitz. Nearly perfect as a slightly unconventional dessert treat (but picked up slightest diacetyl buttering on second tasting).
LA CUMBRE PROJECT DANK INDIA PALE ALE
Lively West Coast-styled IPA shines bright as sunny lemon zest awakens ruby red and yellow grapefruit tang as well as candi-sugared crystal malting above mild pine resin. Sweet orange-peeled pineapple, tangerine, clementine, mango and peach tones contrast dank hemp-oiled hop bittering. Smooth, clean, refreshing.
SANTA FE NUEVO CERVEZA CLARA
Humdrum straw-yellowed pale lager guides sour lemondrop-candied tartness into dewy earthen dankness, leafy-hopped citric dryness and fragile white-breaded spine. Recessive lemongrass herbage spotted.
RIO GRANDE PANCHO-VERDE CHILI CERVEZA
Mild roasted green chili peppering and light jalapeno wisp waft thru cloy palate-shifting corn syruping. Sweet ginger-leafed lemon candy remant stays recessive.
ZYWIEC JASNE PELNE
Most likely a mildly updated 2015 version of Poland’s ever-popular light-bodied pale lager (a.k.a. Jasne Pelne) made with pure mountain spring water. Polite hop-fizzed astringency fizzles into rice-buttered cereal graining. Considering the robust United States craft beer industry’s colossal takeover, this ‘premium beer’ struggles to compete against ‘bigger’ stateside lagers, but will please good-hearted Blue Collar thirsts.