Affable moderate-to-medium-bodied porter brings initial French roast coffee simmer to dark-roasted mocha malting and oily hop resin, gaining bittersweet black chocolate influence by the mild cocoa-beaned hazelnut java finish.
CARTON PUMPKIN CREAM ALE SCOBEYVILLE WOOD
On tap at New York Wing Factory, abtruse autumnal moderation combines dry-starched pumpkin roast with orange-oiled candied ginger and pink peppercorns. Orange rot midst nearly upends raw gourd adjunct. Sugar bread spine lightly sweetens the backend to contrast the brief pumpkin-squash finish.
NEW YORK WING FACTORY
FORT LEE, NEW JERSEY
Just across the George Washington Bridge across from the Whiteman Park Plaza in Fort Lee, New Jersey, NEW YORK WING FACTORY gained high praise since opening, January ’14. The red-bricked roadhouse sportsbar serves as a unique gastropub featuring battered and double-fried Factory Wings and impressive Korean-styled dishes alongside a light Americana menu and some of the finest quickly-rotated draught and bottled beers in the area.
Rustic wood fixtures, exposed pipes, hanging fans and spotlights fill the large one-room open space with TV’s at every angle. The rustic hardwood bar (with 20-plus seats) stationed alongside the back wall gets served by the open kitchen near the entrance and two blackboards list the bottled selections (including several limited edition elixirs such as Brooklyn Hand & Seal Bourbon Barleywine, Bruery Rueuze Oak-barreled Lambic and Lagunitas Gnarlywine).
On my initial two-hour March ’15 weekday visit, several dining tables fill up in the mid-afternoon while the bar meshes local businessmen with serious beer geeks. Wings, pizzas, tacos, burgers and salads top the Americana items. Korean fare includes Kimchi Kroquetas (rice-balled mozzarella with marina and scallions) and the delicious Pickle Jar (jalapeno-radish-carrot-tomatillo). I grab a half-dozen hickory barbecue wings while the guys nearby chew on hotter versions (Jalapeno BBQ, Salt & Pepper and Angry).
A few previously untried Belgian-styled Stone ‘Stochasticity’ brews get quaffed alongside the sweet wings. Stone Quadrotriticale brought treacle rye breading to raw-honeyed dried fruiting while Stone Hibiscusicity pushed the envelope with its floral hibiscus tea likeness overriding the sour-doughed lemony hop spritz.
On second visit during April ’15 at noon, several post-grunge artists (Alice In Chains, Soundgarden, Offspring) play in the background while I munch on Salt & Pepper Wings and down a few previously untried IPA’s (Angry Erik Hop-N-Awe/ 902 Heaven Hell or Hoboken) and saisons (Ommegang Calypso Hennepin/ Bolero Snort Tabull) alongside a witbier (Free Will Mango Wheat), cream ale (Carton Pumpkin Scobeyville Wood) and mocha ale (Boulevard Chocolate Ale).
STONE STOCHASTICITY HIBISCUSICITY
Oddly muddled envelope-pushing Belgian pale ale (part of ambitious Stochasticity Project) lacks focus and dimension. Pinkish amber dry body needs deeper hibiscus flowering and more enthusiastic orange peel influence to overcome less effective lemony hop spritz. Herbal tea nuances fade worse than stagnant berry fruiting. Sourdough wheat bottom falls out. Light and soapy.
STONE STOCHASTICITY QUADROTRITICALE
Unfocused dry quad seems stylishly nebulous. Hybridized rye wheat grain, triticale, brings likable brown-sugared toasted molasses breading to murky banana-spiced sugar plum, date and fig influence. Mild smoked pepper heat contrasts syrupy honey malts along the way. Putty plastique backdrop wavers.
STONE BOURBON BARREL-AGED ARROGANT BASTARD ALE
Unexpectedly dry and maybe a bit indecisive, lightly bourbon-aged shakeup leans on piney-hopped dried fruiting and tannic grape souring instead of original Arrogant’s chewy mocha molasses sweetness. Subsidiary candied orange tartness and oaken vanilla snip become acrid. Subtle whiskey-cologned finish picks up latent caramelized chocolate sugaring.
SOUTHERN TIER IMPERIAL CREME BRULEE STOUT (WITH VANILLA BEANS)
Orgasmic updated 2014 version (with label stressing vanilla bean adjunct) once again makes a case for best sweet-toothed dessert beer ever. Rich vanilla ice cream sugaring invades honeyed dark chocolate syruping and chewy caramel-burnt creme brulee theme. Dark liqueured Tia Marie coffee beaning overlays subsidiary cocoa-buttered almond toasting, nutty espresso elegance, frothy cappuccino creaming, chocolate-covered cherry tartness, maple walnut caking, sappy molasses sinew, rummy bourbon liquoring and cafe au lait chicory bittering. An undeniable classic.
LAVERY ULSTER BREAKFAST STOUT
Bittersweet dark-roasted coffee bean theme picks up creamy milk-sugared Yoo-Hoo chocolate undertones as light hop-oiled astringency contrasts molasses-sapped oats. A tad too carbolic perhaps, but its espresso coffee finish soothes the soul.
WEYERBACHER SUNDAY MORNING COFFEE STOUT
On tap at Ambulance, awesome bourbon-barreled coffee stout will please every passionate dark ale fan. Majestic dark-roasted coffee theme picks up sweet bourbon spicing and creamy chocolate mint riff over charred hop bittering. Hiding its hefty 11.3% ABV with generous coffee bean significance, this Sunday morning java’s elegant warmth cannot be denied. In the bottle, black coffee influence gains sweet anise spicing, rummy bourbon sugaring and cedar-burnt maple sapping alongside dark cocoa sentiment.
PERENNIAL 17 MINT CHOCOLATE STOUT
On tap at Ambulance, enjoyable dessert treat perfectly re-creates chocolate mint Girl Scout cookie with cacao nibs and mint leafs. Hiding its massive 10% ABV thru massive dark chocolate malting and menthol-like mint julep freshness, this veritable liquid candy will satisfy anyone’s sweet tooth. Fudge brownie, vanilla and spice cake illusions deepen mocha conviction.
MYSTIC MARY OF THE GAEL SAISON
On tap at Ambulance, dry-hopped springtime farmhouse ale just misses the mark. Perfumed yellow grapefruit bittering stays sharp and sour lemon-rotted tartness provides decent backup, but musky cologne-like spicing is an acquired taste.
URBAN CHESTNUT ZWICKELBIER
On tap at Ambulance, flagship German lager retains stylish light-bodied Bavarian simplicity with its sour lemon-rotted wisp, earthen mineral graining and subtle Hallertau hop bittering. But its delicate pilsner malting picks up slight vegetal disturbance before getting soapy.