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.
ANDERSON VALLEY ROSY BARL SOUR ALE
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.
ANDERSON VALLEY HEELCH O’ HOPS DOUBLE INDIA PALE ALE
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.
ANDERSON VALLEY SPRING HORNIN’ INDIA PALE ALE
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.
ANDERSON VALLEY BLOOD ORANGE GOSE
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.
LAGUNITAS DAY TIME 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.