SHINER HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHOCOLATE STOUT

Sweet-toothed 106th anniversary dessert treat begins fabulously, overloading black chocolate and dark cocoa upon oily hop-charred resin. But as the dark-roasted mocha malt frontage declines, its richness and body fades. So instead of tasting like candy-sugared M & M's or a Milky Way, the chocolate-caked cocoa bean, chocolate mint, milked coffee; Kahlua and syrupy molasses illusions lose luster, leaving some phenolic astringency in its wake.     

FOUNTAIN SQUARE SOUL RIDE INDIA PALE ALE

Perfectly balanced nickel-hued IPA brings bright yellow and orange fruiting to creamy cookie dough malts. Sunny yellow grapefruit bittering takes the lead as orange-bruised tangerine, peach, pineapple, cantaloupe, nectarine, red apple, brown pear, mango, papaya and melon tang prospers. Furthermore, resinous piney hop freshness contrasts honeyed spruce juicing and chewy caramel sugaring in fine fashion. An underrated fave!  

HERTOG JAN WEIZENER

Chaotic witbier from Netherlands proves to be richer, creamier and more flavorful than usual Belgian-styled wheat ales. Sweet-spiced banana, clove, coriander and vanilla illusions lie above sourdough yeast as ginger, ginseng and green tea herbage seeps in. Crisp Seltzer-like carbolic fizz perks up zesty citric-peeled bittering at sinewy fruit-spiced finish.