Just a bit softer than a moderate India Pale Ale, delicate light-bodied session ale (in a can) stays serene as wispy citric-pined hops caress subtle lemon-seeded souring. Sugary pineapple, grapefruit and orange rind illusions contrast zippy black-peppered grains of paradise whim.
WYNKOOP RAILYARD ALE
Desultory canned version lacks Oktoberfest-seasoned amber lager flavor profile. Bland blue collar fare offers washed-out orange oiling to phenol-spiced apple, peach and tangerine murk. Dewy English yeast earthiness sweetened a tad by coarse cardboard graining. Popcorn finish roughed-up by deep metallic twang.
WYNKOOP PUMPKIN ALE
Sweet cinnamon apple-spiced pumpkin pie sugaring contrasts less prevalent vegetal gourd acridity. Honey-glazed yam, gingerbread and nutmeg undertones add casual splendor. Creamy vanilla snip further sweetens medium-bodied fall seasonal.
ROCKAFELLA’S SPORTS BAR & GRILL
Inside a rustic saltbox-styled tan edifice with earthen stone base, East Rutherford-based ROCKAFELLA’S SPORTS BAR & GRILL came into existence during ’97. By 2012, the well-established Paterson Avenue pub (with windowed neon signs featuring Yards, Flying Fish and Dogfish Head) expanded its tap selection to include a host of recognizable craft beers sidling blue-collar Bud-Coors-Miller fare.
During a two-hour October ’13 dinnertime perusal with the wife, we also discovered the delightful pub fare – which included the loaded cheese nachos and garlic chicken wings devoured alongside two previously untried brews originating from Virginia’s Old Dominion and California’s Stone.
Sitting at the left side of the rectangular bar, long-time bartender, Jessica, keeps patrons happy serving pub fare while a dozen TV’s capture the eye at every possible angle. A drop ceiling hovers above the bar area. Bead board paneling covers the side walls and exposed pipes bedeck the ceiling. A dartboard at the entrance keeps a few folks busy.
The mixed crowd consumes a wide range of beers going from macrobrewed faves such as Blue Moon to micros from Ballast Point, Founders, Lagunitas and Southern Tier.
Dominion Gigi Farmhouse Ale (an herbal sour-fruited saison with white-peppered perfumed hops guiding banana-clove wisps) and Stone Farking Wheat WootStout (a bourbon-aged Imperial with oaken vanilla serenading chocolate-spiced toffee, molasses and hazelnut) appeal to both ends of the sweet-sour spectrum.
Behind the bar area lies an open kitchen with ample dining space, one billiard table and 11 more TV’s. All in all, it’s an unassuming neighborhood joint that keeps ‘em comin’ back for moderately rotated craft draughts, light food fare and friendly atmosphere.
ROCK BOTTOM – DENVER
On a busy downtown corner at the 16th Street Mall, Denver’s ROCK BOTTOM BREWERY is one of the large chains’ busiest and roomiest franchised restaurant-pubs. A large railed patio at its entrance provides beautiful views of the city and a wonderful outside dining experience. Dark wood furnishings get scattered throughout the multi-section interior. Large glass-encased copper brewtanks spread across the large expanse.
A casual sportsbar atmosphere (multiple TV’s; three billiard tables) keeps the general bar customers happy. The menu serves typical pub fare. A private banquet room is available for special events.
My friend, Dennis, brought back to Jersey two fine specialty beers October ’13. The first one tried, Rock Bottom Double Down Double India Pale Ale, attached perfumed fruiting to resinous pine hops. Its gin-like juniper bite and yellow grapefruit rind bittering mellowed to a sweet orange peel misting before reaching its floral citric-sugared finish.
On deck, ambitious Rock Bottom The Gnome Baltic Porter went beyond the usual stodgy stylistic souring most Baltic dark ales mistake for mocha sweetness. Its fudgy brown chocolate and maple molasses overtones allow less obvious black grape, black cherry and blackberry illusions to emerge alongside sharp hop toasting (causing less discriminate tasters to compare the rich suds to a Black IPA).
www.rockbottom.com
OMMEGANG TAKE THE BLACK STOUT
On tap at Shepherd & Knucklehead, richly creamed Belgian dark ale (part of limited edition Game of Thrones series) brings brown chocolate spicing to bitter hop-charred tarring. Molasses-sapped anise and fennel influence deepens dark-roasted mocha malting. Tertiary cocoa, coffee and cola nut illusions override subtle black-peppered dried fruiting and faded whiskey nip.
FOUNDERS DOOM IMPERIAL INDIA PALE ALE (AGED IN BOURBON BARRELS)
On tap at Julian’s Restaurant, highly impressive Double Trouble IPA gets aged in bourbon barrels and gains whiskey-daubed oaken vanilla warmth to elevate juicier fruited frontage. Resinous piney hop oiling embitters lemony grapefruit-orange peel briskness while contrasting tropical pineapple, mango, melon, tangerine, peach and apricot tang. Marmalade custard, coconut, almond and butterscotch nuances as well as maple-sugared spruce sapping enhance sweet caramel malting. Corn-sugared bourbon warmth pleasantly infiltrates the bright citric finish.
SMUTTYNOSE RHYE IPA
Utilizing brewers’ Finest Kind IPA recipe for a rich rye malted (instead of wheat) base while amping up the dry-hopped IBU’s, fine hophead delight retains juicy pineapple-peach-mango-cantaloupe-melon tang and bitter grapefruit-peeled orange rind succulence over crisply clean mineral water. Resinous pine-needled juniper berry bite contrasts ancillary perfumed floral sweetness at the honeyed rye spine.
AVERY DUGANA IMPERIAL INDIA PALE ALE
‘Transcendental IPA’ happily not as ‘brutally bitter’ as advertised. Yellow grapefruit-peeled bittering outlasts juicy orange-dried tartness. Ancillary pineapple, peach and mango whims provide contrasting sweetness. Juniper-like gin boozing awakens resinous pine needling at bright citric finish.
GREEN FLASH CEDAR PLANK PALE ALE
Assertive collaboration with Florida’s equally respected Cigar City takes Green Flash 30th Street Pale Ale on an ultra-dry woody hop journey, bringing bitter India Pale Ale fruiting to light Spanish cedar wood lacquering. Pungently dry grapefruit-peeled orange rind bittering leads the way over spice-hopped peppercorn salting and resinous pine deferral. Ancillary pineapple, tangerine and navel orange tang picks up gin-like boozing.
GREEN FLASH GREEN BULLET TRIPLE INDIA PALE ALE
On tap at Three Wise Monks, conquering super-hopped triple IPA never gets too bitter despite being first-class hophead delight. Instead, robust floral-fruited New Zealand green bullet hop oiling adds brighter citric zest and juicier tropical tang. Lemony orange rind bittering and resinous pine sapping gain prominence contrasting delightful pineapple-grapefruit-mango-nectarine-peach bouquet. Creamy caramel malt sugaring sweetens its juicy-fruited goodness further. Juniper-nipped vodka snip provides boozy ethanol burn.
STONE ENJOY BY 11-12-13 IPA
Enviably enterprising West Coast trailblazers flood market almost monthly with absolutely delectable fresh hopped IPA fare. On tap at Growler & Gill, highly expressive full-bodied November-bound beauty spreads sweet pineapple, peach, grapefruit, melon, tangerine, mango, nectarine and cantaloupe fruiting across moderate pine-needled orange peel bittering. Elegant floral bouquet scintillates sugary crystal malting as well as lusty fruit juicing, resinous hop sharpness and wafting evergreen splendor. A hint of lemon zest brightens the mood even further. Magnificient!
