Dedicated to 2015 Boston Marathon, easygoing gose-styled light body offers salted coriander spicing to light herbal peppering and lemon-candied tartness. Soft white wheat spine holds up.
SAMUEL ADAMS NITRO STOUT
Soothing, creamy-headed, nitro-injected stout brings bittersweet black chocolate subtlety, light coffee tones and charred hop singe to dark-roasted malting. Pleasingly astringent Band-Aid reminder provides unexpected changeup. Just a bit watery.
HEAVY SEAS SMOOTH SAIL SUMMER WHEAT WITH CITRA HOPS AND ORANGE PEEL
On tap at Ambulance, soft-toned summer ale receives subtlest citra-hopped orange peel influence and mild lemon wisp. Smoothly crisp light body will please gentle palates with ease.
HEAVY SEAS DUBBEL CANNON BELGIAN STYLE IPA
On tap at Ambulance, sharp citrus hop bite leads the charge above candied malting of tropical Belgian-styled India Pale Ale. Zesty grapefruit-peeled orange rind bittering and light alcohol burn contrast navel orange, clementine, tangerine, mango and pineapple tang.
HEAVY SEAS PHANTOM SHIP BOURBON BARREL AGED TRIPEL
On tap at Ambulance, well-balanced Belgian-styled tripel gathers subtle bourbon influence to softly affect candi-sugared fruiting, creamy vanilla-milked white caking and white-peppered hop spicing. Resilient orange, tangerine, peach and lemon tang picks up rummy bananas foster elegance as well as tertiary pear, honeydew and cantaloupe nuances.
GREAT SOUTH BAY JETTY CREAM ALE
On tap at Ambulance, amiable straw-yellowed moderation contrasts maize-dried astringency against corn-sugared sweetness and light honeyed citrus to its soft cereal-grained backend. One of the better cream ales tried in 2015.
GREAT DIVIDE COLETTE FARMHOUSE ALE
On tap at Growler & Gill, lemon-soured saison picks up mildly creamed vanilla sugaring, light banana-clove-coriander snip and ascending orange-peeled grapefruit bittering. Salty carbolic spritz contrasts fruit-spiced sweetness.
GREAT DIVIDE CHOCOLATE OAK AGED YETI IMPERIAL STOUT
On tap at Ambulance, sumptuous toasted oak-chipped mocha stout, ‘akin to a gourmet chocolate bar,’ allows mild bourbon vanilla sweetness to contrast bitter cocoa nibs adjunct, French-roast black coffee influence and ‘toned down’ dry hop char. Black cherry, raspberry puree and black grape provide dried fruited backdrop for heavy brown-black chocolate richness. Valiant hybrid is one of 2015’s best ales.
THIRSTY DOG SIBERIAN NIGHT IMPERIAL STOUT WITH HABANERO
On tap at Ambulance, enthusiastic habanero-peppered version of trusty Imperial Stout betters the original. Ascending habanero burn spices up prominent cocoa-beaned black chocolate roast and sugary maple molasses creaming, intensifying resinous hop-toasted mocha finish.
CHRISTIAN MOERLEIN O.T.R. ALE
Brusque English pale ale (a.k.a. Over-The-Rhine) could be mistaken for a strong German-styled lager with its musk-grained pilsner malt pungency, toasted barley crisping and nutty Fuggle hop astringency. Sharp finish picks up light citric appeal.
THOMAS CREEK RIVER FALLS RED ALE
Mediocre moderation lacks true stylish essence and never betters Killian’s Irish Red despite being brewers’ flagship offering. Grain-toasted baked breading, mild caramel nuttiness and grassy hop spicing bring predictable mouthfeel that fails to suffice.
NEBRASKA INFINITE WIT
On tap at Growler & Gill, soft-toned Belgian witbier offers banana taffy tartness to orange-peeled lemon spritz and spicy coriander-clove conflux. Clean mineral watering adds crisply clean briskness to simple, effective concoction.