Easygoing profile balances stylish floral-perfumed piney fruiting with biscuit-y caramel toasting. Dry Cascade hops freshen pineapple, orange, grapefruit and tangerine tang. Light cookie dough malting and mild spicing underscore citric nicety.
4 HANDS BONA FIDE RUSSIAN IMPERIAL STOUT
Velvety mocha-rich full body loads Goshen black coffee and bittersweet vanilla beans atop dry hop char. Black chocolate, chocolate brownie, espresso, dark cocoa and molasses illusions catapult pureed black cherry sashay and ascending bourbon-burgundy wining. Light anise influence provides sticky afterthought.
BARLEY ISLAND BRASS KNUCKLES TAVERN-STYLE OATMEAL STOUT
“Brazen” is an advertising overstatement. Instead, this well-rounded Brit-influenced oatmeal stout maintains a likable dark-roasted mocha malting and oatmeal sugaring above its coarse toasted hop char. Black chocolate, day-old coffee, espresso and peat illusions do the job as backup.
SHIPYARD GINGERBREADHEAD
Intriguing English Brown Ale neatly duplicates molasses-draped gingerbread cookie. Brown-sugared nutmeg, cinnamon, clove and cardamom spicing as well as light vanilla hints sweeten gingerbread theme over slightly coarse hop astringency, ascending orange peel bittering and light pumpkin pie piquancy. Sharp ginger spicing really takes hold at finish. Well-done Christmas dessert treat.
ROBINSON’S OLD TOM STRONG ALE
Earthy British strong ale tosses dirty grained cellar musk at dank dried fruiting and tea-like follow-up. Soft-watered flow lightens burgundy-wined plum, raisin and prune swoon as well as vinous purple grape tannins. Soured milk chocolate ascendance outgains timid toffee, caramel and chewing tobacco notions. Despite heady 8.5% ABV, mild and casual.
LAKEFRONT IBA (INDIA-STYLE BLACK ALE)
Well-rounded hybrid leans towards the dark side as dark-roasted mocha malts and cookie dough yeast upend piney citric fruiting. Resinous hop char thickens caramel-burnt dark cocoa and brown chocolate impulse as well as light ashen nuttiness. Grapefruit fondue likeness emerges alongside lesser marmalade, peach and apricot illusions beneath the massive mocha maelstrom.
(GALENA) ANA BELLE’S INDIA PALE ALE
Straightahead IPA brings perfume-fruited Cascade hops and dryer woody Amarillo hops to creamy crystal malting. Orange-peeled grapefruit, pineapple, peach and red apple tang ripens above pungent juniper bite and tingly ginseng spicing.
ALVINNE OMEGA BLOND SOUR ALE
Uncompromising ‘blond sour ale’ (at 6% ABV) goes the distance with its wide-ranged stylistic profile. Aged in stainless steel for a cleanly crisp lemon-limed salting, its dried hop flowers bring out vinous white grape, hard cider, mustard seed and limestone illusions to complement the dry lemon rind midst. Stylish leathery brettanomyces funk picks up light acidic burn and hot peppery respite at tartly juiced citrus finish.
PETRUS AGED ALE GRAND RESERVE
Stronger Grand Reserve version of oak-aged farmhouse ale (7.3% ABV) utilizes dry-hopped astringency to create “undiluted old ale” aged longer than Petrus Aged Pale Ale. Lemony cider tartness and oaken cherry respite settle into sparkling champagne fizzle. Vinous white grape tannins recede to salty bottom. Notions of pencil shavings drift below the surface of succulent sour ale.
SPENCER TRAPPIST ALE
Perfectly re-creating ‘full-bodied Belgian golden ale’ style, this heavenly New Englander’s the first certified Trappist beer made in America. And it’s an easygoing and highly approachable winner! Zesty fruit-spiced tang, white-peppered herbal salting, musky cellar-like yeast rusticity and doughy pale malting provide elegant blend. Lemon-peeled orange zest and tangy clementine-tangerine-banana triage stay fresh to dry-hopped finish. Softer thirsts will appreciate its easygoing nature.
BOULEVARD ENTWINED ALE (BREWED WITH GRAPE JUICE)
Modest straw-paled ‘malt beverage’ utilizes Muscat grape juice and Nelson Sauvin hop tropicalia to brighten overall appeal. White grape-soured peach, apple and grapefruit illusions stay recessive as sharp carbolic fizz picks up vinous white wining and subtle lemon pie tartness.
BUFFALO BAYOU DOUBLE BUFFALO IMPERIAL COPPER ALE
Contagious penny-hazed ‘Imperial’ betters all in its desolate copper ale class. Sugary cookie dough malts, honeyed Graham Cracker follow-up and toasted caramel sweetness rise above spiced dried fruiting. Wispy raisin, sugarplum and fig nuances fill the gaps. Cardboard-like bottom fortfies accessible medium body.
