On tap at Ambulance, English brown ale perhaps stays a bit too nuttily sour for mainstream tastes. Soured prune astringency seeps into coffee-stained walnut and Brazil nut midst. Recessive brown rice tea, light-roast coffee and Blackstrap molasses illusions falter.
On tap at Ambulance, dry-hopped ’06 cult fave (with heavily kilned rye and wheat malting) makes comeback eight years hence. ‘De-bitterized’ black rye graining picks up ashen hop char, black toast acridity and burnt nuttiness. Black chocolate roast and raw molasses bittering deepen complexity.
On tap at Blue Ribbon Tavern, creamy vanilla bean version of fabulous dark ale spreads dark-roasted mocha malting across molasses-sugared flaked oats. Bittersweet vanilla piquancy deepened by black chocolate influence. Milked coffee, caramel latte, cappuccino, espresso, oatmeal cookie and chocolate chip illusions play superb backup for fine dessert treat.
Signature ‘robust dark ale’ offers light grain roast to nutty mocha richness and charred hop bittering. Toasted walnut-hazelnut conflux picks up black toast, Blackstrap molasses, black chocolate, black coffee and dark cocoa illusions for formidable backdrop.
Thin “Southern stout” needs deeper sweet potato penetration for lactic milk-sugared dark chocolate malting. Wood-charred nuttiness, raw molasses bittering, Baker’s chocolate chalking, candied yam hesitance and dark-roasted ground coffee snip lose out to ashen chicory acridity. Sour-creamed mocha finish dissolves quickly.
Sessionable moderate body brings subtle pecan roast to faded caramel-toffee sugaring. Honeyed peanut, praline, cola nut and brown rice tea illusions stay below the surface. Cardboard-like malts pick up buttery rye smidge at the distant nutty finish.
Confusingly “rustic” Delta Blues-inspired ale (with unsuspecting 8% ABV) recalls a nondescript brown ale with its phenolic maple-honeyed pecan and walnut influence as well as deficient caramel malting and meager earthen singe. Light pine twinge, delicate citrus tinge and latent black tea fringe overrun by metallic astringency.
Exquisite 2014 rum-barrel aged pumpkin ale sequel brings lemony orange peel souring to the fore alongside roasted pumpkin spicing. Vanilla beans lightly embitter the sour citric facade until autumnal brown-sugared gingerbread, cinnamon and nutmeg seasoning sweetens the pumpkin puree finish.
Lactic amber-cleared wild ale spreads acidic orange-soured lemon rot across white-wined vinegaring and herbal whims. Green grape tartness and raspberry vinaigrette bittering influence sharp citric facade. Rustic earthen compost waft picks up horse-blanketed hay, alfalfa and barnyard mustiness. Nowhere near as good as brewers’ sterling Omega.
On tap at Ambulance, contrarian yellow-clouded Belgian tripel seems closer to an American pale ale with its mild yellow-orange fruited souring, subtle grassy hop bittering and sugary spiced malting. Orange-peeled grapefruit, pineapple, tangerine, apricot, peach, mango and clementine tang picks up herbal nip. Phenolic fruity finish fades quick, but retains a nice hop bite.
On tap at Ambulance, famed Bavarian cult beer brings sour yellow fruited pungency to delicately skunked dry hop bittering and light pilsner malting. Mild lemon-rotted grapefruit zing gets scattered across raw-honeyed mineral graining, sourdough yeast and grassy herbal niche.
On tap at Ambulance Brew House, determinedly “challenging” Imperial Stout drops roasted ancho chili peppers onto intensely rich and creamy dark-roasted mocha malting while advertised cacao nibs, vanilla bean and cinnamon sticks prove just as provocatively influential upon Abraxas’ thick ‘n chewy nature. Brown chocolate spicing, fudgy vanilla sugaring and milked coffee rasping pick up distinct cinnamon-sticked chocolate mint overtones along the way. Anise, cappuccino, chocolate liqueur, bourbon, black cherry, toasted almond and marshmallow undertones deepen its incredible complexity. A perfect nightcap!
