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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Soft-toned pleasantry lacks body as watery briskness coddles freshly-squeezed lemon tartness and modest grassy-hopped astringency to its weak white wheat spine. Wispy floral-spiced herbage fades beneath lazy lemon-limed finish.
Mellow straw-cleared Bavarian lager offers sour yellow fruiting to subtle sourdough scamper and light herbaceous tease. Initial lemony grapefruit souring secured by mild grassy hop astringency and wispy white-wined cider tartness. Effervescent citric-spiced finish will please lighter thirsts.
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Soured green grape tartness and lemony orange rind bittering softly linger above toasted white bread spine. Astringent hops affect dry citric finish. Wispy strawberry, banana and cider undertones stay submerged.
Smoothly rustic moderation brings tingly lemon zest to wheat-flaked honey malts, salty hop astringency and peppery yeast musk. Herbal lemongrass and basil notions recede below silken grapefruit pith bittering at earthen midst. Lemon rind, pineapple and apricot illusions provide tertiary relief.
Whispery straw-paled Berliner Weisse with ‘Napoleanic sour streak’ places lactic citrus tartness and subtle limestone bittering above delicate wheat-flaked pilsner malts. Kettle-soured lemon zest, green lime and tannic white grape illusions receive stylish briny salting. At the salty lemon-limed finish, plain yogurt tang adds delicate intrigue to low alcohol delight.
Gruff for its style (and circulated as part of 2014 ‘rarities’ series), medium-full-bodied doppelbock blends dewy earthen musk and sharp hop char into expectant Vienna-malted dried fruiting. Burgundy-wined raisin, plum and prune illusions pick up likable black cherry puree snip at black chocolate-spiced midst. Gunky fruitcake finish holds steady.
Unspecific German-styled dunkel lager allows phenol hop astringency to drag down chocolate-caramel malting and brown-sugared winter spicing. Toasted nuttiness adds some depth as wavered red and orange fruiting dissipates.