On tap at Taphouse Grille – Wayne, chameleonic strong saison (7.8% ABV) blends advertised tangerine-peach tartness into wood-dried hop grouting and peppery herbal spicing, picking up passive cologne muskiness. After a few sips, sweet banana bubblegum illusions come forward to contrast its deepening orange rind bittering. Desiccated wheat, rye and spelt grained spine wavers and a hint of lemongrass, perhaps, seeps beneath the busy medium body.
On tap at Taphouse Grille, sessionable dry-hopped English brown ale scatters walnut chocolate cake illusions across mossy earthen peat. Brown tea-like followup seeps into mild hop bittering and light biscuit malts. Lightweights’ delight.
On tap at Taphouse Grille, mild dry-hopped English IPA suffuses floral citric hop bittering with reedy wood tones. Brisk yellow grapefruit rind and orange pith sharpness overrides dewy mineral grained temperance.
On tap at Taphouse Grille, easygoing flagship pale ale retains dry moderate body. Punctual citric-hopped bittering juxtaposes buttery pale malts. Sharp lemon pith bite enlightens dark floral bouquet, chamomile tea reminder and light vanilla persuasion. Just a tad askew.
On tap at Taphouse Grille, viable dry porter lets subtle Scottish peat smoke infiltrate dark-roasted chocolate malting. As the smokiness subsides, its mocha theme widens to include ancillary ground coffee, cocoa and cacao nibs influences. In the recess, mild vanilla bean bittering and latent cola nuttiness contrast sweet black cherry hints.
On tap at Taphouse Grille, dominant Ethiopian coffee adjunct creates emphatic lemon rind-rimmed espresso impression. Medium-roast coffee overtones stretch across latent IPA fruiting. Lemony grapefruit-peeled orange rind bittering deepens dry-hopped faction. At the finish, its espresso veneer fades and the citric tangent spreads.
On tap at Taphouse Grille, namesake ‘Simcoe’ hops provide lemony up-front splurge and floral-sweetened orange-grapefruit ripeness. Piney perfumed passivity fades while sugar-spiced crystal malting gains footing. Tropical pineapple, mango, papaya and passionfruit undertones solidify well-balanced small batch 2014 offering.
Easygoing amber-hazed summertime barleywine (’14) slips caramel sweetness and sugary toffee into sinewy yeast. Candied apple glazes Maraschino cherry, raisin, prune, fig, sugarplum and bruised orange fruiting. Chestnut, almond and pecan smidge affects oaken vanilla subsidy. Dark rum and bourbon undertones provide mild alcohol burn.
“Evoking a classic midsummer salad” with its musky dry-hopped herbage, brusquely salted tomato-cucumber niche and faintly bruscetta-like backdrop, halfway intriguing 2014 limited edition (draft-only) pale ale needs firmer stylistic identity (though finding a referential pale ale seems impossible). Pungent garlic, onion and basil snips drift off post-haste. Less unique than gimmicky and coarse instead of sharp.
On tap at The Office-Ridgewood, English strong ale spreads astringent Blackstrap molasses atop dry-honeyed rye malting, bark-dried pine hop bittering and sharp grapefruit-peeled orange rind resilience. Resounding alcohol-burnt vodka and gin whir seeps into the mix. In the bottle, dry plank wood tones drape syrupy Blackstrap molasses while honeyed malt sweetness contrasts tangy yellow grapefruit bittering.
Modest summer seasonal witbier (2014) brings stylistic citric-fruited coriander sweetness to Shandy-like orange-candied tartness and Berliner Weiss-like salted lime pucker. Mild grassy-hopped lemon pit souring and vague lemongrass herbage fill the holes.
Quirky adjunct pale ale lets honey-soured citrus resonance soften mild wasabi herbage and ancillary horseradish heat. For counterbalance, creamy caramel malts and red rice milking sweeten subtle resinous hop spicing as well as distant dank dewy mildewing. Another interestingly offbeat concoction from one of the most ambitiously experimental brewers on earth.
