Expansive flavor profile heightens wintry-spiced Belgian strong dark ale. Brown-sugared cinnamon-coriander-allspice conflux and sharp mace-peppered nutmeg grounding envelop toffee-candied Belgian chocolate sweetness. Subtle plum, fig, banana, cherry and apricot nuances receive tangy orange peel rasp, altering the heather-tipped fungi yeast pungency. Herbal licorice root tease and tannic port wine snip provide sub-illusions.
Efficiently combining Ommegang, Duvel and Chouffe yeast, Belgian candi-sugared tripel brings elegant warmth to creamy cookie dough-spiced caramel malting. Buttered whiskey midst girds soft white-peppered orange-tangerine fruiting. Musty fungi-like herbal musk slinks below.
Coming on strong with lively grapefruit-peeled orange rind bittering and astringent gin-like juniper bite, potent (10% alcohol) citra-hopped full body picks up fruited malt sweetness along the way. Mild resinous pine lacquers sugary crystal malting as spicy tangerine, pineapple, pear and apple illusions peak mid-palate. Tertiary mango, guava and kiwi tropicalia stays recessive.
PATCHOGUE, NEW YORK
Located in Patchogue’s industrial section one mile southeast of Brickhouse Brewery on River Street lies meidum-scale craft beer operation, BLUE POINT BREWING COMPANY. Proving to be ‘way cool’ with their free Saturday afternoon 3-sampler offerings and covered outdoor deck, Blue Point was founded in 1997 by avid home brewers Mark Burford and Peter Cotter. Besides having an expansive bottling line, these motivated craftsmen aim to please the local minions that put ‘em on the map.
Inside a pale blue garage-like shack, Blue Point’s green-walled tasting room features eighteen tap handles on three fountain heads plus a gorgeously tiled bar top (with sketches of ancient Middle East zymurgists, Abbey monks and brewing regalia), two pews and one large refrigerator (with bottled selections to go).
Joining the casual atmosphere amongst cousins and friends, April 2013, my wife and I order our samples and grab the table across from the bar. Served from the large silver vats located in two separate adjoining rooms, each tapped offering found its own pleasant niche.
First, fruit-dried Spring Fling picked up bitter grapefruit-orange tones and sugared fig-date illusions atop a firm wood-hopped base. Next, citric-bound Mosaic IPA brought lemon-pitted navel orange, mandarin orange, tangerine and marmalade fruiting to brisk piney-hopped bittering.
As our clan moved outside to the deck area, I reached for the robust Oatmeal Stout, with its oats-flaked toasting and smoked chocolate malts contrasting coffe-roasted hop charred bitterness. Molasses-glazed walnut and hazelnut as well as sour black cherry undertones filled out the backend.
For an amazing pre-dinner closer, sipped Old Howling Bastard (2013 limited edition). A 10% alcohol barleywine based on No Apologies Imperial IPA, its cherry-pureed dried fruiting and creamy caramel malting sweetened rum raisin, sugar plum and honey nut undertones.
On tap at Blue Point, oats-flaked toasting and smoked chocolate malting contrast hop-charred coffee roast. Molassses-glazed walnut-hazelnut-almond conflux and sour black cherry undertones fill out mocha-dried medium body. Just a tad soft stylistically.
On tap at Blue Point, dry citric-bound India Pale Ale brings lemon-pitted navel, mandarin and blood orange fruiting to brisk piney hopped bittering. Marmalade illusions fade beneath the surface.
Dryer than standard Imperial Stout, loading astringent cocoa-powdered chocolate malting above rye-toasted hop char. Tar-like molasses bittering thickens, infringing upon latent coffee roast and gooey anise tease.
On tap at Shoreline Beverage, sunny lemon-peeled grapefruit rind bittering enhances pine-needled green hop char and withered juniper berry astringency. Surging pineapple, peach and pear sweetness brightens delicate floral bouquet while soft-watered minerality keeps the hop IBU’s in check so lighter palates could appreciate its sharp piney citrus styling as well.
On tap at Jimmy’s No. 43, dark toffee aromatics inform cocoa-powdered Baker’s chocolate entry and heavily smoked black chocolate bittering. Sweet n’ sour hop-oiled nuttiness fills the backend.
Chameleonic German-styled hybrid develops protrusely over time, crossing Maibock sour fruiting with rye-dried Roggenbier tendencies and melanoidin Weizenbock sugaring. Chewy caraway-seeded rye graining and wispy fennel powdering provide fine base. Pineapple-glazed ham sweetness picks up mellow cotton-candied banana-clove-cardamom spicing to secure affable Bavarian wheat beer stamina. Fig-dried pucker deepens oncoming saison-like citric souring.
Easygoing sessionable moderation, based on an ancient English pale ale (and given an Americanized Citra hop zest), relies on crisp crystal malt-sugared floral hop spicing. Lemony yellow grapefruit, apple, peach and pear illusions stay soft above grassy vegetal easement.
Abstruse dark ale brings unexpected compost-wafted rauchbier-like cedar burn to dry cocoa-powdered Baker’s chocolate provocation. Smoky wet-wooded campfire setting outdoes dirty-grained astringency, tar-like raw molasses bittering, fig souring and anise seeding, disrupting stylistic mocha influence.
