Crisp Mexicali-styled adjunct lager gets a light syrupy agave nectar twist Corona ransacked from its original herbal recipe circa 2005. Zesty lemon-juiced effervescence and brisk lime peel tartness pick up salty coriander nip. Maize-flaked cracked corn provides light mineral graining to delightful light-bodied summertime serenity.
Crisply clean 2014 summertime moderation brings mild mango tartness and light ginger herbage to indifferent India Pale Ale fruiting. Dried orange desiccation picks up astringency, deadening tropical kiwi-guava-passionfruit snip. Grassy hop bittering remains subtle. In the can ’17, fresh ginger-rooted mango adjunct struggles for room as sharp lemony orange-peeled grapefruit rind bittering, sweet ‘n sour pineapple tartness and grassy hop astringency gain footing.
Aggressive lemony grapefruit bittering and musty orange-rotted souring lead the way for well-balanced pilsner that compares favorably to Saranac’s White IPA. Tropical pineapple-mango-passionfruit stead increases fruity nature above grassy dry-hopped spicing and peppery earthen minerality. Floral-perfumed jasmine, lilac, rosebud, dandelion and lavender nuances flutter by.
Marginally hybridized Brit-styled summer shandy/ German radler offers spritzy grapefruit-juiced tartness to ginger-spiked lemonade sugaring, orange-rotted lime parch and syrupy woodruff sinew. Frail white-breaded wheat cracker spine softens over time. Subtle green apple nuance beckons beneath the surface.
Surly-brewed canned version from shared recipe (with Texas’ Real Ales and Indiana’s Three Floyds Brewing) is stylistically as good as it gets. A complex Imperial Stout/ IPA-styled Cascadian Dark Ale, its expansive flavor profile combines rich mocha nuttiness with brisk citric fruiting. Initial coffee whimsicality, dried cocoa bittering and mild caramel latte creaming deepen dark-roasted chocolate malting over pine-charred hop roast. Sweet orange peel zest sprinkles grapefruit, pineapple and lemondrop illusions just below the brown chocolate-y surface. Well done.
Interesting medium-bodied Russian Imperial Stout hybridized with delicate bone-dry Belgian yeast given heightened 9.6% ABV. Creamy dark chocolate syruping, milk-sugared black coffee richness, cocoa-powdered Baker’s chocolate souring and wood-burnt hop char consume less prominent dark fruiting. Bruised black cherry, black grape, raspberry, prune and fig undertones create a minor skirmish until dry bourbon spell picks up steam.
Enchanting French-roasted Amaya coffee beans provide bitterswseet anchor for expressive tan-headed mahogany-bodied dark ale. Aggressive roasted hop char contrasts sweet hazelnut-pecan-almond conflux. Raw molasses bittering and thick anise oiling increase intensity at the midst while tropical citric wisp nips at the prominent mocha richness.
Despite bold 9% ABV and hefty 118 IBU hop measure, hybridized Belgian-styled Imperial IPA features mildly embittered lemon-pitted yellow grapefruit tang above lightly pined florality. Gentle clementine, tangerine, lemon meringue, apple and pear illusions vie for ancillary space alongside wafting rose hips, rosebud, lilac and wildflower subtleties. Soft doughy biscuit breading provides delicate bottom.
By heightening the toasted caramel malt profile and honeyed cereal malting against stylish piney fruiting and resinous hop oiling, spunky Imperial IPA proves to be one step beyond usual fare. Bruised orange, candied pineapple, yellow grapefruit, red apple, tangerine, peach, pear and mango tones allow sugary spruce swagger to gain prominence. Cookie dough richness befits sweet helles lager instead of a hop-embittered IPA, perhaps. High alcohol concentration adds boozy astringency to contrast lustful caramelized fruiting.
Amplified dry-hopped India Pale Ale (in a can) retains well-balanced profile. Sugary pineapple-grapefruit-orange juicing rides above grassy hops and resinous pine. Toasted cereal graining deepens resolve.
Summery canned pale ale with sunny citric crisping and minor piney resin adding brisk India Pale Ale-like fruiting. Orange-peeled grapefruit rind bittering brightened by clementine, melon, grape and sugared spices as well as wafting floral nip. Caramel-malted white bread spine lightens overall tone.
Underdeveloped soft-toned ’14 summer seasonal in a can lacks appropriate Bavarian kolsch fruiting. Pleasant lemony orange mist picks up light peppery spicing, subtle hop bittering and mild corn syruping over biscuit-y sourdough base.
