Imprecise winter spicing gets spread across Belgian-sugared caramel malting. Mild gingerbread, cinnamon and nutmeg accents dessicated by phenol hop fizz. Curious tobacco roast and distant dried orange tartness backend decent find.
VICTORY SWING SESSION SAISON
Sessionable dry-bodied moderation places citric souring above herbaceous spicing. Sugary Belgian yeast softens lemon-candied orange peel bittering, musty lemongrass-basil-sage herbage and earthen barnyard leathering.
HIGH WATER RETRIBUTION IMPERIAL IPA
Retaining many fine attributes of brewers’ Hop Riot, heightened 9.5% alcohol volume well hidden behind floral grapefruit-peeled peach-pear-apple tang and mild grassy-hopped easement. Sweet almond, chestnut, praline and pecan notions ride alongside ancillary hemp resin, sappy pine and black tea nuances.
HIGH WATER HOP RIOT I.P.A.
Aggressively enticing flagship offering brings stylish West Coast IPA fruiting to mineral-grained juniper hop bittering and contrasted creamy crystal malting. Lively grapefruit-peeled pineapple, peach, orange, tangerine and pear tang surfaces above almond biscotti base. Frantic piney fruited finish lingers.
DUGGES RUDOLF WINTER ALE
Rich brown choclate creaming overlays dry bourbon-burgundy-plum wining and prune-soured raisin sweetness of porter-styled holiday ale. Smoky mocha malt midst deepened by sharp hop spicing, purple grape tartness, molasses-sapped pumpernickel breading and brown-sugared gingerbread niceties. Tertiary black cherry, sherry, blackberry, raspberry and blueberry nuances seep in.
BELLEROSE BLONDE
Despite ‘intensely hoppy’ and ‘stoutly refreshing’ descriptives, top-fermented ’50s-era blonde ale (formerly St. Amand) remains approachably easygoing, blending estery French Biere de Garde styling with India Pale Ale fruiting. Honeyed vanilla creaming sweetens herbaceous white-peppered citrus theme. Ripe tangerine, orange and lemon tones meet floral-dusted lychee perfuming and rustic peppercorn seasoning.
STOUTERIK BELGIAN DARK ALE
Musky coffee-soured dry body (nicknamed “The Brussels Stout”) falls short. Dirty earthen bottom drags down politely creamed dark chocolate chalking, tart cocoa nibs influence and dry fig-date murk. Oily hop resin and mineral grain char deepen bitter end.
(LOVERBEER) MARCHE ‘L RE (2010)
Eccentric dark ale aged in oak with ‘coffee, rhubarb, herbs and spices’ wavers wildly and never finds solid ground. Soy-sauced coffee souring turns to muck as dry burgundy-port wining flattens above nitro-like charcoal soothe. Vinous white grape tannins and orange-candied tartness receives saffron-spiced dusting.
(SHMALTZ) HE’BREW JEWBELATION REBORN 17
On tap at Twisted Elm, deeply penetrating slow sipper (with heady 17% alcohol volume/ 17 malts/ 17 hops) places molasses-sugared brown chocolate sweetness against dry plum-wined bourbon-burgundy-sherry scurry. Dark rum, sugared fig, black cherry and candied apple illusions enrich syrupy molasses malting. A hint of vanilla found at rich mocha-fruited finish.
INNIS & GUNN SCOTTISH PORTER
On tap at Twisted Elm, abstruse hybrid blends treacly molasses with smoky chocolate malts and sharp-hopped dried fruiting (staying richer than typically subtler Innis & Gunn fare). In the backdrop, plum-dried raisin puree, black cherry and purple grape illusions battle back whiskey-sugared dark rum spicing. Ephemeral coffee, vanilla and caramel undertones deepen unspecific mocha finish.
ROSCOE’S HOP HOUSE INDIA PALE ALE
Indistinctly streamlined IPA with muddled cardboard malting and diacetyl buttering affecting barren floral-spiced fruiting. Sour lemon and grapefruit tones contrast ripe apple sweetness above caramel malt sugaring, but desultory hop astringency depletes any forward momentum.
ROSCOE’S HOP HOUSE BELGIAN WHITE
Polite coriander-spiced lemon peel tingle and sweet orange peel briskness ride above light white wheat spine. Carbolic Seltzer fizz gobbles up minimal flavor profile. An appealing lightweight.
