Ill-defined pearly-headed yellow-cleared moderation (with aggressive pour) ruined by cloying glutinous yeast, carbolic hop-fizzed desiccation and slick crystal malt sugaring. Candied lemony orange smear too far in the distance. Dreck.
SLOOP THE RED C
‘Bold, aggressive’ amber ale sports brisk India Pale Ale-like piney fruiting. Yellow grapefruit tang and orange-peeled lemon rind bittering settle alongside dry wood sharpness. Resinous hop minerality seeps into ancillary pineapple, mango, peach, red apple and pear illusions. Juicy citric appeal hides earthen vegetal notch.
SINGLECUT 19-33 QUEENS LAGRRR
Musky Czech-styled red lager places Saison-like lemon-grapefruit-orange tartness above raw-honeyed pungency and grassy hop sedation for easygoing likability. Slight butterscotch sweetness contrasts backside vegetal dryness to saltine cracker spine.
SOUTHERN TIER 2XONE
Simpler one hop (Mosaic)/ one malt (pale) profile differs drastically from 2XIPA’s multiple hop-malt billing, but dynamic complexity never wavers for lively 2014 winter seasonal ‘strong pale ale.’ A painterly panache of sunny yellow-orange fruiting assumes parity with floral hop spicing and sharp wood-dried herbage. Mighty yellow grapefruit-peeled bittering contrasts tropical pineapple-juiced mango, guava and papaya tang as well as candi-sugared tangerine, peach, nectarine and melon notions. Mint-fresh black peppering contrasts nutty caramel sweetness underneath.
AMAGER BRYGHUS/ HOPPIN’ FROG FROG HOPS TO AMAGER
Lavishly designed “chocolate wheat Imperial” collaboration between Danish gypsy brewer and respected Akron craftsmen evenly spreads various mocha indulgences above heightened dark-roasted Tomahawk/ Chinook hop bittering and ashen pine embers. Creamy black chocolate, dark coffee, fudge, espresso, cocoa and vanilla overtones pick up smoked oats char at peat-moistened hazelnut bottom. Heavy anise influence tethers light dried fruiting to bustling chocolate-coffee theme. Leaning towards the bitter side, complex full-bodied dark ale never fails to intrigue.
NOGNE O PECULIAR YULE – 2013
Supple updated 2013 version heightens Christmas spicing and wintry peculiarities to amplify overall taste sensation. Chewy caramelized chocolate malts and syrupy molasses sapping perfectly punctuate wintry brown-sugared cinnamon-gingerbread-nutmeg seasoning. Ancillary orange-peeled coriander, clove and cardamom tingle sweetens sticky anise minting as well as dark floral hop earthiness. Plastique black grape nuance slips thru serene holiday spicing.
(KLOSTER BRAUEREI) ANDECHSER DOPPELBOCK DUNKEL
Fantastic ‘velvety’ dark bock spreads brown-sugared fruit spicing and creamy caramel-burnt brown chocolate sweetness across tingly bourbon-sherry wining of complex Bavarian full body (originating way back in 1455). Dewy peat moss drips onto ancillary candied apple, buttered pecan, cherry cordial, marzipan and toffee illusions, providing contrasted earthen mustiness to expressive yeast profile. Tertiary cinnamon molasses cookie sugaring drapes distant raisin-fig-grape conflux.
INNIS & GUNN SCOTTISH PORTER (WITH MOLASSES)
Dashing molasses-sugared oak-aged porter whimsically compares favorably to Newcastle Brown Ale. Treacly molasses sapping softly layers brown chocolate-malted vanilla, coconut, butternut, honey-glazed maple, spice cake and cola illusions as well as lesser rum-spiced sherry, bourbon and burgundy wining. Oaken whiskey snip gets diluted over time.
GRIMBERGEN BLONDE
Delicately complex Belgian pale ale never fails to delight. Lemony banana bubblegum blast sweetened by cotton-candied butterscotch sensation, syrupy peach-pear sinew and creamy vanilla-caked spicing. Peppery hop bittering wispily imbues subtle clove, coriander and allspice seasoning before reaching doughy baked bread bottom. A luscious stylistic marvel.
TOMMYKNOCKER ALPINE GLACIER PILSNER LAGER
Crisp mountain-watered golden-hazed German-styled pils (not to be confused with Alpine Glacier American Lager) betters its similar-named predecessor. Honeyed cereal graining backs up grassy-hopped citric zest. Lemony briskness brightens the overall mood as sourdough, baguette, white rice and sweet corn dalliances overwhelm any metallic solvency.
KENTUCKY KOLSCH
Sour yellow-fruited Saaz hop astringency and meager white-breaded sourdough spine too thin for musty dry-bodied moderation. Murky lemony orange tartness picks up bubbly champagne grape esters and rotted green apple wisp over acrid straw-hay parch. Salty carbolic tingle underscores slim citric setting.
(TRI-CITY) TORCHON BELGIAN STYLE PALE ALE
Almost as intricately woven as its Belgian-styled bobbin lace moniker suggests, copper-hazed light-to-medium body offers candied yeast sweetness to tart lemon-soured plantain flatness and hefeweizen-related banana-clove bubble gumming. Distant clove-coriander spicing and murkily fig-dried peach tones curtailed at biscuit malt bottom .
