Dense raspberry puree tartness thickens over syrupy candi-sugared Belgian yeast, sharp hop spicing and sugary soda pop fizzing (challenging less gunky Lindeman’s Framboise as perfect dessert fodder). Gooey raspberry juicing picks up maraschino cherry, black cherry, blackberry, blueberry, cranberry and caramelized apple illusions. Soured lemon-twisted citric pucker punctuates massive raspberry theme at the finish.
Blunt raspberry puree tartness nearly overwhelms creamy dark chocolate malting, bittersweet cocoa powdering and hop-charred chicory coffee dalliance. Black cherry, raisin and plum illusions deepen impact.
Mildly interesting amber-rubied maibock utilizes subtle beet sugaring to affect maca-rooted chestnut roast, sarsaparilla-rooted sassafras and molasses hazelnut biscotti snip. Soft pink grapefruit, peach, melon and cherry undertones pass thru light hop astringency.
Lamentably underdeveloped India Pale Ale needs deeper pink grapefruit and orange marmalade penetration to anchor soft bark-dried wheat-grained bed. Petty resinous hop bittering minimizes tea-like backdrop.
Better defined as a dewy mocha-nutted brown ale than English strong ale, rocky tan-headed amber-browned medium body gains unwanted astringency by its dark-spiced caramel-malted finish. Faint plum, raisin and walnut illusions and hesitant barleywine nip fade abruptly.
Mundane India Pale Ale’s muddled flavor profile streamlines citric-pined expectancy while nasty alcohol astringency and soapy metallic solvency unnecessarily strengthen. Reedy Cascade-hopped grapefruit-orange drear, gnarly vegetal slip and light juniper nip fluctuate to the downside. Stylistically, Lilya’s Pulling Boat’s better as an offhanded IPA. This here’s a phony.
Unsubtle medium body snags grainier IPA-like Cascade-hopped citric fruiting for bitterer pale ale styling. Softly creamed crystal malts anchor spice-tingled pineapple, grapefruit, orange and peach nuances. But buttery diacetyl nature ruins biscuity bottom.
Finely hybridized ‘Wisconsin Farmhouse Wheat Beer’ blends herbaceous white-peppered Belgian ale yeast with sweet banana-cloved German hefeweiss. Sharp-spiced lemon hop salting pierces banana breaded midst to gentle harvest-grained pale wheat bottom.
Droll straw-yellowed light body slouches forth with dainty French-breaded sourdough wisp and corn-sugared caramel malting. But oily hop astringency, buttery popcorn indifference and light skunking obliterate delicate tendencies of compromised pale lager.
Indistinct cola-browned dark lager never fully integrates. Murky oatmeal-sugared chocolate malting and dewy molasses sapping undone by dirty watered swill. Black licorice snip and wispy nuttiness lost at the dire mocha finish.
Elegantly soft-toned dark ale brings dry-spiced crystal malt sugaring to caramel-burnt dried fruiting. Subtle plum-fig-date-pecan conflux gains momentum. Sharp earthen hop astringency rubs up against dewy cellared must.
Each of the following craft beer stores has a vital selection of microbrews from New Jersey and beyond.
B & B Liquor & Wine
13-05 River Road
Fair Lawn, NJ
Diamond Wine & Liquor
203 Diamond Bridge Avenue
Hawthorne, NJ
Ramsey Liquors
47 West Main Street
Ramsey, NJ
Super Cellars
32 South Broad Street
Ridgewood, NJ
Queen Anne Wine & Spirits Emporium
247 De Graw Avenue
Teaneck, NJ
Wine & Beverage Depot
823 Riverview Drive
Totowa, NJ