Smoothly soft-toned porter brings mild dark-roast coffee bittering to crisp-watered mineral graining and delicate hop char. Wispy molasses, cocoa, cola and walnut undertones fade below dark chocolate malting. Serve to novice dark ale imbibers as splendid easygoing crossover.
Highly approachable IPA places spruce-sugared brown pear, yellow apple, red cherry, nectarine and pineapple fruiting against pine-combed yellow grapefruit bittering. Creamy crystal malting heightens the sweet side while plush floral spicing decorates the juicy fruited confines. Citric-oiled tangerine, clementine and navel orange undertones gain prominence over time.
Massive nuttiness affirmatively alters the dark-fruited India Pale Ale nature of hybridized medium-to-full body. Brown Ale-like hazelnut-chestnut sweetness (and walnut bittering) deepen caramel-burnt dark chocolate malting. Molasses-sugared fig, raisin and plum tones coarsen toasted hop astringency. In comparison, Black IPA’s (or Cascadian Darks) utilize piney citric bitterness to counter the mocha tendencies, whereas Hop Karma relies instead upon roasted nuttiness.
4-leaf clovers added to St. Patrick’s Day (2013) Irish Red Ale may not influence pleasant medium body in any noticeble way, but the dry peated whiskey overtones should suffice. Sweet crystal and caramel malts enhance its citric-spiced spritz and rye-breaded biscuit bottom. Alcohol-burnt hop astringency may overly embitter tart orange candied finish. ‘Lucky’ son of a bitch on the label’s a scream. On tap at Andy’s Corner Bar, honey-toasted Vienna malt creaming, spiced orange-cherry tang and grassy hop astringency lead the way.
