Courteous moderate-bodied ‘dark pale ale’ brings caramel-burnt dark toffee sweetness to fig-dried citric hops and earthen fungi backend. Nut bread reminder wavers in the distance.
16 MILE BLUES GOLDEN ALE
On tap, sessionable light body flows easy. Mild grain roast sedates soft-hopped lemon spritz. Corn-dried astringency underscores buttered biscuit backend. In 22-ounce aluminum cylinder, cotton-candied sourdough yeast and lemony orange zest register above its grassy-hopped vegetable garden. Many disparate elements (such as a latent dry Scotch tinge) rub against each other in this weird cornucopia.
16 MILE RESPONDERS ALE
Approachable light-bodied blonde relies on mild wheat spelt graining to softly influence honeyed sourdough yeast. Reedy-hopped pumpernickel toasting fortifies ancillary whey, alfalfa and poppy minerality of fresh-watered spritzer.
FLYING FISH EXIT 16 WILD RICE DOUBLE IPA
Well-rounded wild rice-sweetened Imperial IPA retains brisk pine-fruited essence typical of its insanely popular style. Grapefruit-peeled orange rind bittering contrasts tangy mango-papaya-tangerine tropicalia over dry citra-hops and sugared crystal malts.
RAMSTEIN CLASSIC DUNKEL HEFE-WEIZEN
Perfectly stylish sweet ‘n sour banana tartness picks up clove spicing and vanilla sweetness over sugary wheat backbone. Subtle banana-breaded hazelnut buttering adds to the moderate charm.
(DARK HORSE) PERKULATOR COFFEE DOPPLEBOCK
Distinctively hybridized medium-bodied dark ale gives mellow dry-roasted coffee bean creaming an uncommon campfire-smoked cedar burn over wispy habanero-backed cayenne peppering. Less dependent on brown-sugared dried fruiting of usual doppelbock styling, scattering molasses-sapped brown chocolate, espresso, hazelnut and vanilla illusions below fresh-roasted coffee primacy.
THE SHED I.P.A.
On tap at NJ Beer Expo ’13, easygoing moderation (now brewed at Otter Creek) offers serene red-yellow-orange fruiting to mild grassy hop spicing and biscuit-y pale malting. Light piney citric fruiting much closer to an American IPA than ill-defined earthen grained British styling. Subdued yellow grapefruit peel, orange zest, tangerine and peach illusions stay soft-focus. Nice crossover for lighter thirsts.
FRUH KOLSCH
On tap at NJ Beer Expo ’13, musty Kolsch plies astringent maize-grained alfalfa, whey and burlap tendencies to dry pale malting. Distant honeyed citrus souring needs spicier florality and less metallic diacetyl buttering. Thin, indistinct and watery.
EVIL GENIUS BLIND EYE PA
On tap at NJ Beer Expo, bright citric tropical fruiting registers above mild juniper hop bittering and tingled floral spicing. Piney grapefruit, pineapple, peach, tangelo and orange overtones sweetened by floral-spiced Belgian candi-sugared yeast.
EVIL GENIUS EVIL EYE PA
On tap at NJ Beer Expo ’13, ultra-dry West Coast-styled IPA (gypsy brewed at Cooperstown Brewery) loads parched wood and bark atop pungent citrus fruiting. Juniper-like hop bittering nearly overwhelms grapefruit rind, orange peel, pineapple and peach illusions.
HOVELS ORIGINAL BITTERBIER
On tap at NJ Beer Expo ’13, plain amber-hazed Kolsch-styled altbier lacks firm character. Musty grain malts speckle pungent hop-spiced slither to evaporative bread-crusted bottom. A modestly indistinct waverer.
SCHOFFERHOFER HEFEWEIZEN
On tap at NJ Beer Expo ’13, sessionable wheat-sugared moderation plies expectant banana bubblegum sweetness to lemon-spiced spritz. Passing clove, coriander and cardamom illusions too thrifty to bulk up wispy yellow-fruited nature. Slight metallic tinge undercuts Seltzer-fizzed banana bread finish.