On tap at Shepherd & Knucklehead, vibrant citric-embittered dry body perfect for hearty hopheads. Piney resinous hops gird broadened grapefruit-peeled frontage and brisk lemony orange rind bittering, picking up bark-dried parch and latent alcohol burn. For contrast, ancillary apricot-pineapple-tangerine tang, ripe peach-pear juicing and snazzy sugar-spiced tingle come into play.
On tap at Shepherd & Knucklehead, versatile Finnish-styled sahti could pass for a splendid American India Pale Ale. Mild juniper berry bittering upended by appeasing cherry-apple-apricot-grape-banana conflux and black-peppered cinnamon-allspice-nutmeg seasoning. Creamy crystal malting counters laquered pine tones and herbal tea spell.
On tap at Shepherd & Knucklehead, sessionable moderation lacks tropical fruited pizzazz and piney wood tones of bigger India Pale Ales. Tart lemon-pitted frontage receives salty pepper spicing above slight herbal nuance. Flavors blur at the midst, relegating sweet ‘n sour citric splendor.
On tap at Shepherd & Knucklehead, easygoing rye-malted IPA lags behind brighter insouciance of richer, fruitier, woodier stylistic competitors such as Bear Republic Hop Rod Rye and Harpoon Rich & Dan’s Rye IPA. Hasty rye-breaded black toasting meanders to grassy-hopped citric respite. Lemon-limed apple skin remnants haunt sooty orange-grapefruit tartness as well as vegetal asparagus-celery smidge.
Creamy vanilla sugaring gains heady milk chocolate rush, weakening a tad as hickory-smoked hop roast reaches mild coffee bottom. Thinning maple-sapped molasses sinew fails to deepen vanilla-frosted sweetness informing thematic vanilla latte and vanilla bean illusions. On the nutty backend, brown-sugared cola-hazelnut conflux contrasts ample walnut bittering.
Coveted black velvety medium-to-full body maintains lingering dark chocolate richness and everlasting black coffee roast, balancing bitter hop-charred nuttiness with sweet mocha-molasses malting quite efficiently. Fluffy carbolic froth nearly prohibits creamy eclair subsidy, mild cocoa bean niche and fleeting vanilla variance. Try for dessert instead of Hershey’s Chocolate.
Awesome mulberry-soured Berliner Weiss brings lemon-limed champagne vinegaring to hop-prickled barnyard musk as eye-squinting citric tartness gains strength over white-breaded spine. Lemony green apple ‘accentuation’ tingles its wispy mulberry essence. Serve to nurtured sour ale lovers.
Relaxing creamed coffee mellowness flutters across dark-roasted chocolate malting and hop-charred cola-hazelnut bittering of fine dry-bodied stout. Ashen peat-smoked burnt wood undertone and fluctuant dark cherry fruiting gain footing at espresso-milked center. Less adventurous dark ale newcomers will find its easygoing appeal most delightful.
Domineering full-bodied Imperial Stout with impressive 12.5% alcohol range, gooey anise spicing and indelible vanilla-creamed mocha malting given hop-charred wood burn. Chewy caramel-sugared cookie dough yeast, bittersweet dark-roasted chocolate serenade and coconut buttering saturate ascending coffee bean bitterness. Aggressive bourbon-burgundy rush, syrupy Scotch motif and chocolate liqueur nip linger through illustrious maple-syrupy Blackstrap molasses richness.
