OMMEGANG SCYTHE & SICKLE HARVEST ALE

Although lacking significant autumn seasoning (pumpkin spicing or earthly gourd), sugar-spiced ‘specialty grain’ ale may be the most accessible Ommegang brew marketed. Closer to the lightweight crystalline sugaring Stella Artois approximates, this easygoing Biere De Garde brings flaked rye-oats cereal graining and sourdough yeast creaming to a honeyed biscuit malt base that sweetens humble apricot, pear, tangerine, cantaloupe and nectar illusions.
 

 

PORT JEFF PORTER

Initial chocolate-smoked malting receives organic honeyed saccharine sugaring to sway dark-roasted hop bittering and charcoal-stained dark chocolate acridity. Molasses-sapped pumpernickel toasting gains strength over ancillary ground coffee, burnt caramel, vanilla, anise, soy and dry bourbon illusions. Blackened nuttiness inundates smoked mocha finish.

WEYERBACHER TANGO BELGIAN DARK ALE WITH CHERRIES

On tap at Copper Mine, robust Belgian dark ale boasts strong sour ale overtones (but qualifies as a cherry ale due to its fruitier appropriation). Abundant sour cherry tartness reaches nirvana above rich mocha malting and coarse hop spicing. Cherry cordial, black cherry, rum raisin, plum, fig and raspberry illusions rush through candi-sugared sweetness. Buttery bourbon, burgundy and Chardonnay wining simmers inside rewarding black and red cherry canvas as well.     

BALLAST POINT HABANERO SCULPIN

On tap at Copper Mine, interestingly divergent hybridized IPA brings abrupt habanero-peppered burn to overwhelmed up-front citric fruiting, bettering its slim hot-spiced competition. Grapefruit-peeled orange rind bittering that leads the way for the standard Sculpin IPA (plus tertiary mango, guava, pineapple and papaya tropicalia) get whisked away by habanero heat as well as jalapeno chili peppering and phenol capsaicin pungency of deviously peculiar dry-bodied offshoot.

 

 

CLOWN SHOES EAGLE CLAW FIST IMPERIAL AMBER ALE

Assaultive full body brings bright floral fruiting to refreshingly spruce-tipped gin-like juniper bittering. Grapefruit-peeled orange rind bite lifts juicy pineapple, peach, melon, honeydew, strawberry, apple, passion fruit and mango briskness above cotton-candied honey sugaring. Oily cilantro-peppered hop resin and stiff alcohol burn sharpen spry fruitful luster as well as tertiary rose-watered lilac, daisy and dandelion nuances.

(DE TROCH) LAMBRUCHA BELGIAN ALE

Unique moderate-bodied lambic hybrid (with chartreuse beige haze) retains herbaceous gueuze-like souring and gose-like Berliner Weiss attributes. Active yeast cultures create sour brettanomyces sinew for black Kombucha tea entry and salt-watered white wining. Dry champagne-sparkled green grape pucker and lemon-wedged orange souring segue into ginger-leafed lemongrass-sage-basil-chamomile conflux above musty white peppercorn burn. Vinous grape esters receive curious mustard-seeded dill pickle, pencil shavings, perfumed cologne and floral lavender-heather-hibiscus nuances. Unripened kiwi, guava and passion fruit settle below busy mix. Pair with oysters, halibut, pollock or cheese for better taste profile. Strictly for seasoned sour ale freaks.