On tap at Shepherd & Knucklehead, transient 2012 limited edition black ale (with amber highlights) drapes soft-toned mocha malting atop tart orange spicing, earthen pine resin and soft peach-pear fruiting. Black-breaded dark chocolate finish seems a bit murky.
On tap at Shepherd & Knucklehead, somewhat unassuming hybridized amber ale attaches wet Citra-hopped fruiting to musky lemon murk, leafy earthen graining and dried floral nuances. Slim mango-pineapple remnant and minor herbal tinge round out 2012 limited edition medium body.
Rambunctious pumpkin pie spicing prevails for limited edition autumnal medium body in eye-catching orange bottle. Brown-sugared cinnamon, gingerbread, nutmeg and allspice nuances partially relinquished by sweet potato pie vibe. Vegetal gourd, squash, yam and zucchini astringency rides shotgun.
Enjoyable dry Irish Stout brings unanticipated dark floral peculiarity and spicy perfumed backend to soft soy-sauced dark chocolate creaming. Subtle oyster-shelled brininess affects baking chocolate powdering, blackened grain minerality and bittersweet cocoa beaning. Light cola, hazelnut and macadamia nuttiness hangs in the balance.
Crisply sessionable clear-yellowed light body layers salted lemon zesting atop buttered Italian breading grazing soft barley-maize-rice bed. Brisk carbolic nature from spritzy citrus spicing gains gentle herbal hop musk.
Precarious tart raspberry entry fades as shrill hop coarsening and washed-out soapiness outdo ancillary cranberry, cherry, strawberry and green grape souring to blandly astringent fruit finish.
Starting as a strong pale ale in its original formulation, newly tweaked 2012 IPA version gets a dry-hopped uplift and bitterer citric presence. Crisply floral herbaceous fruiting given less inviting cardboard-like biscuit malting. Bitter Cascade-hopped grapefruit peel and orange rind astringency contrasts tangy tangerine, peach, pear and pineapple supplement. Slight iodine-like alcohol burn and pungent metallic char singe the bright citric finish.
Surprisingly amber-toned for mocha porter. Like Saranac, most Horny Goat beers seem slick and blue collar in approach. However, the efficient chocolate brownie-like entrance, brown-sugared cinnamon sweetness and cocoa-puffed toffee dollop of this dusky moderate body make a convincing pair. Nevertheless, disturbing diacetyl buttering gets in the way of less effective cacao-nibbed vanilla, gingerbread and honey nut dalliances.
Laidback soy-milked brown chocolate chalking given wavered oats-charred bittering and slick dark toffee sweetening. Stove-burnt coffee souring outlasts maple molasses meander as oily hop residue becomes way too astringent for slack moderate-medium body.
