Ambiguous fruited stout lacks creamy dark chocolate malting and advertised (black or red) cherry tartness. Instead, minor astringency affects barren oats-charred mocha roast as well as coffee-stained cacao nibs niche.
THE PONY BAR
MANHATTAN, NEW YORK
Packed to the gills on a Friday evening in late November 2012, Upper East Side Manhattan watering hole, THE PONY BAR, is a diminutive one-room saloon on the corner of 75th and 1st (with a second site in Hell’s Kitchen). Three rounded orange-colored Pony Bar insignias welcome the large contingent of post-collegiate minions to the front entrance as the Pac-10 football championship between Stanford and UCLA plays on the two TV’s sidling the left bar this cold winter’s eve.
Hanging growler lamps dimly light the 20-stool bar area where dozens of local denizens find space to get one of the limited edition or hard-to-find American indie brews served from 20 rotating draught lines. Two illuminating boards above the bar list tonight’s featured beers. Though failing to get the collaborative Bruery/ Elysian/ Stone Citrueilli Amber Ale one-shot, two tartly fruited libations were imbibed for the first time during my one-hour stopover.
A Latino waiter with a ‘Fuck Imports” t-shirt (celebrating this establishments’ commitment to American ales) clears the community table at the front window where I’ll be sipping some suds. Some pro-pot enthusiasts must run the operation since Happy Hour begins at the inauspicious time of 4:20 PM. Burgers, chicken, pulled pork, ribs and deep-fried pickles are available for the dinner crowd but at this witching hour all customers onhand are strictly drinking.
Though the tentative Lakefront Rendezvous Biere De Garde seemed a bit underwhelming with its murky fruit esters and tart IPA-like citric-peeled bittering, serviceable Bear Republic Wine Country Wheat co-mingled hefeweizen (tart banana), Berliner Weiss (salty coriander) and American wheat ale (lemon-rotted apricot and orange) stylings quite effectively. (Full reviews are in Beer Index)
Within walking distance of the larger David Copperfield’s House Of Beer, The Pony Bar’s one of the coziest pubs in New York City. Connoisseurs will appreciate the swiftly revolving draught choices and enjoy the friendly young-at-heart atmosphere.
During two-hour stopover with wife, Karen, March 2013, had soft pretzels with spicy farmhouse mustard alongside Goose Island’s Naughty Goose English Brown Ale and Bourbon County Coffee Stout as well as Chelsea Bourbon Barrel Blackhole Stout and Green Flash East Village Pils. Hung out with Stuart, host of
On a rainy April ’14 springtime jaunt, shared mouthwatering Tartine (honeyed pizza bianca with black-peppered ricotta and dried fig) with wife while quaffing three ‘big’ Uinta brews and 21st Amendment/ Elysian He Said Pumpkin Porter (a rich hybridized Baltic porter placing dried-fruited mocha malts above pumpkin pie-spiced anise, stewed prune, fig, caraway and cinnamon).
As for the Uinta triage, Detour Double IPA boasted orange-peeled grapefruit and pineapple bittering as well as sticky pine resinous pungency to contrast sweet pear-peach-apple tang. Similarly styled Anniversary Barleywine tossed tangy dry-hopped IPA fruiting at syrupy piney spruce sapping. And approachable beechwood-smoked Tinder Rauchbier brought Band-Aid astringency and black-peppered peat malt to apple-candied glazed ham sweetness. (All fully reviewed in Beer Index)
ues.theponybar.com
BEAR REPUBLIC WINE COUNTRY WHEAT
On tap at Pony Bar, unspecific mild hefeweizen places remote banana-plantain tartness across peppery-hopped lemon rot souring, de-emphasizing ‘special Weihenstephan yeast’ glorification. Salted corainder-clove spicing briefly seasons carbolic white-wined cider sharpness and barren apricot-orange snip over fragile white wheat base. Washed-out sour-candied citric finish may be closer to Berliner Weiss styling.
LAKEFRONT RENDEZVOUS
Tentative Biere De Garde with French ale yeast providing musty fruit esters for Saaz-hopped IPA-like citric-peeled bittering. On tap, sour candied malts caress yellow grape, pink grapefruit, navel orange, lemon zest , pineapple and apricot tartness as wavering juniper bite pushes forward. But its indistinct farmhouse ale styling lacks necessary complexity, weakening by the disheveled citric finish. Bottled version’s orange-spiced Scotch malting and ginger-laced banana daiquiri niche done in by soured cider surge.
SOUTHERN TIER 2XMAS
Invigorating winter warmer emulates Swedish glogg by bridging autumnal brown-sugared pumpkin pie likeness to sweet Christmastime spicing and muted mull-spiced wining. Fig-sugared stewed prune, golden raisin, bruised cherry and mandarin orange peel fruiting picks up wintry gingerbread, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cardamom and clove seasoning. Pecan, butterscotch, vanilla and sugar cookie illusions penetrate the fruitcake finish.
(STEENBERGE) WITCHES BREW GOLDEN ALE
Entertaining bottle conditioned amber-hazed blonde tripel (with well-hidden 9.3% alcohol volume) brings candi-sugared sweetness and butterscotch fruiting to honeyed barley-oats spine. Pastry-like filo doughing usurps unripe banana tartness and orange-soured marmalade splurge at mid-palate. Tropical nectarine, melon, honeydew, peach, mango, pineapple and papaya illusions linger below.
FLYING DOG K-9 WINTER ALE
As with previous ‘Cruiser’ version, bland 2012 edition lacks specificity. Wintry brown-sugared mulling spices get musty and phenol hop bittering dissolves alongside dreary caramel malting. Murky orange, cherry and apple nuances never suffice.
SAMUEL ADAMS MERRY MISCHIEF GINGERBREAD STOUT
On tap at 381 Main, domineering brown-sugared gingerbread cookie theme gets lift from nitrogen gassing as chewy molasses-soaked cookie dough creaminess, supportive cinnamon spicing and dark-roasted chocolate malting underscore wintry full-bodied dessert treat. In the bottle, mischievous winter warmer loses some luster. Gargantuan gingerbread pinnacle fades a tad as vanilla, anise, nutmeg and clove illusions embellish brown chocolate midst and teasing bourbon nip.
FOUNDERS BREAKFAST STOUT
Extremely ambitious full-bodied Oatmeal Stout brings creamy dark chocolate, fresh-roasted Sumatra-Kona coffee and oats-charred hops to the fore. Resounding mocha vibe enriched by fudgy vanilla, toffee, caramel and maple licks. Ashen chicory sops up tertiary Brazil nut, walnut, hazelnut and cola nut slack. An immensely complex and luxurious treasure not just for breakfast.
PORTERHOUSE RED ALE
Unspecific medium-bodied Irish Red Ale immediately goes askew as no prominent flavor profile shines through. Mild hop-spiced honeyed tea entry picks up musty fig-soured dried fruiting, grape-stemmed cherry stone remnant and wispy orange oiling. Dry grain-toasted bottom and ethereal mossy peat leathering mired by coarse astringency.
(PORTERHOUSE) BRAIN BLASTA
Soily 7% alcohol strong ale (a.k.a. Braonblasta or ‘tasty drop’) may be nebulous stylistically or flavorwise, but it remains fulsome and robust. Mossy peat earthiness spreads across barley-flaked mineral graining, unsweetened baking chocolate bittering and fig-juiced black tea souring. Oily Fuggle hops drape ancillary marble rye breading and charcoal tarring contrasting sweet maple malt sinew. Alkaline-like alcohol astringency may preclude softer thirsts.
DARK HORSE SCOTTY KARATE SCOTCH ALE
Malleable ‘wee heavy’ brings peaty molasses-smoked Scotch malting to sharp-hopped dried fruiting. Fig-spiced cherry, plum and prune illusions cluster next to dim tobacco-roasted chocolate-vanilla conflux. Buttered pecan, vinous grape and caramel apple undertones fill out smooth medium body. On tap at Growler & Gill ’18, bold Scotch ale soaks peat-smoked cherrywood into brown-sugared toffee, dewy moss earthiness and uneasy perfume hop splotch, leaving dried fruiting in the rear view mirror.
