Nondescript citric-snipped Kolsch styling envelops minor alcohol burn with sour grape, orange and lemon wisps. Coarse carbolic rigidity depletes initial fruiting and honeyed grain malting. Bland spring seasonal stays uninvolving.
ROCK ART THE RIDDLER?
Diverting Belgian strong ale stays light and fizzy on the tongue, but bitter and dry on the backend. Despite brown-sugared Belgian yeast influence, molasses tea caking, earthen grain pungency and dessicated fig-date-plum conflux seem closer to dewy English pale ale. Gingerbread, cinnamon and hazelnut make cameos.
BROOKLYN DRY IRISH STOUT
On tap at Andy’s Corner Bar, mildly creamed dark ale seems initially reminiscent of a lighter, softer, less defined Guinness Stout. Nutty dark chocolate and dry coffee notes ride above dark roasted molasses malts. Baker’s chocolate chalkiness and cocoa-powdered rawness suit hop-charred bittering, but the diminishing mocha resonation becomes waterier upon follow-up sips.
BALLAST POINT TONGUE BUCKLER IMPERIAL RED ALE
On tap at Cloverleaf, raspy hop-header brings peaty tea-like dewiness of an Irish Red Ale to typecast tropical fruiting of an India Pale Ale. Bitter grapefruit rind sharpness, coarsened hop spicing and resinous pine tone inundate sugary crystal malting as pineapple, pink grapefruit, red apple, orange, guava, peach, pear and strawberry illusions gather strength. Not far removed from Stone Arrogant Bastard. 
JOLLY PUMPKIN MADRUGADA OBSCURA DARK DAWN IMPERIAL STOUT
On tap at Cloverleaf, amiable oak barrel-aged dark ale brings acidic brettanomyces funk and pungent sour fruiting to rawest Blackstrap molasses inclination. Oaken cherry, white grape, green grape and cranberry tartness deepens acrid barnyard-horsehide parch. Briny salting saturates ancillary wood burnt hop char, depleting powdered cocoa drift.
TERRAPIN WAKE-N-BAKE COFFEE OATMEAL IMPERIAL STOUT
An instant breakfast classic with a snickering wake and bake reference. Prominent coffee ground roast lingers through marvelous stylistic hybrid (vintage 2011). Black-tarred hop char embitters Blackstrap molasses sinew, deepening the high powered coffee theme. Milky dark chocolate creaminess and ascending vanilla beaning reach cookie dough thickness, reinforcing ancillary Kahula, cappuccino, caramel latte, mocha latte, espresso, cola nut and hazelnut illusions. 2017 vintage retained rich red berry coffee roast as well as underlying creamy black chocolate, dark cocoa and vanilla sweetness. Amazing!
DOGFISH HEAD TWEASON’ALE
Nasty gluten-free sorghum-based ale “brewed with strawberries and buckwheat honey” lacks body and character. Slick sorghum syrup slipstream inundates sterile strawberry souring, washed-out oaken cherry tartness and astringent Blackstrap molasses-embittered buckwheat honey dredge. A hint of rhubarb pie found beneath dessicated whiskey malting. As of 2012, the only decent gluten-free beer is De Proef’s Green’s Discovery Amber Ale.
ROCK ART EXTREME AMERICAN-BELGO I.P.A.
Stylishly deviant Belgo-American hybrid contrasts resinous piney-hopped juniper bitterness and modest spruce-tipped black peppering against chewy caramel malt sweetness to its juicy fruited plain. Pineapple surges forth above a spectrum of tropical fruits including pink grapefruit, honeydew, melon, peach and tangerine. Toasted almond, praline and pecan further sweeten the caramelized center, but the candi-sugared Belgian yeast expectancy is suppressed. In theory, an interesting upgrade from Rock Art’s Extreme IPA (II).
RIVER HORSE OATMEAL MILK STOUT
Approachable medium-bodied sweet milk stout retains mildly creamed lactic chocolate resonance over oats-roasted hop toasting and fizzy carbolic aridity. Fudgy burnt caramel spell underscores ancillary black cherry, raisin and fig hints.
HARPOON CELTIC ALE
Messy Irish-styled red ale tries blending too many disparate elements. Pasty Scotch-licked entry tersely abandoned for wavered orange-dried cherry souring and cardboard-like caramel malting. Spiced apple respite adds pleasantry. But scattered vegetal snip downgrades initial pulse and acrid tea-like herbal spell comes undone.
BROOKLYN MARY’S MAPLE PORTER
Underwhelming milk chocolate creaming and diffident coffee-dried cocoa powdering too thin for hybrid porter. Syrupy maple molasses glaze falters alongside hop-charred coarsening. Ancillary vanilla bean, black cherry, chicory, cola nut and walnut illusions fade fast.
CLOWN SHOES PECAN PIE PORTER
Superb stylistic hybrid with opulent pecan pie entry and chewy cookie dough richness truly rules the roost. Brown-sugared caramel malting saturates oats-toasted hop char, ashen walnut bittering and dried-fruited raisin-plum-cherry conflux. Praline, hazelnut and almond reinforce peanut-buttered brown chocolate finish. A sensational dessert treat.