Charmingly complex medium-full body offers fresh-watered crisping to creamy caramel malting and brisk citric sashay. Prominent bruised orange fruiting picks up bosc pear, mango, pineapple and grapefruit illusions above whiskey-dabbed Belgian chocolate spicing, bringing great depth and clarity of purpose to endearingly expressive, well-balanced India Pale Ale styling. Further sips reveal spice-hopped pine comb bittering and resinous floral potpourri contrasting embedded cane sugared sweetness.
OLD SCHOOLHOUSE UNCLE BIG’S BROWN ALE
Impressively nutty chocolate creaminess aligns brown-sugared vanilla, caramel nougat and coffee bean influence with hazelnut-walnut-almond conflux above oats-toasted hop roasting. Mossy tobacco leafing and musty cellar dankness drift by tertiary raisin-fig souring. Moderate-to-medium-bodied mocha splendor will appeal to wide ranging dark ale, nut brown, porter and stout fans.
21ST AMENDMENT LOWER DE BOOM BARLEYWINE
On tap at Peekskill Brewery, savory barleywine allows sweet bourbon whiskey boozing to affect creamy brown chocolate spicing and chewy overripe fruiting. Black cherry-pureed banana taffy, red grape, raisin and fig engage brown-sugared malting and ancillary butterscotch-vanilla conflux. Well disguised 10.5% alcohol fusion pervades luxurious candied center.
LONG TRAIL CENTENNIAL RED
Busy ‘big beer’ is part of increasing limited edition Brewmaster Series. Well balanced complexities fortify sienna-coppered medium-to-full body. Orange-oiled dark cherry, red grape, pineapple and apricot fruiting glides safely above biscuit-y cocoa-caramel malting and toasted pecan-almond nuttiness. Swampy peat minerality and resinous piney oaken earthiness fill the backend. Scotch, brandy and sherry innuendoes deepen unassuming 7.9% alcohol flow.
KNEE DEEP RYEDENTITY CRISIS
Shallow, golden-cleared, hybridized rye saison retains moderate-bodied soothe. Traditional saison-based sour fruiting drifts into dry earthen resin creasing mild rye breading. Lemony mandarin orange, tangerine and apple tartness fades off as soft-focus peppery hop bittering disguises unassuming 8% alcohol volume. A sessionable summery retreat for lighter thirsts.
GREEN FLASH RAYON VERT BELGIAN STYLE PALE ALE
Overactive and ‘continuously evolving’ yellow-bellied wild ale spews rocky white-headed foam all over if soft-watered suds gets poured too quickly. Black-peppered cilantro and basil frontload capacious herbal entry above zesty citric endurance, resinous hop bittering and musty cellar-like yeast funk. Ancillary thyme, chamomile and peppercorn engage oncoming plasticene cologne lacquering. Fresh key lime pie ascendency brings lightened mandarin orange, white grape, green apple and bosc pear illusions to tertiary pine nut jut. Dry wheat-husked barnyard, horsehide, hay and alfalfa earthiness saddles backend of busy Belgian-styled farmhouse ale.
THE DUCK-RABBIT BROWN ALE
Coarsely dry nut-bound medium body brings peanut-shelled walnut char and chicory coffee roast to ashen hop bittering. Raw-honeyed maple molasses sapping thickens ancillary brown-sugared chocolate malting and tertiary tar-like astringency. But advertised ‘spicy citrus bitterness’ lacks pep as a hybridized adjunct, leaving blackened grain roast to fend off latent charcoal acridity.
(DIAMOND KNOT) WHIP ALE
Pour slowly aggressive tan-headed pale ale or bubbly suds will overflow. Herbal mineral graining and peppery hop bittering contrast citric effervescence. Basil, rosemary, parsley, celantro, lemongrass and saffron season dried apricot, pink grapefruit and tangelo illusions above tea-like backdrop. Caramelized Vienna malting caresses soft doughy underbelly.
WILLIAMSBURG ALEWERKS RED MARKER ALE
Approachable amber-ruddied red ale brings tart fruited caramel malting to honeyed maple nuttiness, finishing closer to a delicately sweet brown ale. Tart red cherry, red apple and orange fruiting contrasts astringent alcohol burn and ESB-like leafy hop bite. Oats-toasted praline, pecan and walnut illusions round out its balanced profile.
STARR HILL THE LOVE WHEAT BEER
Dubious unfiltered hefeweizen brings sour lemon-wedged orange tartness to plantain-dried banana lilt and eye-squinting raspberry vinaigrette tinge. Light sourdough backdrop fades.
STARR HILL DOUBLE PLATINUM IMPERIAL INDIA PALE ALE
Dependable medium-bodied amber-cleared crossover for lighter pale ale thirsts despite bold 8% ABV and Double IPA tag. Casual citric-hopped bittering sticks to pine-sapped hemp-oiled tongue, but lacks thick resonation of richer stylistic competition. Sugar-caned caramel malt toasting embeds grapefruit-peeled orange rind prickle and sweet pineapple-mango-peach-pear-apricot conflux for nice contrast.
NEWCASTLE FOUNDERS ALE
A total misfire! Dubious soft-toned whiskey snip debunked by sour yeast pungency, minor corn oiling and stale breaded backbone. Subtle hop bittering lost to glutinous wheat bed of bland English-styled pale ale.
