Refreshingly straightforward moderate body brings crisp-watered hop-spiced citric intrigue and affable crystal-caramel malting to buttered baguette base. Initial grapefruit peel bittering tails off to misty red apple, peach, and pear sweetness. Unquestionably a fine middle-of-the-road session beer that holds its own against better known fare.
(NEW JERSEY BEER CO.) 60 SHILLING MILD
Traditional English pub ale made from “the stripped down second runnings” of Jersey brewery’s excellent Wee Heavy maintains apropos moderate body. Faint orange compote waft emanates from coppery liquid, followed by mild earthen fungi tongue and milder peat-smoked pale-crystal malting. Root vegetable notes line soft Columbus hop bittering.
(NEW JERSEY BEER CO.) 1787 ABBEY SINGLE
Scoffing traditional Belgian-styled candi-sugaring for ‘golden sessionable’ witbier (minus the wheat) perfect for sunny day lunchtime boat cruise alongside light dishes such as sautéed whitefish and freshly barbecued scallops. Grassy-hopped white-peppered herbal spicing lingers through rye-malted burnt orange, banana bread, and extracted vanilla illusions given a teasing ethanol burn.
(NEW JERSEY BEER CO.) WEEHAWKEN WEE HEAVY SCOTCH ALE
Robust Scotch-styled winter solstice celebration with robust black chocolate urgency and coarse resinous hop roasting brings expectant mesquite-smoked Scotch malting and dewy peat graining to surging fig-dried date-sugared cocoa sweetness. Its backend alcohol burn reinforces sullen whiskey musk, subsidiary stone fruiting, and tertiary dried tobacco roast.
(NEW JERSEY BEER CO.) GARDEN STATE STOUT
Dependable mahogany-hued chocolate stout maintains soft tone despite sharp roasted hop char and pungent espresso-coffee leanings. A milder alternative, its rich brown-sugared black chocolate opening gets reinforced by oatmeal raisin cookie illusions, gooey anise sapping, and cherry puree undertones contrasting oily tar-like molasses bittering.
CIGAR CITY MADURO OATMEAL BROWN ALE
Well balanced medium-bodied English-styled brown ale with bold mocha surge. Stove-burnt coffee and dark-spiced brown chocolate sidle coarse peanut-shelled cola-macadamia-hazelnut sharpness and roasted pecan-walnut-tobacco conflux above mild hop char bittering. Cocoa nibs, vanilla bean, black cherry, and soy milk underscore sweet oats-toasted caramel-toffee malting. A tad arid, though that’s nitpicking.
BARRIER BARNACLE BROWN ALE
Ersatz Long Island brown ale needs richer nutty mocha penetration and deeper roasted hop bittering. Faded burnt coffee entry receives harsh cola-walnut prickle above black chocolate malting. Modest dark floral passage, unusual for this styling, mired by residual plasticine clay intimation.
(CLIPPER CITY) HEAVY SEAS THANK YOU VERY MUCH DOUBLE I.P.A.
On tap, admirable 15th anniversary celebration (circa 2011) does Baltimore proud. Woody dry-hopped red-orange-yellow-fruited full body contrasts candied sugar malting against mildly resinous piney hop bittering and dark floral tinge. Ripe pineapple, grapefruit, apple, mango, peach, orange, and tangerine fruiting absorbs harsh grain-alcohol turpentine immersion.
CRICKET HILL CRICKET’S NOCTURNE DARK LAGER
Effective Munich dunkel lager (given noir-like dark ale labeling) contrasts cocoa-seeded black chocolate chalking, peat-smoked molasses malting and buttery toffee sweetness against coarse hop roast. Mild nut-roasted rye-pumpernickel breading overcomes fizzy phenol fizzing and slick schwarzbier-styled mocha plasticity. 2012 version boasted richer dark chocolate malting and deeper peanut-shelled hazelnut-walnut conflux.
GREAT SOUTH BAY BLONDE AMBITION ALE
Mellifluous coppery medium body brings unexpected sinewy honeyed creaminess to anticipated citric sweetness. Floral grapefruit-peach-apricot-tangerine tang hovers politely above wheat biscuit spine. Mild diacetyl buttering relegates nectar-juiced clover honey density, but only slightly.
GREAT SOUTH BAY MASSIVE INDIA PALE ALE
Approachable piney-hopped citric-ripened mocha-malted Long Islander not far removed from new-sprung Black IPA styling. Resinous hop char deepens cocoa-chocolate bittering above rounded spruce-tipped red grapefruit, orange marmalade, pineapple, and mango sweetness for truly amiable, well-balanced delight.
GREAT SOUTH BAY SLEIGH RYED RED RYE ALE
Dusky medium-bodied rye-malted winter ale connects murky barley-roasted dried fruiting and earthen wood twigging to pepper-hopped bittering. Advertised juniper berries lack resilience and vegetal fungi molding attacks diminished honey nut sweetness and placated plum-prune piquancy. Since wintry seasonal spicing takes a backseat, perhaps rye ale tag suffices.