Crisply carbolic straw-hued Czech pilsner needs deeper yellow-fruited luster and more incisive lemony lime tartness to overcome bleak corn malting. Understated herbal-floral influence, lackadaisical grapefruit bittering, and barren honeysuckle whim weaken over time. Kolsch-like ale yeast brings latent green grape esters and champagne sparkle.
21ST AMENDMENT MONK’S BLOOD
Kitsch-y oak-aged Belgian-styled ’09-initiated dark ale boasts candi-sugared barleywine-spirited complexity elevating compost-wafted cola-hued oak-chipped full body. Expansive cinnamon toasting drapes Belgian chocolate, banana bread, cherry puree, sugar plum and dried fig seduction. Bruised orange sweetness contrasting mild grapefruit rind bittering never ransack creamy rum-spiced brown-sugared vanilla uprising and toffee-glazed recess. Tertiary cookie dough, buttered pecan, and almond illusions cake everlastingly creamy molasses-chocolate-cocoa malting.
21ST AMENDMENT HELL OR HIGH WATERMELON WHEAT BEER
Mild golden-bodied wheat ale lacks fruity luster in canned version. Washed-out hard-candied Jolly Rancher watermelon tartness lingers softly through blanched rye wheat backbone. Subsidiary mandarin orange, peach, and cantaloupe illusions fade fast as abysmal pale-malted white-breaded sorghum slouching reaches soapy melon-limed finish. Watermelon juicing clearly needs deeper resonance and latent cloy nature proves troublesome.
RED HOOK TRIPEL BELGIAN STYLE ALE
Ambitious golden-hazed ’09 tripel with boozy 10.2% alcohol whir piles creamy vanilla malts atop banana leaf-flavored apple-pear-pineapple ripeness and peppery-hopped orange-bruised Cognac spell. Wavering cinnamon-spiced banana-clove sweetness fends off sharp alcohol burn before busy tropical finish allows funky Belgian-like farmhouse yeast strain to prod tropical Caribbean fruiting.
GRAND TETON BITCH CREEK 20TH ANNIVERSARY DOUBLE E.S.B.
Tremendous full-bodied double-hopped version of bottle-conditioned bomber-bottled ‘20th anniversary reserve’ Extra Special Bitter brings dark-spiced India Pale Ale-like fruiting to rich cocoa-chocolate malting. Orange-grapefruit peel bittering anchors brownish crimson commemoration as prune-raisin souring rises above tongue-tingling nutmeg-cinnamon spicing. Mushroom-like fungi yeast adds funky Belgian farmhouse ale underside.
OTTER CREEK QUERCUS VITUS HUMULUS
Richly fruited limited edition ’09 barleywine deviates from typical brutish stylistic rampage. Instead of a veritable meal in a bottle, it’s a well-integrated strong ale with lagered champagne yeast perfect for dessert. Honeyed cereal grains sweeten French oak-aged Sauvegnon Blanc grape juicing and gorgeous floral bouquet. Creamy butterscotch midst secures green, red and purple grape illusions as well as lustrous peach-tangerine-pineapple-nectarine exotica. Pronounced cherry uprising, buttery Chardonnay subsidy, and tertiary raisin-date-fig dryness add further depth while peppery herbal hop zip enlivens modest spicing.
GRAND TETON HOWLING WOLF WEIZENBOCK
Decent 2009 cellar-reserved bottle-conditioned ‘strong wheat beer’ with pleasant citric acidity and surprising mocha tenacity bides time as loud 8% alcohol luster gets heard. Creamy caramel-cocoa-chocolate malts ride above peppery clove-spiced fig-sugared vanilla sweetness and orange-bruised banana tartness. Molasses-like Sugar Daddy keepsake forges doppelbock-like character over musty yeast-creased candi-sugared Belgian ale peculiarity.
ESTRELLA DAMM INEDIT
Meek straw-yellowed moderate-bodied witbier-likened Catalan lager in green-tinted wine bottle could use better up-front doughy insistence and richer fruitiness (though its mild nature complements vinegar-based salads, tuna, and salmon). Seltzer-like citric spicing wavers below wet-papered sorghum flouring, wheat-honeyed crystal malting, and gentle ginger herbage. Washed-out lemon candied tartness, floral mandarin orange wisp and unripe peach subsidy gain acidity while under-whelming orange peel, coriander, and lime illusions prove negligible for fizz-toned summer session beer.
RIVER HORSE DOUBLE WIT
Instantly likable golden-hazed crystal-malted Belgian-styled witbier maintains fruit-spiced integrity. Coriander-clove spicing engages lemon zest, mandarin orange, tangerine, apricot, papaya, and pineapple illusions countering peppery-hopped orange peel bittering. Subsidiary whiskey-soured white wine tenacity overrides banana bubblegum undertones to doughy white-breaded wheat spine.
MAGIC HAT WACKO SUMMER SEASONAL
Impossibly clear pinkish amber hue proves even lighter and more transparent than soft-toned session beer itself. Faint orange dryness and distant grassy-hopped bittering coerce washed-out beet-sugared strawberry-melon-apricot astringency. Subtle pale-malted Pac Mac yeast influx doesn’t suffice and vacuous citric-soured finish leaves slight metallic twinge. Sadly, summer retreat ain’t nearly ‘wacky’ enough re-tweaking Magic Hat’s equally pallid beet-crazy precursor Kerouac Ale.
ROGUE MAIERFEST LAGER
Understated moderate-bodied Marzen-styled session beer perfect for lawn mowing. Sugary dough opening and crusty white bread plainness counter softly spiced sour citrus splurge. Sporadic orange, apricot, and fig nuances splash across spritz-y Seltzer fizzing of crisp, clean refreshment, avoiding bland neutrality by a whisker.
HARPOON HELLES BLOND BOCK
Casual moderate-bodied amber-hued German-styled blond lacks overall distinction and fruity pizzazz. Buttery pale-malted honey-roasted barley graining enjoins basic floral-hopped orange-peach-cherry tang and pastry-like sugar cookie sweetness. Vanilla, iced tea, and wet paper illusions receive tertiary whiskey-zapped ransom.