Up-front floral-hopped fruitiness absorbs earthen-grained herbal spicing. At midst, tart white grape souring counters tangy cherry, berry, and red apple sweetness as well as brown sugared tobacco-nut roast.
(THEAKSTON) OLD PECULIER ALE
Creamy plum-hued, tan-headed, mocha-scented Yorkshire ale exposes fruity Fuggle-hopped thrust to inescapable chocolate-covered raisin, port wine, and cherry puree illusions. Cedar-stained clove-anise-gingerbread add wintry spirit to burnt caramel prompt. Richer and sweeter than a red ale, with its countered dry oak finish increasing efficacy.
THAMES WELSH E.S.B. ALE
Root beer-hued bitter propels smoked barley-oats and buttery almond congruity above shrewd spice-fruited taffy undercurrent. Pleasant caramelized Scotch malts enliven fully-formed sinewy prune finish. Softer palates will not be turned off.
THAMES WELSH BITTER ALE
Gentle light-headed pale-bodied ‘bitter’ ale with Band-Aid nose, delectable mineral water smoothness, and mild cherry recess contrasting subtle dry-hopped malted grain sweetness of medium strength bottle-conditioned alternative to brewers’ traditional ESB. But specificity lacks for this lean Euro.
T.G.I.F. PREMIUM AMBER LAGER
Plain, settling middleweight weaves aromatic sweet malt caress around minimal grain exposure. Smooth buttery finish needs assertion.
TETLEY’S ENGLISH ALE
TESORO PREMIUM LAGER
Musty sour malt waft, spry carbolic fizz, and unspecific hop spicing (reminiscent of some red ales) greet foamy white-headed gold lager. Overt carbonation minimizes cereal graininess to mere backdrop as tepid saltwater finish remains dull like too many simple South of the Border brews.
TERRAPIN SIDE PROJECT ROGGEN RAUCHBIER LAGER
Dreary ‘one-time ’08 release’ too light up-front to maintain effective rauchbier oeuvre. Singed rye malts bring wood-smoked maple-glazed bacon and beef jerky illusions to dark spicing in need of pricklier hop jab. Lacking prolonged smoked malt intensity of better German rauchbiers, this soapy Side Project’s indistinct.
TERRAPIN RYE SQUARED IMPERIAL PALE ALE
Sinewy honeyed amber hue nearly as thick as syrupy sugar malt creaminess. Hop-spiced butterscotch-enriched almond-marzipan sweetness (reminiscent of Blue Point Toasted Lager’s original version) absorbs latent floral-tingled pineapple-grapefruit dash to rye-induced breadcrumb bottom.
TERRAPIN RYE PALE ALE
Cozy dark amber augments subtle rye dryness with spruce-pine buffer and pleasant lemon-hopped spicing. Juicy orange-ripened red grapefruit tang entwines sugared malts countering oncoming raw-honeyed black tea bitterness.
TERRAPIN GOLDEN ALE
Grainy golden ale is casual fence-sitter, lacking adequate overall sweetness to counter emergent molded rye bittering. Brown-sugared honey biscuit nicety overlays maize-flaked corn-buttered dryness. As rye influence diminishes, orange pastry illusion caresses thin floral-spiced hop tingle.
TERRAPIN CREAM ALE
Not unduly original amongst subordinate stylistic competitors, but crisp lemony grapefruit slurp and bittersweet hop spicing enliven taut barley-toasted wheat-cracked baked bread spine above usual lawnmower session beers. Popcorn illusions will turn on lightweight pilsner addicts and Bud Lite suckers.