Endlessly sessionable aluminum yellow-hazed Belgian tripel spreads pickled lemon zesting across reserved banana-clove sweetness, herbal ginger-spiced white peppering, fungi-spiked grassy hop pining, mossy peat earthiness and latent plantain-clementine-grapefruit licks over its mild white bread spine.
Busy Belgian pale ale lacks specificity. Wayward candi-sugared Belgian yeast skirts coriander-spiced orange zesting and mild banana-prune-raisin illusions above muskily grain-hopped bittering in slightly phenol manner.
On tap at Poor Henry’s, strong golden ale (8.6% ABV) aged in wine barrels with orange Muscat grape juice maintains tannic oaken barnyard acridity. Lightly vinous champagne sparkle reinforces tart orange Muscat wining of crisply clean Belgian-styled blonde ale hybrid.
On tap at Poor Henry’s, dry hazy pale ale utilizes Hallertau Blanc hops to stimulate honeydew, melon, white grape and peach fruiting as well as tangy grapefruit spritz above earthen celery-fennel rusticity, unveiling “orange blossom-watered clover honeying” at the supple finish.
On tap at Shepherd & Knucklehead – Haledon, mildly vanilla-creamed banana and clove scurry gains cologne-perfumed lemon twist to combat subtle white-peppered herbage and brisk vodka crisping. Sugary citric banana spicing latently caressed by wispily honeyed guava, passionfruit and pineapple tropicalia. Just a tad ‘wayward’ stylistically, but expressively so.
On tap at Sogo, refreshingly crisp Belgian golden ale with mild lemongrass and pink peppercorn adjuncts dabbing bright lemon zested mandarin orange tang as well as sweet banana-clove wisps and wavering Sauvignon blanc-wined white pear snips. Zestful herb-laced citrus finish stays sharp.
On tap at Morris Tap & Grill, ambrosial candi-sugared honey adjunct regales sweet orange-bruised banana pudding, peach cobbler and pear syruping against herbal white-peppered barnyard acridity. Rapturously fruitful frolic gains zesty lemon twist and mild coriander-clove spicing over oats-flaked malts for fairly complex and highly recommended Belgian strong ale.
On tap at Morris Tap & Grill, wintry 2017-derived Belgian pale ale brings cidery champagne effervescence to spicy candi-sugared dried fruiting. Buttery Chardonnay, desiccated orange, banana bread and apricot illusions placate Vermouth-dried vodka expanse of strong blonde.
On tap at Ambulance, dry-hopped hibiscus petaled tropical fruiting picks up estery green grape tartness and leathery oaken cherry snips above honeyed pale malting. Mildly acidic lemon-dropped hibiscus flowering zestily represented.
Streamlined Belgian-American wheat ale hybrid brings Fat Tire’s mildly creamed caramel-toasted amber ale styling to mild dubbel-like dried fruiting. Understated sugarplum, raisin and date spicing tingles wheat wafer spine. Needs richer template and roundedness.
Staid Belgian blonde never catches fire as candi-sugared banana-clove sweetness fades as fast as its negligible orange-spiced piquancy and soured lemon snag. Mild herbal hop astringency contrasts wispy wheat wafer sweetness.
On tap at The Oath, lively Belgian Pale Ale uses subtle wit yeast and honey-spiced pilsner malts to soften its juicy orange rind-embittered grapefruit tang. Mildly pungent resinous hop bittering gains floral fruited vibrancy from Magnum-Cascade-Citra combo. Zesty lemon, peach, tangerine and mandarin orange subtleties fit right in.
