
HARPOON DIRECTOR’S CUT

On tap, Yin’s rich chocolate malting outdoes Yang’s tropical fruiting for resilient B & T. Roasted chocolate, cocoa and vanilla contrast currant-spiced black cherry tones. Betters most competitors.
Enormous 32-ounce can brings tinny metallic derision to slick caramel malting and phenol-hopped acridity of understated, lackluster porter-bock mix. Despite boasting ‘glacial mineral water,’ crispness lacks. Obliging brown-sugared cocoa-powdered chocolate roast overrides ashen cola-walnut singe consuming astringent purple grape, prune, and cherry whimper, weakening to chalky mocha tartness. Slight barleywine lick detected at blah dried-fruit finish. Serve to less discriminating brown ale consumers.
Sullen dark chocolate presence weak compared to bolder stouts while grain resilience lacks crispness of golden lagers. Incomplete soured fruit esters interrupt moderately creamy mocha sweetness and bitter coffee usurpation. Infrequent raisin-licorice illusions surface as lukewarm nuttiness diminishes flat burnt-toast finish.
In jug-handled wide-mouth quart bottle, Mud seemingly combines robust English Porter with fine Continental pilsner. Dirty-grained caramel-maple entry, tart fig-date nucleus, and nutty molasses tweak surrender to fizzy metallic soaping. Perhaps the Delta Mud should be thicker, since this goes down too smooth for an otherwise acidic black & tan.
Whether or not fully convincing as a surprisingly light black & tan (mixing Drayman’s Porter with Hoosac Tunnel Amber), there’s plenty to appreciate. Chewy vanilla-chocolate sweetness weaves through permeating honeyed wheat spine, brown sugar glaze, milky chocolate souring, and minor hazelnut haze before enduring raisin-prune-fig expansion dominates hazelnut coffee-influenced finish of glowing copper amber curiosity. On tap at Doherty’s, fudgy caramel-burnt brown and black chocolate sweetness as well as mild coffee tones embrace fruit-spiced pale malting.