Thin pinkish-tinged cumulus white head rides atop clear amber body of soapy, washed-out tart cherry flavoring. Phenol yellow grape-salted lemon spritz and light white grape esters stay veiled as distant sweetly soured cherry tartness blurs the pallid mix.
On tap at Seven Lakes Station, understated light-bodied fruit ale places mild cherry-juiced tartness above cracked wheat graining, leaving a tingly carbolic spritz on the tongue. Floral-daubed cherry subtlety gains wispy gooseberry, raspberry, strawberry and rhubarb licks lightly embittered by lemony pomegranate dryness.
On tap at Amazing Grapes, marvelous 2017 limited edition bourbon-barreled moderation places bittersweet red cherry tartness in light bourbon-aged maple syruping. Tangy cherry fruitiness enhanced by cranberry pucker above vanilla-doused Graham Cracker wheat spine. A worthily subtle dessert treat.
Silken mouth-puckering spring seasonal loads ultra-dry red cherry tartness atop lightly vinous white wining and dessicated lemon parch, but lacks advertised ‘sweetness.’ Instead, easygoing fruit ale becomes too arid as its seltzer-like fizz depletes cherry influence rapidly.
On tap at The Office-Ridgewood, genre-defying English winter warmer provides luscious sour cherry, medicinal cherry, bruised cherry and whiskeyed cherry tartness to wispy Blackstrap molasses sinew. Sherry, raspberry and orange undertones hide below the surface and the sugary cherry soda-like finish betters Samuel Adams Cherry Wheat. Connoisseurs may find take aim at its fizzy soda pop feel and indefinite stylistic candor, but it’s truly splendid. A perfect dessert treat, especially for fruity ale drinkers.
Coarse phenol hop astringency wearies tart Montmorency cherry rasp and darting lemon-soured spoilage of bland medium body. Muted raspberry, blackberry, black cherry and fig murk fails to register properly. Better than hard-candied cherry-flavored Lifesavers.
On tap at Copper Mine, robust Belgian dark ale boasts strong sour ale overtones (but qualifies as a cherry ale due to its fruitier appropriation). Abundant sour cherry tartness reaches nirvana above rich mocha malting and coarse hop spicing. Cherry cordial, black cherry, rum raisin, plum, fig and raspberry illusions rush through candi-sugared sweetness. Buttery bourbon, burgundy and Chardonnay wining simmers inside rewarding black and red cherry canvas as well.
Engaging ‘cherry-inspired’ cream ale makes for fine fruity malt beverage with its fizzy soda-like pop and sinewy corn syruping. Sweet and sour red cherry ripens fig-spiced apple, cranberry, raspberry, blueberry and strawberry illusions, settling into champagne-like Chambord liqueur slumber. Beneath, crayon-like plasticity seeps into astringent saison yeast profile.
Serpentine summertime golden ale doused with wheat-honeyed Montmorency cherry tartness wavers from fizzy cherry soda to sweet Maraschino cherry to tangy rhubarb pie. Musty cherry pucker picks up tannic grape souring, acidic cranberry twang and muted orange trifle. May better Sam Adams Cherry Wheat.
Vacillating magenta-bodied pink-blushed Belgian-style strong ale aged in French Chardonnay casks offers sweet-tart cherry pureeing to musty lambic-like sour fruiting as crackled carbolic fizz settles down. Mouth-puckering cherry tannins soak into hard cider, raspberry compote, green grape, cranberry and oaken vanilla illusions. Not far removed from rhubarb pie.
Illustrious cherry fermented ale perfect for fruity frolickers. Sweet cherry pie tartness and sugary cherry soda fizzing contrast soured cherry lambic pucker. Beneath affable cherrystone motif, lemon-juiced cranberry, strawberry, and raspberry rasp settles alongside bubbly pink champagne effervescence (with a hint of ginger). Works well as a stimulating aperitif or a luxurious digestif.
Brusque cider-like oaken cherry souring needs richer flavor profile. Apple-spiced green grape tartness remits vinous lambic-like pucker for mahogany-browned fruit ale. Corky hop dryness usurps montmorency cherry influence.
