On tap at Ambulance, subtle dry bourbon aging creeps into light-roast coffee bean thicket. Serene bourbon coffee continuance enjoined by milk chocolate sweetness, mild espresso trinket and slight vanilla wisp. Benaeth, brown-sugared oats sweeten against ashen hop char.
On tap at Growler & Gill, silken cocoa nibs infusion faces off against lightly creamed milked coffee tones and black-malted dark chocolate fudging above molasses oats base. As subtly fluffed on the tongue as many nitrogenated stouts.
On tap at Seven Lakes Station, inscrutable anti-autumnal golden-hazed India Pale Ale boasts no seasonal pumpkin spicing but retains soured tropical fruiting and fungi-shadowed cucumber watering. Despite advertised blackberry boysenberry and grape influence, tartly soured mango-guava-pineapple illusions, lemon-rotted lime zest and wispy Sauvignon wining gain traction over light piney hop dankness. A weirdly eccentric hybridized IPA sour ale fans may grasp.
On tap at Tapastre, juicy yellow-clouded Northeast-styled IPA retains soft-toned citrus-spiced flow. Initial lemony yellow grapefruit prominence gains orange-peeled pineapple, mango and peach tang above mild pine-needled hop musk.
ELIZAVILLE, NEW YORK
A true backyard farmhouse brewery in the agrarian community of Hudson Valley hamlet, Elizaville, SLOOP BREWING COMPANY has gained a solid reputation since its modest 2011 auspices (becoming a mega microbrewery in 2018).
Founders Adam Watson and (brewmaster) Justin Taylor began operations while maintaining day jobs and expanded to a full-sized microbrewery soon after.
Specializing in India Pale Ales and a few sours, Sloop’s fare retains a clean mineral-watered crisping that’s conducive to making real fine East Coast IPA’s.
Inside a gray 19th century barn house on the 134-acre Vosburgh Orchards, Sloop features a farmstand with local goods to complement its sturdily fine brews.
Olden lights decorate the centralized serving station (with its lacquered tree bark top and white-lettered wood-planked Sloop Brewing sign adding antique splendor). The 10-draught back bar also includes various wood plaques listing each proprietary beer.
A bigger second Sloop spot in Fishkill is due to open, April 2018.
“Classy” Rosé IPA let delicate rosé whims caress wispy Malbec red wine juicing and vinous green grape tannins as dry Nelson Sauvin hops brought latent tropical tones.
Closer to a pale ale, Segal Bomb IPA regaled a light citrus fruiting and mild candied spicing as herbal hops left oily foliage on tertiary mango-papaya-pineapple tropicalia.
Daintily delectable Super Soft IPA (with its Teddy Bear-rainbowed insignia providing visual pleasure) relied on tangy grapefruit, peach, mango, pineapple, orange and tangerine salience, light dry wood tones, subtle hemp-oiled hop musk and gentle spicing.
Spicier (No) Santa IPA retained a well-balanced citric hop briskness and refreshingly crisp grapefruit, tangerine and orange tang. Like most Sloop brews, it’s totally smooth and never over-the-top.
www.sloopbrewing.com
On tap at Growler & Gill, busy lactobacillus-cultured sour ale brings tart Malbec grape juicing as well as mild blood orange, peach, raspberry and cranberry adjuncts to salty Berliner Weisse base. Sparkling-wined green grape tannins add further vinous sourness to the Sangria finish.
On tap at Growler & Gill, easygoing India Pale Ale brings dank oats graining to tropical yellow grapefruit, navel orange and mandarin orange Crystal clean citrus mouthfeel contrasts musky pine hop astringency.
On tap at Curly’s Corner, lactic kettle-soured ale receives ultra-tart lemony grapefruit juicing and vinous green grape acidity above leathery musk. Hard-candied kiwi, guava, kumquat, passionfruit, pineapple and mango tropicalia develops sharp vinegar respite at sourly Citra-hopped finish. True delight for the wild ale crowd.
On tap at Craft House, floral-perfumed citrus juicing arrives above musky pine resin. Zesty lemon-peeled orange and grapefruit effervescence gains moderate grassy hop bitterness to contrast peach, mango, pineapple and papaya sweetness. Heavenly bliss.
On tap at Blue Ribbon Tavern, enjoyable full-bodied toasted coconut dessert treat gets amplified by fudgy brown chocolate, brown-sugared molasses, cacao nibs, vanilla bean and toffee sweetness, retaining rich nutty mocha profile above moderate dark-roasted hop bittering. Resilient oats-honeyed coconut toasting never loses ground against massive chocolate insistence. A wintry pina colada aged on cocoa nibs.
On tap at Ambulance, fine breakfast stout layers bitter black coffee roast above hop-charred oatmeal stint and sharp-spiced black currant smidge. Caffeinated coffee theme variably promotes tertiary black chocolate, dried cocoa and espresso undertones.
On tap at Broadway Dive, quaintly pleasing and delicately soured Berliner Weisse lifts soft white peach tartness above musty barnyard leathering, lemon-limed coriander salting and sour-milked yogurt respite. Beneath the surface, green grape esters contrasts ephemeral nectarine tang guarding lovely peach regalia.
