Ordinary English-styled India Pale Ale brings dewy peat mossing, herbal green-black tea bittering, resinous cedar pining and earthen Goldings hop crisping to desolate crystal malt sweetness. Brown pear, brown apple and citrus notions simply fade away.
Prolfic, ever-evolving IPA series presents decisive Batch 3, a Belgian-styled India Pale Ale better defined as a typically fine West Coast knockoff. Soft-toned lemony grapefruit tartness crisply picks up white-peppered Citra hop spicing above sugary crystal/carapils malting and buttery biscuit spine. Peachy tangerine, pineapple, cantaloupe, mango and melon tang gets juicier by illustrious floral fruited finish.
On tap at Growler & Gill, briny lemon-limed sourness pleats hard-candied cherry pucker. Tart raspberry rasp, vinous green grape esters, mild green apple snip and Jolly Rancher watermelon nuance provide further souring. Residual sugar sweetness hidden below the oaken cherry surface. ‘Sublime,’ indeed.
On tap at Shepherd & Knucklehead, refreshing summertime golden ale becomes diacetyl at vegetal citric finish. Sunny yellow grapefruit tartness desiccated by sour lemon rot, raw-honeyed pale malts and grassy Simcoe-citra hop astringency. Light floral orange fruiting needs better penetration.
On tap at Growler & Gill, limited edition draft-only ’14 saison offers expectant sour-fruited tartness to light white peppered herbage and raw vanilla bittering. Pale malted dryness picks up earthen fungi nip.
On tap at Three Wise Monks, easygoing India Pale Ale competes favorably with brewers’ similarly styled and more pungent Hop Ranch (via 2013). Beautiful yellow and pink grapefruit overtones ride above piney whole-coned Chinook-Citra-Simcoe bittering, creamy crystal malting and gorgeous floral bouquet. Apple, pear, melon, peach and tangerine fruiting sweetens stylish grapefruit, pineapple and orange tang. Passive mango, papaya, passionfruit and guava tropicalia hidden beneath the surface.
On tap at The Drafting Room, indelible yellow grapefruit-juiced entry picks up floral-daubed tropicalia over pungent whole-coned hop bittering and piney hemp oiling. Tart orange-peeled lemon rind crisping deepens tangy pineapple-mango-papaya-nectarine-tangerine undertones for fruitful delight.
Sessionable dry-bodied moderation places citric souring above herbaceous spicing. Sugary Belgian yeast softens lemon-candied orange peel bittering, musty lemongrass-basil-sage herbage and earthen barnyard leathering.
On tap at Shepherd & Knucklehead, springtime heller bock brings German pilsner yeast to zesty lemon dusting and floral honey mead wining. Delicate clay-hopped spicing tingles effervescent citric-soured finish. Grassy reminder nudges light white wheat spine.
On tap at Shepherd & Knucklehead, robust German-styled pilsner appears to be less brisk and more musty than fruitier Victory Prima Pils. Dank lemon-soured pungency soaks into grassy-hopped herbal peppering, grain-toasted Vienna malting and floral-dried honeyed peach tone to wheat cracker spine. A tinge of cilantro, lemongrass and basil found beneath gritty citric surface.
