On tap at Doherty’s, moderate yellow grapefruit peel bittering and spruce-needled pine resin contrast sweet crystal malting. Tertiary blood orange, lemon, pineapple and peach illusions add zesty reminder.
COOPER’S CAVE INDIA PALE ALE
Despicable drain pour feigns English IPA styling with dewy mildewed foliage, twiggy black tea dankness and musty lemon-dried musk, finishing unappealingly indistinct. Waxy crayon grouting leads to nastily elongated aspirin-like finish. Must be better on tap.
HIDDEN COVE PATROON IPA
On tap at Doherty’s, sessionable citric-centered moderation retains easygoing appeal as yellow grapefruit spicing gains resinous pine lacquering. Brisk grapefruit peel and rind bittering picks up floral orange-pineapple-mango exchange.
HIDDEN COVE BERRIED TREASURE
On tap at Doherty’s, enchanting rum-barreled Flanders Red hybrid adds subtle blueberry, blackberry and raspberry adjuncts to oaken cherry souring and acrid barnyard musk. Though light rum influence flags, soft-toned green grape pucker, unripe peach snip and musky cologne waft add complexity to ‘berry’ good sour ale.
TWO ROADS HENRY’S FARM DOUBLE BOCK LAGER
On tap at Doherty’s, delicately easygoing bock brings dried fig tartness, light molasses sinew, subtle raisin notions and nutty toffee tinge to clean-watered crisping. Subtle leafy hop astringency affects dried-fruited nature.
SIERRA NEVADA OTRA VEZ GOSE
Foremost gose utilizes prickly pear cactus juice to heighten lightly salted yellow grapefruit souring and fresh-squeezed lemon bruise. At midst, crisply clean cucumber watering picks up limey plantain, white peach and gooseberry licks. Saltine cracker-like white wheat bottom perfectly suits dry light-bodied template.
SHINER WHITE WING BELGIAN WHITE
Pleasant, but inessential, Belgian-styled witbier stays nebulous. Coriander-spiced navel orange peel sweetness and sugary pale malting contrast mild lemony peach tartness and white-peppered restraint above grassy hop astringency. By desolate citric-spiced finish, stylish template unravels.
SHINER RUBY REDBIRD
Refreshingly tart summertime pale lager suits shandy lovers with its lemon-dropped ruby red grapefruit juicing and candied pineapple snip. Sugar-spiced ginger adjunct reinforces herbal-tinged citric splurge, but saw dust reminder and murky hop splotch prove weirdly astringent.
END OF ELM
MORRISTOWN, NEW JERSEY
In a red-bricked, white-windowed corner spot across the street from Morristown’s railway. END OF ELM has operated as a cocktail-lounged gastropub since 2013. Featuring 24-plus brass-handled tap lines while specializing in unique cocktails and upscale food, this quaint one-room tavern brings low key elegance to this mid-Jersey county seat.
On my initial February ’16 stopover, my wife and I grab a seat at the windowed front corner booth to sample four diverse brews, including Magnify Low Visibility IPA, Rodenbach Caractere Rouge, Founders Nitro Rubeaus and Stone Bitter Chocolate Stout (reviewed in Beer Index).
Creative lunch menu brought forth distinctively innovative items such as Grilled Artichoke Bruscetta (with Almond Romesco-sauced fennel), Charred Jersey Beets, Lamb Burger and sticky-riced Sashimi Tuna Pizza.
As for its exquisite architectural design, the sage green interior spotlights a 10-seat copper-topped banquet table, eight 4-seat tables and a few side and back booths. Traditional walnut decor adds a tasteful backdrop to the granite-topped 14-set bar while railroad-tied pillars connect slotted flat scrap wood at the front right side, an artful exhibit complementing the train station.
A comfortable neighborhood pub with a friendly attitude, warm atmosphere and charming ambiance, End Of Elm will impress sophisticated beer snobs as well as casual cocktail enthusiasts and may be the best gastropub Morristown has to offer.
www.endofelm.com
CLOWN SHOES THE BARISTA BREAKFAST BROWN WITH ESPRESSO
On tap at Ambulance, heavenly espresso-flavored brown ale takes brewers’ Brown Angel on a milk-sugared cold brewed coffee journey. Dry black coffee bittering contrasts sugar-creamed espresso frontage and brown-sugared oatmeal bottom. Tertiary vanilla, caramel latte, cappuccino and hazelnut sweeten the back end. A delightful breakfast alternative.
FORBIDDEN ROOT DIVINE MUD SERIES: HEAVY PETAL IMPERIAL STOUT
Bitchin’ botanical stout (with viscous yeast sinew) successfully unites sweet pecan roast and West African chocolate richness with wafting magnolia flower petals. Creamy brown chocolate continuance heightened by cacao nibs resilience, molasses-sapped bourbon sugaring and mild anise smear. Peat-y walnut, cola, hazelnut and hickory illusions regale pecan adjunct just beneath the mocha surface as dried-fruited black cherry, blackberry and blueberry seep into the mix. Ultimately smooth, easygoing and clean-watered despite heavy viscosity and full-bodied nature.
SLOOP UNDERGROUND BAKED COFFEE + OATMEAL STOUT
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.
