Pumpkin-seeded cinnamon bark dryness quickly encounters bustling pumpkin-pied sweetness in rich dark chocolate setting as Cruzan rum aging seeps in. Dazzling cinnamon and nutmeg resilience receives molasses-candied glaze and a spot of black coffee as terpy sandalwood, tarragonish anise and bourbon vanilla licks add to its bountiful luster.
On tap at Kitchen & Beer Bar, lacquered citrus pasting gains lingered pine tar bittering to contrast less consuming lightly creamed crystal malting of double dry-hopped medium body. Slightly embittered lemony grapefruit and orange rind continuance picks up tertiary pineapple, passionfruit and gooseberry tartness.
On tap at Taphouse Grille – Wayne, sweetly soured papaya and passionfruit adjuncts gain spritzy lemon-fizzed white wining, tart guava-kiwi conflux and watermelon rind earthiness above lightly acidulated malts for double dry-hopped IPA.
On tap at Plank Pizza, sweetly tart blood orange adjunct receives creamy vanilla sugaring to contrast yogurt-soured passionfruit, guava and pineapple sheen plus lightly embittered yellow grapefruit tang of lactose milkshake knockoff.
On tap at Capital Craft – East Hanover, stylishly dryer hybrid conditioned on strawberry puree and basil lets mild orange-peeled coriander sweetness contrast wispy oaken cherry tartness beneath subtle white-wined strawberry Sangria persuasion (but basil sway’s weak).
Straight-ahead and mildly tempered. Polite citrus spicing overlays gentle wood-dried grassy hop astringency, leaving wispy yellow grapefruit, orange and pineapple zesting.
Zestful lemony grapefruit juicing retains ample tropical inertia, absorbing salty mango, tart pineapple and sweet peach tones as well as vanilla-creamed orange tang for indelible vibrancy. Recommended.
On tap at Poor Henry’s, crisply clean golden-hazed dry body stays refreshingly juicy as tangy orange, grapefruit and lemon spicing bursts thru above mild oats spine. Hoppy sedation with a slight citric-pined IPA bent.
EDISON, NEW JERSEY
Despite its small, demure serving station area, CYPRESS BREWING COMPANY has the warehouse capacity for enormous growth. Open since 2015, its large silver tanks prove expansion doesn’t have to take place off-site anytime soon. Residing at a tucked away tan-bricked Industrial Park just off the Garden State Parkway near the Raritan River, Cypress currently specializes in a few recurring draughts, some canned fare (such as the popular cranberry-pureed Thanksgiving offering, Miigwetch Pale Ale) and sundry tapped one-offs.
A beautiful back wall-painted Cypress banner salutes patrons to the left side hunter green-walled, blacktop-slated, stone-laid serving station (with eight taps, two TV’s and blackboard beer listing). Its porcelain grain wood floor tile, three rounded black-hued Industrial tables and inlaid cypress tree mural on the opposing wall bring a sterling feel to the pristine bantam space.
My wife and daughter join me on New Year’s Eve 2018 as I down five worthy afternoon draughts – four of which leaned to the dark side.
First up, vivacious dry-hopped medium body, Insane In The Grain IPA, brought sharp yellow grapefruit tanginess and sweet orange peel zest to the fore as resinous piney hops subsumed the backend (where wispy mango, peach and pineapple tropicalia snuck in). A true counterpoint to the following darkies.
Dry Northern English Nut Brown contrasted its walnut-seared hop char with less enthusiastic glazed hazelnut sweetness and soap-stoned peanut shelling.
Ample nuttiness also welcomed Alva Imperial Porter, leaving molasses chocolate-sugared dried fruiting on the tongue alongside serene walnut, Brazil nut and charred chestnut licks.
Fully realized dessert treat, Nice Imperial Lactose Stout, let cocoa-beaned milk chocolate richness gain cinnamon-spiced ginger leaf minting.
Its more aggressive chili-peppered version, Naughty, allowed its fudgier cocoa persuasion to retain tidy brown-sugared cinnamon coffee tones.
cypressbrewing.com
Subtle cranberry adjunct guides pinkish amber pale ale hybrid (with billowy white head). Full-blown sour candied citrus assault boasts sharp lemony grapefruit-seeded orange peel entry that bitterly lingers. Tart cranberry juicing lays low alongside unripened papaya-pineapple-guava souring, revealing sourer India Pale Ale comparisons. Setback piney hop oiling contrasts mild oats malting.
On tap at Poor Henry’s, quirky pale ale collaboration with fellow Jersey brewer, Icarus, gets mildly aged on tangy guanabana (a green-prickled fruit). Lactic lupulin powder regales moderate piney citrus bittering and lemony banana whims.
Musky Madagascar vanilla bean oiling surfaces above “subdued hops” and dewy moisturizing. Soy-sauced brown chocolate influence picks up wet-wooded peaty compost tendency.
