On tap at Shepherd & Knucklehead – Haledon, boldly indecisive full body needs deeper dark-roasted peanut butter penetration to compete with black chocolate-coffee influence and earthen hop char. Mildly creamed oats-toasted mocha continuance deprives peanut, cola and hazelnut illusions.
On tap at Shepherd & Knucklehead – Haledon, ‘sharp grapefruit and lime peel’ bittering gains dry wood tone as tangy lemon, orange and peach illusions provide sweet-spiced contrast.
On tap at Shepherd & Knucklehead – Haledon, wintry India Pale Ale loads evergreen-fresh coniferous pine tones upon sharp orange-peeled grapefruit rind bittering and sweet floral remnants. Tangy peach, tangerine and pineapple illusions provide ancillary comfort.
On tap at Shepherd & Knucklehead – Haledon, Napa Valley blood orange adjunct felt abruptly above hefe-styled banana and clove sweetness. Plastique groating coats blood orange influence while funky herbal wisps remain low-key.
On tap at Shepherd & Knucklehead – Hoboken, hilariously sexually charged moniker somehow suits this ‘panties dropping’ high energy (10.6% ABV) strong ale. Its murky copper-dirtied hue will scare away lighter thirsts upon sight. However, well-balanced and enduringly fruity India Pale Ale hearkens to a syrupy malt-enriched Sangria-bound barleywine. Luxurious pink grapefruit, cantaloupe, honeydew, cherry, mango and tangerine tang sweetens alongside sugary pastry confection and above pungently resinous piney hop bittering. Undeniable.
ELLICOTTVILLE, NEW YORK
Open since ’95 and visited July ’05 on the way home from Niagara Falls, ELLICOTTVILLE BREWING resides at a tiny prairie village 40 miles south of Buffalo. This violet-lavender-fronted colonial-styled Victorian brewery features right side brew tanks, gorgeous wood bar with marble columns, beautiful backside beer garden (with water fountain and tucked-in serving bar), tile floor, and second floor deck. Fine menu included seafood appetizers, soup, salad, and healthy-sized sandwiches.
Authentic Blues music played during lunch as I sucked down honey-sweet, curacao orange-soured, coriander-dabbed Ms. Wit Belgian Style Wit and dryly smoked pepper-spiced yellow-fruited almond-wisped Golden Hill Toasted Lager.
Diacetyl chocolate-roasted nut-dried 9303 German Red, mouth-puckered fig-grape-soured honey-tinged Allegany Alers German Stein Beer, mildly hop-embittered, tangy orange-tangerine-doused Prince Of Pales and fig-raisin-soured Scotch-licked celebrator True Bocka 10th Anniversary followed.
Unexpectedly, mildest tap brew was clearly Black Jack Dry Stout, a dry-bodied espresso alternative with pine tar, burnt wood, and chocolate bean illusions.
Best bet: lively citric-bitter quince-ripe Cascade-hopped Two Brothers Pale Ale. Note: head brewers’ initial recipes were maintained despite his move to fine Southern Tier microbrewery.
During 2005, Ellicottville Brewing opened a second location in nearby Fredonia. There are at least a dozen more beers that have donned the menu since then.