Recalling a lactic Berliner Weiss with its delicate salt-spiced dried fruiting and ersatz woodruff syruping, unbounded saison provides desiccated white peach souring to briny black peppercorn respite, picking up lightly vinous green grape esters, distant lemon-limed watermelon dehydration and oaken vanilla riffs beneath the musky peach surface.
Resilient chili peppered heat contrasts advancing ginger-spiced peach sweetness. Ripe peach overtones gain sugary wheat-honeyed caramel malting and mild passionfruit-jammed Galaxy hop serenity. Intense peach-peppered persistence picks up wispy yellow grapefruit, sugared fig, apricot and tangerine illusions as peppery heat subsides.
Sharply intense Nugget hop acidity fortifies herbal citrus astringency that’s softened by biscuity rye-pilsner malting. Lemony orange and grapefruit tangent never gains prominence over distant earthen graining.
Soothing summertime softie offers dry grapefruit aromatics, subtle hibiscus flowering and tart mandarin orange tingle to dainty salted lemon bittering. Light pilsner-wheat malting underlines zesty citric finish.
Serene summertime moderation with lighter-than-usual lactobacillus souring brings stylishly salted lemon-juiced tartness and subtle woodruff syruping to delicate white wheat spine, retaining wispy acidity. Sessionably reserved ale gains slight champagne spritz at bone-dry citrus finish.
Spicily dried Mexican poblano peppers bring mild heat to soured lime zest and grains of paradise gingering, contrasting ascending lemon-sugared sweetness. Delicate herbal Saaz hop earthiness recedes below corny pilsner malting. Goes well with fish tacos and tortilla chips.
Light pilsner-related floral-fruited Australian hop provides easygoing lemon-candied peach and plum tones above buttery rye-spiced malting to its gentle biscuit spine. Wispy phenol alcohol astringency (8% ABV) dots delicate fruited plain.
Uncertain mint-leafed blonde ale arrives just in time for 2016 Kentucky Derby. “Luscious” mint spicing gets lost alongside wavering honeysuckle-draped bourbon licks. Spearmint-candied freshness recedes as subtle nectar, banana and melon sweetness weakens below lemon-dropped herbal tea midst. Latent pine nut, fern and peppermint nuances wisp by dissolved mint-sugared cocktail finish.
On tap at 381 Main, trusty pumpkin pie-spiced medium-full body picks up honeyed Graham Cracker influence overriding dark-roasted chocolate malting and creamy vanilla snip as well as brown-sugared cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger seasoning. Vegetal gourd acridity and mild alcohol burn contrast sweet elements well. In bottle, 2015 version retained pumpkin-pureed nutmeg, ginger, clove and cinnamon spicing while increasing black chocolate roast. Ashen coal bittering deepens above Vienna-malted honeyed wheat spine, adding further dimension. 2019 version may’ve lacked decisiveness as brown-sugared cinnamon spicing and tidy nutmeg-ginger spicing reached mainstream compromise. However, 2020’s bolder endeavor brought tarry molasses bittering to lactose-sugared cocoa nibs, overshadowing pumpkin pie spicing for ginger-rooted sarsaparilla, anise and fern minting above ashen black patent malting.
