On tap at Taphouse 15, unconventional soft-toned IPA brings floral-perfumed passionfruit, lychee, pineapple and kiwi tropicalia to the fore as white-peppered lemon verbena, salty white grapefruit and gingery saffron pickup modest pine resin.
On tap at Ambulance, pleasant, hazy golden, dry-hopped medium body lets soft-toned orange peel sweetness and sugared lemony yellow grapefruit tang pick up light floral perfuming plus mild papaya-guava-pineapple snips contrasting latent grassy hop astringency and wispy pine resin above creamy oated wheat – leaving only minimal bitterness. Its 8% ABV is smoothly hidden beneath Mosaic-hopped tropical fruit bouquet.
On tap at Taphouse 15, dry Imperial IPA retains zestful citrus spicing and peachy mango-banana tartness as well as musky herbal-tinged pine remnant for lightly creamed NEIPA-like oated wheat base. Sunny lemony yellow grapefruit bittering and brisk navel orange, tangerine and clementine tang stay briskly smooth.
On tap at Ambulance, adjunctive lacquered peach liming and tangerine tang gain mild pine resin over dry pale malts. Tertiary mango, clementine and grapefruit illusions flutter. At the finish, orange-juiced champagne sparkle leaves Mimosa tease.
On tap at Growler & Gill, dry stout connects black coffee-roasted dark chocolate bittering to less forceful molasses-candied toffee sweetness. Mild wood-burnt Chinook hop char enhances bitter mocha angle.
On tap at Growler & Gill, limey guava, gooseberry and passionfruit souring and mild yellow grapefruit bittering contrast orange-candied vanilla Creamsicle trickle and distant cantaloupe-honeydew snips for dry New Zealand-hopped NEIPA.
On tap at Triton, soft yellow-hazed New Zealand-hopped pale ale brushes tropical lemon-limed pink guava and mango salting against tangy grapefruit zesting, peachy pineapple zing and sweet floral daubs. Even some velvet ginger lemonade honeying passes thru fruity pale malt sugared moderation. Down Under-inspired pale ale betters most simpler, less vibrant American pale ales.
On tap at Growler & Gill, sunshiny hazy golden NEIPA tosses plush lemon-sugared orange and pineapple tanginess and salted white grape tannins at yogurt milked souring above delicate vanilla-creamed oats spine.
On tap at Ambulance, lactose-aided pastry stout spreads creamy vanilla beaned dark chocolate bittering across mild ancho chili pepper heat as black cherry-bruised raspberry and blueberry tartness and subtle cinnamon spicing strengthen its mocha richness.
On tap at Kitchen & Beer Bar, straightforward hazy straw NEIPA retains zesty grapefruit-peeled orange tang, sour lemony guava salting and peachy mango snip as musky pine oiling and dank herbal respite reach dry pale malt base.
Lightly embittered yellow grapefruit salting retains soft tone as mild pine tones and herbal snips contrast ancillary peachy orange bubblegum sugaring and distant floral spicing above lightly creamed oated wheat setting of easygoing vodka-fruited Imperial IPA (with unassuming 8.5% ABV).
BURLINGTON, VERMONT
Inside a large red brick warehouse across the street from Lake Champlain in Burlington, Vermont, FOAM BREWERS set up shop April 2016. Run by a few local professionals dedicated to “resourcefully creating imaginative beers for enlightened palates,” Foam’s waterfront pub provides a serene laidback atmosphere perfectly in line with the progressive Green Mountain State.
Co-founder Bob Grim performs head brewing duties, crafting enticingly rounded fare for local minions and delighted travelin’ ‘brewpies.’
A riveted aluminum-sided slate top bar with 20 tiled draught handles services the windowed round tables and large patio deck. Large steel cross bars, sturdy wood columns and the cement floor give Foam an Industrial rusticity while a small stage area welcomes local entertainers.
Left side brew tanks carry the beer load – a constantly changing variety of one-offs, seasonals, IPA’s and dark ales. Some of Foam’s most popular IPA’s borrow indie rock handles such as Built To Spill, Galaxy 500 and Pavement.
The pub menu includes delicious charcuterie, smoke fish and black bean salsa. Foam also recently opened a vineyard for wine making.
On a warm Saturday at noon in November ’22, my wife and I (plus dog) grab a table in the middle of the metal-furnished front deck to nip six delightful home brews. I also brought home a few reviewed in the Beer Index.
Muskily grain-hopped German-styled Share The Present Pilsner retained floral-daubed herbal lemon souring above its toasted biscuit base.
Hazily golden candy-glazed New England-styled pale ale, Electric Splash, scurried grapefruit-juiced lime zest and white grape esters thru lingered wood-dried bittering over gluey wheated oats.
Sea-salted cantaloupe gose, See You Better Now, let limey guava, watermelon rind and gooseberry souring receive cat-pissed acidity as its bittersweet cantaloupe adjunct descended.
Tropical Imperial IPA, Pavement, brought tangy mango, pineapple and peach zesting plus sour guava-passionfruit gumption to dank herbal hops atop dry pale malting.
Creamy medium roast coffee, dark chocolate syruping and silken cappuccino milkiness picked up mild bourbon influence for luxurious Bourbon Stout, leaving bruised cherry tartness and tingly sherry wining on its oats sugared spine.
Sweet milk chocolatey oak-aged Imperial Stout, Day For Night, conditioned on artisanal coffee, cocoa nibs, Madagascar vanilla beans and toasted coconut in Buffalo Trace whiskey barrels, retained toffee-spiced creme brulee sweetness and maple oats sugaring for its cream-sugared coffee finish, picking up latent black cherry, buttered pecan, almond, rye and cumin illusions. A perfect nightcap!