Spritzy Chardonnay-buttered lemon zesting pervades rum-spiced banana daiquiri sugaring and vanilla creamed orange marmalade sweetness of cognac-licked Pineau des Charontes white wine-barreled vibrancy. Herbaceous white-peppered Belgian yeast influence fortified by sourdough breaded bottom. Modest candied pineapple, tangy tangerine, peach pie and lemon meringue illusions deepen piquantly fruity aspect of lovely Belgian blonde ale.
CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE, NEW JERSEY
Inside a tin-roofed, stone-based, tan aluminum barn house mall at Cape May Court House, SLACK TIDE BREWING COMPANY opened for biz during December ’15. Using locally sourced natural ingredients from the Cape May region, this three-barrel outpost owned and operated by brothers’ Jason and Taghd Campbell crafts well-rounded diversified suds.
Slack Tide’s nautically-themed tasting room features an six seat, eighteen-tap serving station with a pristine white-tiled blue wall backdrop. The cement-floored pub also contains nifty palate wood accents, fourteen chaired tables, a centered blackboard beer list and one TV. Several silver tanks, wood barrels and a canning line dot the rear.
First up this sunny February ’20 afternoon, ‘easy drinking tropical fruited’ moderation, Schoolie Pale Ale, brought sharply citric IPA briskness to the fore as spritzy lemon zest brightened grapefruit rind bittering, orange peel sweetness and pineapple tanginess above the lightly spiced salty bottom.
Then came a string of variegated India Pale Ales starting with centrist moderate-bodied flagship, Tipsy Dipsy, a durable Citra-hopped Imperial IPA (with well hidden 8% ABV) boasting lemony orange-peeled grapefruit tanginess, tart pineapple salting and subtle peach, nectarine and clementine illusions alongside lightly creamed vanilla-dabbed pale malting.
Possibly as popular, dry West Coast-styled IPA, Angry Osprey, serenaded piney grapefruit-peeled orange rind bittering with salty mango, lemony herbal notions and grassy hop astringency.
Dry pine lacquering enjoined zesty orange-peeled lemon zest and yellow grapefruit rind bittering for double dry-hopped NEIPA, Neutral Buoyancy, a lactose-teased medium body with mild hop bittering and earthen compost surfacing latently.
Another New England IPA, The Ridge, loaded oaken vanilla-laced lactose upon tangy yellow grapefruit-juiced orange rind bittering as well as sour gooseberry-guava-passionfruit illusions, dainty peach-tangerine-mango spicing and light herbal peppering.
Mild coriander-spiced orange zesting gained vanilla-creamed banana and clove sweetness for amber-clouded Belgian Blonde, Bell Buoy, leaving a daub of salty white-peppered basil and dill herbage upon the gentle sourdough base.
Then came a cast of stellar stouts.
Nitrogenated Monkey Face Stout, a dry Irish Stout, retained mildly creamed nut-charred dark coffee roast and Bakers chocolate bittering.
Creamily milk-sugared French roast coffee and Vermont maple syrup combined for sweetly soothing Imperial Breakfast Stout, Morning Bite, leaving dark chocolate, maple oatmeal and toffee subsidies to fight back its lightly embittered tarry hop sear.
Like a vanilla iced coffee, lusciously decadent sweet stout, Manatee Milk, utilized Columbian coffee to amplify its Madagascar vanilla bean bittering, milky lactose-sugared chocolate syruping and spiced toffee nicety.
As refreshing and cleansing as the Jersey Shore wave depicted on the label, Avalon remains a solid-bodied ale perfect with dinner. Roasted barleymalts thicken steadfast bitter hop aftertaste. Mighty fine brew manages to be both lean and filling.
