On tap at Doherty’s, colossal golden-bronzed ‘white stout’ collaboration with strong ale aspirations (and well-hidden 12% ABV) brings creamy caramelized coffee sweetness to vanilla-caked brown chocolate sugaring and insistent creme de cacao reminder. Casual red wine tannins delicately affect tertiary cinnamon-spiced chocolate mint, marshmallow, amaretto, almond biscotti and coconut whims.
On tap at Ambulance, majestic Belgian-styled dark ale (with hefty 11.5% ABV) saddles ripe dried fruiting with brown-sugared maple molasses sweetness and sugary brown chocolate malting. Fig, raisin, plum and black cherry illusions come to the fore. Tertiary chocolate cake, pecan pie, toffee, vanilla, rum, bruised banana and blackberry undertones deepen complex strong ale.
Outstanding bourbon-barreled elixir loads spiced brown chocolate sweetness inside rich vanilla creaming, burnt caramel center and oaken barleywine conviction. Lovely bourbon tones coat its smashing interior as brown-sugared maple molasses, glazed hazelnut, cherry puree, buttery rum, toffee, blackberry, cinnamon and fig illusions lightly sweeten the warm mocha-bourbon finish.
On tap at Ambulance, majestic 7th anniversary bourbon-barreled English Olde Ale allows expressive Belgian yeast spicing to enhance sumptuous mocha-sweetened dried fruiting. Sweet bourbon subtlety drives 16.2% ABV hybrid, providing alcohol warmth to sweet n’ sour chocolate roast, syrupy maple molasses, vanilla and toffee illusions as well as prune, plum, raisin, apricot, fig and raspberry dalliances. Whiskeyed chocolate finish picks up mild coconut, almond and walnut snips. Highest recommendation.
Busy barrel-aged elixir (with feisty 10% ABV) contrasts sweet bourbon vanilla elegance against dry Scotch niche. Sweet orange peel, tart red cherry and dried fig adjuncts never gain enough strength to fully integrate with whiskey-bent bourbon sugaring.
Unexpectedly dry and maybe a bit indecisive, lightly bourbon-aged shakeup leans on piney-hopped dried fruiting and tannic grape souring instead of original Arrogant’s chewy mocha molasses sweetness. Subsidiary candied orange tartness and oaken vanilla snip become acrid. Subtle whiskey-cologned finish picks up latent caramelized chocolate sugaring.
On tap at Ambulance, wonderful Belgian dark ale loads bittersweet dried fruiting onto candi-sugared yeast and toasted caramel malting. Candied fig, date, plum, raisin and cherry overtones consume sweet chocolate-vanilla-molasses conflux. Sour orange, bruised banana, brown pear and red apple subtleties as well as teasing chestnut-pecan wisps seep below the surface. Brandy, vermouth and Grand Marnier illusions add boozy warmth to the complex finish.
Confusingly “rustic” Delta Blues-inspired ale (with unsuspecting 8% ABV) recalls a nondescript brown ale with its phenolic maple-honeyed pecan and walnut influence as well as deficient caramel malting and meager earthen singe. Light pine twinge, delicate citrus tinge and latent black tea fringe overrun by metallic astringency.
Earthy British strong ale tosses dirty grained cellar musk at dank dried fruiting and tea-like follow-up. Soft-watered flow lightens burgundy-wined plum, raisin and prune swoon as well as vinous purple grape tannins. Soured milk chocolate ascendance outgains timid toffee, caramel and chewing tobacco notions. Despite heady 8.5% ABV, mild and casual.
On tap at The Office-Ridgewood, English strong ale spreads astringent Blackstrap molasses atop dry-honeyed rye malting, bark-dried pine hop bittering and sharp grapefruit-peeled orange rind resilience. Resounding alcohol-burnt vodka and gin whir seeps into the mix. In the bottle, dry plank wood tones drape syrupy Blackstrap molasses while honeyed malt sweetness contrasts tangy yellow grapefruit bittering.
Exhilirating ruby-browned Belgian strong dark ale (2013) brings brown-sugared candied fruitcake holiday decadence to chocolate-spiced caramel malting and toasted hop bittering. Its syrupy orange-bruised black cherry fruiting weaves thru mild alcohol warmth. Anisette, coffee brandy and caraway illusions fade into molasses-sweetened sugarplum, stewed prune, raisin and fig nuances, giving the chewy medium-full-bodied winter seasonal further complexity.
Unspecific ruby-browned limited edition (2014) American strong ale never truly suffices, defying easy categorizing by mismanaging enormous 100 IBU hop char. Mish-mashed black chocolate roast, black-breaded pumpernickel bittering and ashen nuttiness lose firm footing as distant fig-date-pecan conflux picks up tobacco-dried crisping. Simply imprecise.