Booze...in 50 Words or Less: Ithaca Pale Ale

Ithaca Pale Ale
First thing that scared me about this beer was the pour. The head had disappeared from the top of the glass about 3.2 seconds after the thing was full. Very average beer. Malty scent. Little bit of orange, little bit of caramel. Copper color. Nothing really offensive, nothing particularly wonderful.
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The Pizza Project
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Booze...in 50 Words or Less: Southern Tier Iniquity

Southern Tier Iniquity
I was hesitant to try this beer since I've had mixed results with both black IPAs and products by New York's Southern Tier Brewing Company. But hops and stout flavor mix flawlessly. Picked up healthy amount of grapefruit and plenty of chocolate. A chocolate grapefruit. Sounds gross. But it works!
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The Pizza Project
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Booze...in 50 Words or Less: Sixpoint Bengali Tiger

Sixpoint Bengali Tiger
American IPA by the lesser-known Brooklyn brewery that specializes in canned beers. Decent sized hop punch upon first sip. The amber beer contains a degree of citrus flavor, but it's a bit subtle for my taste. Not incredibly impressed. Hops are ample, but additional notes are fairly scarce.
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The Pizza Project
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Booze...in 50 Words or Less: Brooklyn Pilsner

Brooklyn Pilsner
Bought this beer in tribute to MCA (a.k.a., Brooklyn native and Beastie Boy Adam Yauch), then couldn't find time to write about it for a week. Nice hoppy character. Cloudy golden color. Wheaty flavor in the finish. Decent scent, although nothing spectacular. A solid, if not transcendent, beer.
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The Pizza Project
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Booze...in 50 Words or Less: Ommegang Witte

Ommegang Witte
Cooperstown, New York brewery's wheat ale features golden color, subtle citrus kick, and healthy amounts of Belgian spicing. Would be terrific beer to drink in the summer, with its light feel and session-beer ABV. A flawless specimen that leaves you impressed, yet lacks an element that creates excitement.
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The Pizza Project
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Booze...in 50 Words or Less: Southern Tier Eurotrash Pilz

Southern Tier Eurotrash Pilz
Bet friend two Lagunitas sixers that I'd beat him in fantasy basketball. Lost. One night, when I couldn't find Lagunitas, bought him six Great Lakes Christmas and six Eurotrash Pilz. Thought that was fair. He wasn't happy. Now that I 've had it, I feel bad. Watered-down, light beer. Flavorless.
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The Pizza Project
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Booze...in 50 Words or Less: Brewery Ommegang Hennepin

Brewery Ommegang Hennepin
An absolutely classic beer from the upstate New York brewery. Everything's right about it, from the color to the scent to the flavor. There's something that resembles banana. A major hit of citrus as well. It's a complex beer, but it's also simplistic and refreshing. A perfect specimen.
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The Pizza Project
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Booze...in 50 Words or Less: Southern Tier Phin & Matt's Extraordinary Ale

Southern Tier Phin & Matt's Extraordinary Ale
Don't know who Phin & Matt are, but if they are the beverage's brewers they've used their well-balanced recipe of three different hops and three different malts to develop a beer that, while it may not quite be "extraordinary," is certainly delicious and enjoyable in a simple, uncomplicated way.

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Booze...in 50 Words or Less: He'Brew Genesis Dry Hopped Session Ale

He'Brew Genesis Dry Hopped Session Ale
I've researched as thoroughly as I'm prepared to do, and I'm still not sure where this beer comes from. From website: "Born & Based in San Francisco." Yet "Brewed & Bottled in New York." OoooooooK. Anyway, offers tremendous balance of malt and hops. Complex flavor for session beer.

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The Pizza Project
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Booze...in 50 Words or Less: Blue Point Brewing Company Toasted Lager

Blue Point Brewing Company Toasted Lager
Liking the feel of this beer. Most lagers are overly simplistic. While this is not as flavorful as the Dortmunder Gold that I had recently, it does have a great deal of complexity. There's a rustic taste, but it isn't without fruity contrast. Tasting something that resembles blueberry.

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Booze...in 50 Words or Less: Ommegang Adoration Ale

Ommegang Adoration Ale
Ordered one of these the other night. Was served in what I believe would be called a snifter. Hate that. I'd rather pay more for full pint. But maybe they did me a favor. This is a hard-hitting Belgian with notes of banana and citrus. Not to be gulped.

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King of the Case: Brooklyn Brewery

Wherein I will buy a variety case and decide what the best beer in it is.

Brooklyn Brewery

Brown Ale
A smooth yet complex ale. Includes hints of caramel and a healthy application of malt flavor. There's a nice finish with a bit of subtle smokiness. Almost has a bit of a porterish feel, but not too much in the chocolate/coffee department. Has a slight bitterness and maybe a tiny bit of a lasting aftertaste.

East India Pale Ale
A pleasing beer, but maybe a little too subtly hopped. It has a nice floral scent and certainly isn't a bad beer. But it isn't terribly distinctive either.

Lager
This has a lot more depth and complexity than your usual lager. The malt is fairly heavy and, again, there is some of the caramel that was detected in the Brown. It all combines for a vibrant flavor, one that exceeds the expectations of the usual lager.

Pennant Ale '55
Brooklyn Brewery seems to really stress the malt in its recipes. This one, which is dedicated to the 1955 champion Brooklyn Dodgers, features a sizeable amount, but it's pretty much all there is. Seems to be aiming toward an Oktoberfest, but falls somewhat short.

The Labels
Like the earlier reviewed Flying Fish, Brooklyn Brewery's labels stress brand recognition over adventurous design. Three of the four bottles feature a cursive B in a circular foundation. Surrounded by stars, the only difference is color combination. The Pennant Ale is the only variation, with the circle becoming a baseball and the background becoming a blue-and-silver stripe pattern. I'm going to go with the Brooklyn Lager. The green-and-black color combo is just really classy.

The Winner
It's a close one between the Lager and the Brown. In the end, I am going to go with the Brown, simply because it was both delicious and more complex. However, the Lager is certainly a classic of the genre and one that would make for an exceedingly enjoyable session beer.
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