Drank: Roses on Roses (Fort George Brewery)

By BRIAN YAEGER

American IPAs are glorious, as are Belgian tripels. Most Belgian IPAs are less than the sum of their parts. Honest Belgians will tell you as much. But the mighty fine brewers at Fort George in Astoria concocted the XVIth Chapel, a double IPA fermented with "a flamboyant strain" of Belgian yeast. To celebrate its fifth anniversary, Fort George flowered it up to create Roses on Roses. Aged with rose hips in Four Roses-brand bourbon barrels, this schizophrenic concoction opens with a murky nose and immediate bitter bite, with a boozy finish lacking any expected floral softness. The piny hops, clovey yeast and rich oak marry as well as a reality-TV couple. It promises, but doesn't deliver, a rose garden.

WWeek 2015

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