This is a continuation of a blog about the Shore Craft Beer Talk and Tasting held at the Clarion Fountainebleu in early 2016.
I so was looking forward to trying Crystal Row, which I head Evo has been tinkering with since they were in Delmar (which is where I live, but I’m still a good person). To be clear, this is not a rebranding, but it is, let’s say, inspired by Haymaker which was one of the first massive beers I ever tried. Like finding out two people you know are cousins, it is easier to see the relation once you know about it. So while it is Haymaker-like, at 7 percent, Crystal Row is its own, very solid beer.
At the risk of a palette pun the Gouda really acted (for me) like a place to keep the beer flavors, a way of emphasizing them. The beer is pretty complex, both crisp and mellow at different turns. The cheese tempered and hi-lighted that coming to the fore and then fading depending on what flavors you focused on.
I feel like this would be nice on its own as an after work snack beer. A way to get a little something in your stomach before you even contemplate dinner and still feel satisfied.