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.
Author: Tony Russo
Tony Russo has worked as a print and digital journalist for the better part of the 21st century, writing for and editing regional weeklies and dailies before joining the team that produces OceanCity.com and ShoreCraftBeer.com among other destination websites. In addition to having documented everything from zoning changes to art movements on the Delmarva Peninsula, Tony has written two books on beer for the History Press. Eastern Shore Beer was published in 2014 and Delaware Beer in 2016. He lives in Delmar, Md. with his wife Kelly and the only of his four daughters who hasn't moved out. Together they keep their two dogs comfortable.
