Wayward altbier with ‘crisp German lager’ tendencies and a ‘hoppy pale ale punch’ brings ‘brown ale malt backbone’ to nebulous nutty finish. Acrid phenol astringency overrides any taciturn flavoring. Ashy peanut-shelled oiling negates frail walnut-hazelnut-pecan pinch as mired mocha malting dissipates. Crusty burnt bread reminder seeps into dirty earthen graining.
On tap at Morris Tap & Grill, up-front coconut juicing regales toasted almond, praline and pecan riffs above sweet vanilla malting, but watery nature lowers flavor profile. Brown chocolate-y toffee, caramel and fudge illusions drift thorugh sharp hop spicing, but intimidating alcohol burn and coarse charred nuttiness overtake sugary yeast pleasantries by depleted finish.
On tap at The Office-Ridgewood, robust Belgian-styled brown ale hybrid brings creamy molasses-malted dark chocolate entry to brown-sugared oats flaking and cocoa-chalked vanilla sweetness. Downplayed hop-spiced Belgian yeast adds dewy cellar dankness to large mocha contingency, but gets skewered. Honeyed chestnut midst allows tertiary hazelnut, maple, tobacco and peat illusions to find a foothold.
Approachable dark ale places dried-fruited black cherry, raisin, fig and date sugaring over soft-watered dark chocolate base. Tamped down hop toasting allows minor nuttiness to ensue. Easygoing carbolic flow lighter than most stylistic competitors.
In the can, peculiar Mexican brown ale retains weirdly sour lactic impulse above soy-sauced chocolate rye malting. Tart raisin-prune-fig-date conflux, vinous white cherry pucker and lemon-limed green grape curio bring saison-like appeal to sour ale-styled porter. Bottled version’s sourer mocha persuasion discernible.
Emulating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, medium-full-bodied brown ale places Concord grape-jellied Muscat wining below an increasingly pervasive walnut-shelled peanut butter mouthfeel. Nutty burnt toast harshness may put off soft-toned drinkers but dark ale hounds will find favor with its ample backend bittering. Pictured below is initial Drewery PB & J label.
Well-balanced brown-sugared gingerbread sweetness, black-breaded molasses nuttiness, and nutmeg-clove seasoning stabilize wintry holiday-spiced brown ale. Cookie dough, vanilla and praline fill out backend of impressive Christmastime dessert beer. On tap, gingerbread cookie entry abruptly countered by unexpected perfumed lemon spicing that overrides tertiary vanilla, clove and coriander sweetness.
Agile B.D.G. (a.k.a. Brunch Dinner Grub), a delectable medium body meant to be paired with food, retains a dry nut char and mild coffee roast, evoking French bread crustiness in the midst. Withered lemony herbal respite tweaks black-peppered tarragon, thyme and sage nuances.
On tap at Barcade, approachable American brown ale brings soft Vienna-malted sweetness to oatmeal-toasted hop char. Dry ashen nuttiness shelters cocoa-buttered dark chocolate midst and oily coffee drift. Hazelnut, walnut, praline and pecan illusions reinforce lactic medium body.
Classic Christmas Ale better defined as nut-spiced brown ale since expectant winter seasoning lacks assertiveness and soft-watered flow lightens musty toffee malting. Medicinal ethanol prickle envelops sweet hazelnut surge and ancillary ginger-snapped cinnamon, nutmeg and clove spicing. Consistent, but not as rigorously full-bodied as better stylistic fare. On tap, earthen peat mossing and ashen cocoa malting contrast fig-spiced cinnamon-nutmeg sentiment and ancillary cherry pie remnant.
Adequate adjunct brown ale celebrates brewers’ quarter-century mark. Soft-flowing bittersweet vanilla bean entry receives fudge-y milk chocolate embrace above ashen maple-sapped molasses impression. Hop-oiled walnut bittering recedes quickly alongside cocoa dried depletion, caramel-burnt toffee subsidy and wispy bourbon wining, finishing thinner and less creamy than anticipated. On tap at Amazing Grapes, better version featured molasses-sugared chocolate, toffee and vanilla creaming above sharp hop roast, picking up light hazelnut and cola nut influence. Modest fig-date-plum conflux fades away. Try in lieu of Neopolitan Ice Cream.
Admirable Imperial Brown Ale unites one of the southeast’s greatest brewers with long-time New York-via-California craft beer veteran for solid-bodied elixir. Advertised cocoa nibs, vanilla and chili pepper influence fine hybrid in varied ways. Cocoa nibs impart frontline milk chocolate, Baker’s chocolate and chocolate cake creaminess to sweet vanilla center. Light chili peppering adds smoky spicing to tertiary Kahlua, coconut, and hazelnut illusions.