Bitter Root Nut Brown Ale

Brewed by Bitter Root Brewing
Style: Brown Ale
Hamilton, Montana USA

Date: 05/24/2008
Mode: Bottle
Source: Tasting, Cellar Party

Appearance: clear brown, wispy beige head, streaks of drippy lace,
Aroma: dry chocolate aroma with a light lactic tartness keeping it dry,
Flavor: dry chocolate flavor, a touch of caramel sweetness tries to emerge but the lactic tartness holds it back, light balancing bitterness,

Aroma: 4/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 4/10; Palate: 7/10; Overall: 5/20
Rating: 2.1/5.0
Drinkability: 4/10
Score: 4

(22oz bottle) Pillowy off-white head atop a crystal clear dark red-brown body. Aroma is medium sweet, caramel, nut, light chocolate. Taste is medium sweet, chocolate, nut, some caramel, light salt. Watery light-medium body, easy drinking.

Pours a transparent copper amber with a thin, stringy-lacing light tan head. Aroma of lightly sweet toasty malts and a touch of infected tartness. Starts fizzy and effervescent with some vinegar notes and lightly milk chocolatey notes before a drier finish. This seems to be in the early stages of infection, but is still tolerable now.

My Bottom Line:
This frail Brown Ale’s earthy and caramel sweetness is quickly spun into citrusy, lactic tartness, veering away from any semblance of a sessionable malty brew. This bottled batch is highly problematic.

Further Personal Perceptions:
-A slice of foam tops the coppery brown.
-That earthiness in the nose is redolent of forest mushrooms.
-The finish is vacuous; neither the malts or the infection stay very long.
-The body is on the anemic side of things, but that might be caused by whatever’s awry with this batch.

Bottle.

Bottle courtesy of kyzr. Pours brown with a white head. Smells of raisins, caramel, some vegetal hints. Tastes of sweet malt, raisins, some spice, hints of pepper. Full bodied and very enjoyable.

Draught at the brewpub: Dark amber, light head and lacing. Nose of light chalky malts. The flavor is rich and chewy but lacks the oomph that make any brown ale stand out. Not bad, not great.

Bottle sample at Cincy Ratebeer Gathering. Poureed hazy dark brown hue with average rocky off-white head that mostly lasted with good lacing. Moderate toasted nutty malt aroma. Flavor was moderate toasted balanced sweet with an average bittersweet finish of moderate duration. Medium smooth body. Good brew.

Received a 22-oz bomber from kyzr via in person trade back in 2007. Pours a semi-clear brown colored brew with an average sized beige head that has some nice retention and lacing. Aroma of roasted dark malt, a hint of chocolate, roasted nuts and some toffee. Taste is medium bodied, with flavors of dried roasted dark malts, some chocolate and a hint of fruit. Finish is semi-sweet that slowly turns into a dry dark malt aftertaste with minimal bitterness.