Blue Ridge (MD) Hopfest Brown Ale

Name: Blue Ridge Hop Fest
Date: 12/20/1998
Mode: Bottle
Source: Chevy Chase, DC

dark amber, lots of suspended sediment, whispy head, strong fresh floral hop aroma, strong hop flavor, good dose of bitterness, a hop fest

Aroma: 8/10; Appearance: 5/10; Flavor: 7/10; Palate: 5/10; Overall: 16/20
Rating: 3.7/5.0
Score: **4
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The score was calculated based upon the notes and an old scoring system.

Bottle drank at the Brickskeller during RBSG 06 DC Weekend Amber color, light head and lacing. Nose is lightly tart with a bit of roast and fruity hops. The flavor is lightly bitter, nice sweet malts and a tangy finish. It’s good, not very brown ale. Add a bit of hops and you’ve got an amber.

A slighlty pale amber beer with a dying orange head. The aroma is sweet hop juice like - with notes of alfa acids, fruit, and citrus. The flavor has a good hoppiness combined with lighter notes of toffee and brown sugar, the hops gives it an OK bitter end, but the body is thin.

Bottle. Meedium dark cracker brown colored body, with a toasty hued head. Nose is fairly good, lively, rich toffee, some leafy hops and light bourbon, toasty and rich smelling. Sweet flavor, with just a bit of sourness in the finish, lactic. Overall very good stuff, one of the better brown ales but certainly non-traditional. I usually pass these up but this one is a good reason to keep trying new beer.

"Solid beer. Poured a medium brown color with nice size head which left good lacing. Aroma was nutty and malty some hops. Flavor had a hop bit to it but was mostly roated malts and nuttyness. Mouthfeel was a little thin, but still a good beer."

Another fine Blue Ridge showing for only 1.40 per single. Poured a somewhat clear brown color with a very nice head and great lacing. The aroma was nutty and light roasted malts with some hop presence. The flavor was hoppy, reminded me a little bit of Moose Drool, and balanced by nutty and roasted malts (some light chocolate in there). Mouthfeel was thinner than it could have been to match the flavor. It was also slightly acidic.

Hopfest Brown Ale? OK, here goes... Pours deep brown almost black with a creamy tan head. Lasting cover, nice lacing. The aroma is roasted, chocolates, some light citrus. The flavor is lightly sweet, milk chocolates, nuts, roasted, some pine. The mouthfeel is smooth and creamy. Verdict: Hopfest? no. Decent Brown? yes.

Barrel Draught from the jug at the GABF, Colorado Convention Center 30/09/2005 Amber coloured and slightly rich on the palate with a fruit aroma. Nutty flavoured finish with some bitterness.