Blue Ridge (SC) Brown Bag Ale

On tap at the brewpub 2/1/08: Pours a transparent deep copper mahogany with a spotty-lacing light tan head. Aroma of slightly spicy piny hops and some toasty nutty sweet dark caramel malts. Body starts fairly full and toasty dark caramely sweet with some cookie dough flavor before a slightly drier nutty finish. A nice brown ale.

Date: 02/01/2008
Mode: Draft
Source: Brewpub

Appearance: opaque dark brown, wispy beige head, streaks of lace,
Aroma: toasted and dark chocolate aroma,
Flavor: rich chocolate flavor, lots of nice nutty toasted character, dark caramel sweetness brings out the chocolate and nutty character, light balancing hops, finishes with the sweet caramel,

Aroma: 6/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 6/10; Palate: 6/10; Overall: 13/20
Rating: 3.2/5.0
Drinkability: 10/10
Score: **+/4

Appearance: Pours a clear, dark brown body with a scant, off-white head. Smell: Ah, humble brown maltiness! Toasted nuts and slight spicy hop notes. Taste: Brown malts with a subdued sweetness and a hint of dark caramel. Mild bitterness and just a touch of roast temper the sweetness. Nutty throughout and even moreso on the finish. Mouthfeel: Medium-thin body. Somewhat mild carbonation. Drinkability: A pleasant enough, easy drinking beer that’s perfect for washing down lunch.

Draught. Brown pour (duh). The aroma is mildly nutty with faint toasted brown sugar. I discovered a pleasing level of coffee & cream along with a mild flavor of almonds. The finish is again like toasty brown sugar. This strays away from being too sticky or too thin. I think it’s a very good brown ale, but brown ales in general aren’t anything spectacular.

Average ale from a local brewpub. My usual there, but nothing spectacular. A bit malty, which I like, but definately a "green" beer that could use a bit more aging before serving.

Reddish brown, no head. Toasty, bready aroma. Slightly water, with a sweetish malt flavor up front. Faint notes of coffee, faint notes of bread. Average. Sampled at the 2005 Music City Brewer’s Fest.