Callys Nut Brown Ale

Brewed by Cally’s Restaurant & Brewing Co. (formerly Calhoun’s)
Style: Brown Ale
Harrisonburg, Virginia USA

As usual, big thanks to Rob for hauling down a growler of this for me. I would normally complain about half of the growler having already been consumed, but since I’m not paying for it, and he brought two other growlers, I really should just shut up. This is a very nice brown ale. Dark brown with a ruby tint, decent head (despite the half full growler, ahem), from a distance it could be mistaken for a stout. Nice roasty nose, but not over the top or astringent. The flavor is clearly malt oriented, with a pleasant roasted note and a bit of chocolate. This is a brown ale with actual flavor. Some brewers go for flavor in a brown ale and overdo the roast, resulting in an astringent, almost sour note as a result. Others put in additional hops, but forget the malt body that needs to back it. Calhouns has the malty version down nicely, medium bodied and easy drinking, yet full flavored without astringency. A delicate balancing act that has been well executed.

nice and dark. this beer is may favorite from my local brew pub. flavor i suppose is a bit subtle. lacking in depth or bite. still a good brew though

Flavour is not overpowering but is definitely a good offering for this tiny VA brewer. Some nice nutty characteristics are present to give this one some good character. Great dark colour.

Growler at the very end of the DCVAMD Gathering. They were about to throw these away and I felt bad for the beer, so I quickly tried a large sample of the remaining calhoun brews, this included. Medium brown clear, with some lighter amber-auburn hues and a small but solid beige head. Aroma of dry yeast, nuts and light milkiness. Flavor is a bit on the low side as hopscotch notes, but the body is smooth, creamy, if not somewhat watery and there is a very good drinkability to this beer. Low carbonation, nuts, chocolate and very very lightly roasted notes. I could sit down with a growler of this on Sundays and finish it pretty quickly and enjoyably. Nothing incredible, but a good effort.

Sparkling clear, deep ruby ale with a small, creamy, beige head. The aroma and flavor are of milk chocolate and toasted nuts. The flavor is a bit thin, but the balance is perfect. Medium-bodied with a creamy mouthfeel and medium carbonation. Malty, dry finish. It’s all about the chocolate. Very nice nut brown ale.