Carolina Brewery Downtown Trolley Brown

Brewed by Carolina Brewery
Style: Brown Ale
Chapel Hill, North Carolina USA

Sampled at WBF. Pour: brown and average. Head: thin and offwhite. Aroma: some hops and caramel malt. Flavor: weak with some malt showing through. PalateL thin.

Draft in a 32 oz plastic cup at Sati’s. They were calling it Bynum Brown, but I see that’s just a relabel of the Downtown Trolley. Looks nice with a deep brown color and a soapy, sand-colored head with big, soft bubbles. Maybe it was just hard to pickup smells in a somewhat smokey bar, but I smelled almost nothing in this beer. The flavor’s not a whole lot more complex. Mild notes of nuts, chocolate, and hops, but all very muted. Finishes cleanly, which isn’t surprising considering how light tasting and watery it is. Not a terrible beer, but very boring not one I’ll rush to have again.

On tap at the Durham WBF. Clear brown with a small tan head. Mildly nutty, a bit of cocoa. Nice, but kinda ho-hum.

Draft at the Q shack in Durham, NC. Poured a slightly hazy brown color with orange highlights. Head was two fingers high and light tan. There was decent lace at the end. Aroma was of grassy hops with whiffs of molasses and chocolate. Slightly sweet on the tongue with mild hop bitterness. Tasted of subdued malty molasses and grassy/flowery hops. Not a bad brown. Went well with my plate of brisket and pulled pork.

Pint, several actually, at the Pittsboro location Good aroma, sweet. malty. Cocoa, chocolate, nutty. Little hops bite about it. Clean orangy brown color, ok head with good lacing. Bittersweet flavor like aroma cocoa/chocolate with a steely, citrusy addition. Medium body, body, creamy mouthfeel, bitter dry finish. Nice easy to drink brown. Flavor went well with Brunswick stew I had. I could enjoy this anytime. Upon further review by both the beer description and TF comments I see this is a rebadge and have asked for it to be moved to the Downtown Trolley Brown

WBF. Awful notes. I don’t remember thinking this is anything special. Pours a thin translucent brown with an offwhite head. The aroma is moderate malt, thin and grainy on the tongue. Not too hot.

Date: 12/19/2006
Mode: Draft
Source: Brewpub

clear brown, wispy beige head, lightly hopped chocolate aroma, dry chocolate flavor, nice nutty character, a bit of sweet caramel brings out the chocolate

Aroma: 6/10; Appearance: 6/10; Flavor: 6/10; Palate: 5/10; Overall: 11/20
Rating: 2.9/5.0
Drinkability: 8/10
Score: *4

On tap at the new Pittsboro location. Served as ’Bynum Brown,’ though I was assured it is the same beer. Pours a thin light brown with no head. Nose is nutty, with slight hints of cocoa. Flavor is slightly roasty with a slightly hoppy and bitter finish. A pretty good brown, though I must admit I’m never too excited from anything in this style.