Church Brew Bell Tower Brown Ale

Brewed by Church Brew Works
Style: Brown Ale
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania USA

[draft - Church Brew Works - Lawrenceville, PA] Poured a dark but clear brown color with a very thin tan head. Light malty and biscuity aroma. Flavor was very clean and crisp with a good malt flavor and a nice smooth malty finish with the slightest hop taste at the end. Well balanced.

Sampled on draft at the brewery. I am not a big brown ale fan so this one was not destined to please me much. It poured a dark brown color with a small white head. I did like the appearance. There was a light malt aroma. It was smooth and malty. In reality the flavor was almost exactly that of the Pious Monk with just a bit more malt and smoothness. Rerate 3/12/06. They have really improved this one. The aroma now has a stronger sweet maltiness with a light roasy undertone. The flavor is much more roasty and sweet. This is now a nice brown ale though it remains a style I am not big on.

On straight tap: Hazy dark brown. Light body and flavor, but a good nuttiness. There’s a slight citrus-rind bitterness in the finish. Cask conditioned: MUCH better. The chocolate malt comes out and it improves the body 100 fold. This beer was meant to be served warm.

A wierd tart fruit note at the beginning, almost like the some of the framboise got into the brown tank. The mouthfeel is clean but thin, and the malt is subdued with some light sugar and biscuit notes. Thanks to cb and TAR for a great night out! It was awesome to meet you both!

Dark brown with a tan head, lacing. Roasty caramel on a medium light body. Easy drinkin' brown ale, has some hops at the finish. Could be a little heavier on the palate.

Smooth feel all around to it. Nose is a tad smokey of burnt caramel and the flavor is not much more than a small bit of bitterness to it, and a good malty feel to it.

On tap at the church. I enjoyed this one with my boy Rhino and Chris Brown from Texas on a cold January day. A dark brown, slightly cloudy beer with some great sweet and malty nose. Not much carbonation (most Church Brews are like this) but nice and full bodied. Good nutty flavor with a slight sweetness and a nice slightly bitter finish. A nice place to enjoy a nice brew.

This is a solid brown, but the aroma is average. It has a nice rich caramel color and a thin white head that leaves a thin lace on the glass. It has a malt sweetness with a hint of caramel. Hops were subdued, like a good brown ale should be. Low ABV of 4.2 with a mild IBU of 20 make this one an easy drinker.