Long Trail Hit the Trail Ale

Brewed by Long Trail Brewery
Style: Brown Ale
Bridgewater Corners, Vermont USA

A dark amber beer with a disappearing beige head. The aroma is weak, but what is there is of malt and alcohol. The flavor is slightly sour with notes of malt.

(draft 11-12-05) Nice off-white head atop a clear brown body. Aroma is moderately sweet, chocolate, some nutty. Taste is medium sweet, chocolate, nutty, light earthy. Light-medium body. A pleasant beer for the style. (6/3/6/3/12)

(bottle 1-18-04) Clear mid-brown body with small beige head that leaves a nice lacing. Aroma is medium sweet, floral, caramel, some earthy. Taste is medium sweet, caramel, some roasty, some floral/earthy, finishing mild earthy. Light-medium body with light acidity. One of those beers that, if you weren’t consciously thinking about what it was you were drinking, would suddenly be empty and you’d have no recollection of what you drank. (5/4/5/3/10)

Light brown coloured. Slightly malty aroma and flavour. Quite weak and rather light bodied. A boring brew.

Pours brown with an off white head. Smells nutty with some yogurt and cookie dough present. Taste is the same.

Bottled: Light amber coloured. Clear. Light beige medium head. Light fruity and some hops and malt in the aroma. Light chocolate notes. Hops and malt flavours. Is crips and light spices. Watery and light bitter in the end.

Bottle from Super Saver. Deep brown pour with some copper and ruby edges. The aroma is red winey, brown sugary, roasty malty, and hoppy. Decent aroma. The flavor is roasty malty, with a tart cabernet and brown sugar element. medium to light on the tongue, and pretty crisp. One of the better beers I’ve had from this brewer, and i would gladly drink it again.

Orange browna ale with small off white head. Rather grassy aroma and fresh malts. Light crisp with a nice sweet malt finish , a touch of roasted. Medium to light bodied, perfect for after hitting the trail, or like me, from a bike ride in the sweltering sun.

Clear medium brown, thinnish head leaves a bit of lacing. Nutty-sweet nose with hints of citrus. Flavor very sweet and mild, caramel and hints of hazelnuts, some light hoppiness at the end; I don't get what people are complaining about the "overpowering" hops, are all brown ales supposed to be insipid and taste like hazelnut soda or something? Didn't think so; the hop bite here helps this brew rise above mediocrity, though it is certainly not great and lacks a bit in body. Better than average for LT.
Earlier Rating: 12/28/2001 Total Score: 2
On tap (not available bottled, thank God). 17 varieties of hops and malts and you get this? I guess if you smear a bunch of paints together you get -- no color. Here -- no flavor, at least no good flavor. LOOKS promising enough -- translucent dark-wood appearance seemed unusual and interesting; nose does not beckon though.. there’s barely anything there. Flavor is like a stronger American macro; magnify what little flavor you have in Miller, and you get this. Not a good thing, is it? Finish is rather stale. Even Long Trail can do much better than this!