OGaras Cork Brown Ale

Draft @ Brewpub: Dark brown, light white head and lacing. Nose of metal and starchy caramel. Spoiled eggs, dust. The flavor is nice at first, nutty, sweet, caramelly, but then it digresses to licking a 10 year old rusted sewer pipe. Finish is sharp, roasty, harsh.

Sample from tap at the brewpub. Pours dark brown with little head. Aroma is vaue but has notes of roasted malt. Flavour is mildly roasted malt and a spicy coriander note. A bit odd, but works out okay.

Clear mahogany body with beige head. Aroma is medium sweet, caramel, earthy/dusky, light chocolate. Taste is medium sweet, caramel, some earthy, some chocolate, floral, light infection sourness (not nearly as bad as some of their other beers). Light-medium body, smooth.

Nice deep brown color with a good inch of tan foam. A little bit of lace throughout the pint. I have heard bad things about a sour off-flavor in O’Gara’s brews. Sad to say, that nasty sourness was faintly noticeable in the aroma (and it was really the only aroma noticeable). Sourness dominated the flavor and mouthfeel of an otherwise thin brown ale. I also tasted a grainy (not roasted) flavor that was out of place. This sourness might be ok in a pseudo lambic or fruitybeer. But a brown ale? Not good stuff.

Dark Brown Coloring with Good Head. It Wins on First Impressions. After That, It’s a Let Down. Malty...Sweet. Boring.