Otter Creek Raspberry Brown Winter Ale

Look is a deep glassy dark ruby red. Thin layer of head. Looks like a darker winter ale. Sweet but dark berry smell. Grape-ish aroma. Almost a little red wine. More brown sugar than raspberry. Raspberry comes out with agitation. More caramel/sugar scent than anything. Sharp brown bitterness with the raspberry as an accent. A brown first, although the roasted, caramel brown is subtle and light. Pleasant but not that dynamic. Feels dry and thin, weak. Nice enough overall. Thin and light for a brown. brown sugar sweetness with a mild fruity accent. Drinkable, but not amazing.

(Review written January 2009): 12oz bottle from local Hannaford. Pours a crystal-clear brown-red body with a slowly dissipating inch of light tan head. Smells mostly of tart raspberries. Dry tart raspberry dominates the flavor as well, with hints of chocolate and caramel. Surprisingly thin body with moderate carbonation. Tastes more raspberry than brown - reminds me a lot of the raspberry homebrew I made - sour, dryish... Not something I’d get again but good for any raspberry fan I suppose.

The Aroma is very faint: raspberry and bathroom cleaner. I also get some cranberry and a tiny bit of chocolate. Light cloudy brown color. Almost like cola with a thin filmy head. The flavor starts out with a light crisp raspberry flavor, the body falls flat, and then the finish is a light milk chocolate. It’s not all bad. It’s very drinkable. There just isn’t much character to it. Edit: As the beer warms it becomes a bit more interesting. Tangy and flavorful. I may just have to boost my rating a bit.

Presentation: It was poured from12oz brown bottle into a pint glass. There is a bottled on date. Appearance: The body has a dark appearance with good clarity and very deep brownish amber color. On top there is a huge light tan head that has great retention. It lasts all the way to the last sip slowly fading down to thin cap along the way. Also it makes for some cool splotchy lacing on the glass. Smell: The aroma has notes raspberries and rich lightly roasted malt. Taste/Mouth Feel: The base of the flavor is a sweet, lightly roasted malt with light buttery, bready and raspberry that adds a little tartness. Hop flavor is very light and understated. It has a solid medium body and its carbonation is light on the tongue with a smooth almost creamy feel. Notes: Overall I thick this is a solid beer.

Enjoyed from a 12oz bottle in a pub glass. The beer pours a medium brown, with a small white head. The nose brings scents of toffee, raspberry, and a bit of chocolate. The palate is essentially almost a perfect cross between raspberries and a sweeter brown ale. Overall, not exactly a "winter classic," but a well-integrated conglomeration.

[2114-20090421] Bottle. Mild evergreen fruity malt and mild plum aroma. Clear, dark amber brown body with a medium-lasting foamy light tan head. Grainy fruity malt flavour has a sweet toastedness and lingering notes of raspberry. Medium body. Pleasant.
(w/ blankboy, garthicus, jerc)

Pours a clear almond colour with a thin, fizzy off-white head that fades to a solid cap. The nose has hints of raspberry jam (though seemingly thin), grassy hops, brown sugar, light milk chocolate and dust. The flavour is a bit artificial. Metallic and herbal hops with a musty chocolate and raspberry syrup mesh of flavours. The finish is peppery and herbal with a metallic cocoa and jam combo overlain. The mouthfeel is thin, nicely carbonated, but chalky.

Shared by Jerc and Mabel with Blankboy and I. Appearance: Golden red, small white head. Aroma, quite grassy, some malt and some hints of nuts. Flavour: Malty and nutty - meh.