“More classic blues than death metal, this Brown Ale is for those who love a bit of extra character without getting dark and bitter. A smooth melody of malt plays counterpoint to clean and subtle hop notes. It’s nutty, roasty and toasty. Perfect with tunes in the background and friends at the table.”
Served in an English pint. It hits the glass with a chestnut hue that’s covered by a compacted head that recedes to a thin wispy film. Some patches of lace seen but it’s pretty scarce.
Pretty stock standard aroma – roasty chocolate malts, toast, almonds and macadamia nut. Some sweeter notes in here too, a bit fruity in its delivery; cherry and blackberry are offering a delicate balance. Getting a fleeting suggestion of metal which is a little unsavoury but mild enough to disregard. Not bad.
In the mouth it’s a little too thin. Co2 is low and the body sits around that mild-medium mark. Simply not enough bottom end for a dark beer.
Nice and malty upfront. We’re getting the lightly toasted malts with hints of cocoa and sweet cherry that progress forward in to a somewhat weak and watery middle. It’s continued with a soft fruity note that leads in to a light nutty finish. Just a fleeting hint of dryness and sweet caramelized malt on the rear.
We get that the weather up on the Goldy is warm for three quarters of the year and a dark beer option is a must have, but this offering just seems to lack character and the fullness one comes to expect from a brown ale. The flavours are there and they are well balanced but it’s missing that defining factor that would see us return to it. Needs some tweaking.