Avery Brewing Ellie's Brown Ale

I know I've been giving a ton of high ratings recently, but I guess I've been making some good choices! It's going to continue now, because I am hooked from the first taste of Avery Brewing Ellie's Brown Ale. A gorgeous light mahogany color with a sticky light tan head. Very nutty and roasted, but not much smoke or charring. The finish is dry, woody, and earthy. Lots of bittersweet chocolate and maybe even some brown sugar in there. An average 5.5% ABV, but that's fine, because this is one you'll want to drink all night.

Grade: A

Leinenkugel Fireside Nut Brown

The 20 beers in 10 days challenge is complete! I have the shirt to prove it. One of my favorites was Leinenkugel's Fireside Nut Brown. There were notes of hazelnut and smoke, rich caramel. The mouthfeel was think and full. There was a late, light sweet finish and after it warmed even some background cinnamon and clove. I thought it was delicious! However, after reading several other reviews, it turns out I am one of the few who loved this beer. I had this on draft, so maybe that made a difference. And it wasn't my first beer of the evening, so that could have changed things, too. But I loved it. I took notes about it on the back of a receipt, if that tells you anything


Grade: A

Sierra Nevada Tumbler Review

Since Sierra Nevada is following me on twitter now (and you can too), I figure it was time to review one of their beers. Here is one of their fall offerings, Sierra Nevada Tumbler. It pours a dark brown color with hints of orange. Nothing really stands out in the taste. There are some hints of nuts, some roast, and some caramel. But it's full, earthy, easy to drink, and delicious. Perfect for a day of watching football. There are times where I just want a beer to taste good and I don't seek out all the nuances. This is one of them. Get it while you can!

Grade: A

Indian Brown Ale - Dogfish Head

Dogfish Head is in Delaware and it's what I'd call more of an "experimental" brewery. While they do offer a few styles of IPA, that's about the only normal brew you'll find. The Midas Touch is a fascinating story which I'll get to in the future.

Indian Brown Ale is pretty interesting. A deep brown, nearly black color. The head isn't huge, but it's certainly there. The aroma and flavor both have a roasted nuttiness and almost fruitiness to it. There's almost a cooked brown sugar lingering flavor that is a little bitter. It's pretty complex, but the mouth feel is surprisingly light. The alcohol is well hidden, too (read: It'll getcha drunk!) Honestly, this is similar to a porter, but that was not the original intention. There's a video on the page I linked to explain how it was made.

I'm rather enjoying this!

Grade: A