I didn't like the IPA I had from Northwoods, but I picked up three of their beers the last time I went down to my local beer slinger. I couldn't remember anything about the brewery, but I kind of assumed it was local, as the particular store I went to tends to stock Panther Creek beer, and they are about as hyper-local as I've run into. Instead, I am drinking a beer from New Hampshire.
They call it a Brown Owl ESB, and this could be easily mistaken for brown ale with how brown it is. Tiny flecks of white are suspended with neutral buoyancy in the middle of the beer, and it's quite delightful to see them hit channels created by the points of nucleation to carry them to the top. The head isn't much to see in the first place, and it boils down to a thin layer across the top with the usual strong ring around the sides. The aroma is nuts and brown sugar with a little bit of maple tossed in. It smells very good.
Whenever I have an ESB, I always really expect it to be bitter. This one is bitter, but it has far too much malt to be as bitter as some of the IPAs I've had recently. As a result, the somewhat watery beverage sports nuts, maple, brown sugar, and toffee. It's a good taste, but it's not particularly strong. I'm okay with it not being strong tonight, and I just want to sit back and enjoy my beer. But, I haven't gulped yet.
Tip-in is brown sugar, maple, and nuts. The middle is particularly sweet as the brown sugar rises and is joined by the toffee and some wood for counterbalance. The finish ends slightly bitter as the whole beer calmly and quietly relinquishes control of the mouth. As warmth gets into the beer, the finish is noticeably more bitter, and it takes away a bit of the enjoyment.
3.5/5