Brown ale. The very name is kind of drab and boring. There have been winners out there, and I've come to enjoy the nutty character of a brown ale, but the name is just not good. So far, it has been descriptive, though. Brown is the color of every brown ale I've had so far, and I certainly don't expect this one to break ranks.
It's brown, but I would say it is closer to cherry wood brown. As you can see from the pictures, it was not shy about foaming, so the head got a little out of hand before descending to a complete layer of off-white bubbles in an undulating pattern on top and lots and lots of beautiful lacing. The aroma is sweet toffee malt with a hint of maple and, of course, nuts. It should be good.
First sip is more coffee and smoke than I look for in my brown ales, but it's light and inoffensive. I'm not sure that the goal of a beer should be "inoffensive." It seems to have an okay (if dry) taste right off the bat, but the mist left over is just kind of dry and bland. I don't hate it, but it's not really doing much to endear itself to my taste buds.
Tip-in is light carbonation tingle with smoked nuts and light toffee, but the sensation is generally dry. The middle comes in with heightened carbonation, but the flavors remain generally the same; they just kind of swell a bit. The finish suddenly becomes sweet with toffee, earth, and coffee right before heading into a dry trail off.
Bottom Line: Not terrible, but not worth remembering.
2.25/5