Moody Ales Hardy Brown Ale English Brown Ale at 5.5% ABV | 22 IBU (C$8.50 at Sundance Wine Market, 650 ml, no bottle date or best before, acquired 19-Aug-2016, reviewed 26-Sep-2016)
Appearance: clear medium to deep amber with one finger of rocky light beige head, good retention and moderate lacing. (4/5) Aroma: coffee, toasted bread, light chocolate and nutty, earthy and grassy. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, mild bitter. (7/10) Medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry mild bitter finish. (3/5)
I make no secret of the fact that I generally find Brown Ales to be boring, often excruciatingly so. This, though, is quite pleasant: it starts off with so much coffee that I actually had to read the label several times to verify there wasn’t actually any coffee present. As the pint progresses, the flavour balance changes and layers are revealed, including a mild and unexpected – but pleasant – Noble hop bitterness. A bit light in colour and body for the style, perhaps, but the unexpected depth of flavour makes up for that. I hesitate to say it’s better than e.g Samuel Smith’s Nut Brown, but it’s as good, albeit slightly different. (14/20)
7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com
