Buckin' Round Brown
Ram Restaurant & Brewery

limited innovation this time at the boise location, but still a sneakily great patio and a good hang, i enjoyed this brown quite well, a darker take on the style which is just fine with me, enough roast and cocoa notes to hit a little porter-esque, and this a line i am happy to blur at times. deep dark brown color, a bubbly inch of tan head on it slowly fading as i down the large pour, looks rather well polished, nice presentation. the aroma is roasty without being bitter, chocolate forward without being desserty, and layered well with nuances of chestnut, raisin, and dark leather, more complexity than i was anticipating, very cohesive and bold even, riding some caramelized sugar character thats sweetens it up, but its well grounded too, not much from the ferment, light hops as it sits, good balance, rich and distinctive, and the flavor brings all the depth the nose does, more roasty than a lot of browns but still stopping short of the porter or stout range, very nice warming high end espresso note in the middle which marries into the sweetness really nicely, brown sugar, a hint of maple, nutty and earthy as well. medium bodied, not too heavy to drink in the summer even with the color and the sweetness, its flavorful and good, warms up favorably too, and the upbeat carbonation is a nice touch. impressively good brown ale of some interest here...