Original Dark Nut Brown Ale
Rooster Fish Brewing Co.

This brown, listed as "Roosterfish Nut Brown" at Chapterhouse in Ithaca, was very roasted, so much so that I found more aspects of stout than nut brown in it for me.

A- Poured a shade browner than black, with half a finger of dark cocoa head that dissapeared fast.

S- Charred wood and espresso dominate the nose.

T- Roasty-toasty: roasted coffee beans wood are the main flavors, with perhaps just the hint of browned walnut. I suppose the name "BLACK walnut" should give an indication that there would be a darker palate to it than a usual nut brown. Underneath was a touch of dark fruitiness, maybe cherries or prunes. Well balanced sweetness and bitterness.

M- Creamy as hell, again more of a stout mouthfeel than a typical brown. But I like it.

D- I'd say this is a bit of a crossover in terms of style, but one that I enjoyed and would happily drink again.

Had this one while trapsing around the Finger Lakes. Was happy to find a small brewery with decent food in the otherwise blah Watkins Glen. However, I'm pretty sure they brew this beer, not IBC.

Pours a translucent dark brown with ok carbonation, some swirly head. Nose is dominated by roasted malt and some coffees. Taste was more bitter and unbalanced than I was expecting. OK mouthfeel, it was a mediocre brown.

Rooster Fish's Black Walnut Ale is nearly a stout, as evidenced by its full body and dark chocolate color, though it is more medium in mouth feel than a typical stout. The aroma of nuts and coffee predominates. The taste of nuts is prominent, though it is also a bit smoky in the back and has a good bite, reminding me of a smoked porter. The smokiness is the only aspect that I don't find wholly pleasant in this brew; I feel like it would have benefited if the full nutty flavor were to shine through. Otherwise, I was very pleased.

The beer pours a dark brown color with a thick frothy tan head that slowly fades to lacing. The aroma is great! It has a sweet caramel malt scent along with a pronounced nutty aroma; probably Victory malts. The taste is decent. It has a very bitter hop flavor that leaks through malt barrier. It's semi-sweet with caramel malts along with a slight nutty finish. It is a little unbalanced, but still flavorful. The mouthfeel is fine. It is a medium bodied beer with good carbonation. This is a decent nut brown ale. I prefer a little less hops and a little more malts, but it drinks well regardless.

Draught: This was a house beer at the Crooked Rooster in Watkins Glen made for them by Ithaca Brewing. The tap handle had the full name of the brand as "Rooster Fish Brewing Co.". It poured an opaque brown with a tan head. The aroma was mild, with some roastiness and a faint smell of hops. The taste was fairly roasty, with hints of chocolate and coffee. This was almost a stout. Not bad, however.