Claw-Town Brown Ale
Black Lotus Brewery

Reviewed from notes. The appearance was a semi-dark orange/copper color fading into some brown hues. Finger’s worth of eggshell white to off white foamy head that dissipated at a mild pace. Light lace. The aroma had some roasted nuts, light caramel, mild sweet chocolate and a touch of earthy woodiness. The flavor shaped itself around the previously mentioned aromas nicely. Mildly blended aftertaste and finish. The feel was about medium bodied, perhaps just a touch under with a fair sessionability about it. Carbonation felt fine and the ABV felt as projected by the brewer. Overall, nicely done brown ale worthy of more pours if I could get them.

 

 

This brew was served on tap at Black Lotus Brewery in Clawson, Michigan. It arrived in a generic pint glass, showing a dark toffee coloring, and holding a one finger head of tan bubbles. Retention was decent, leaving patterned lacing around the glass as it disappeared at a medium pace. Haze was thick and persistent, but no sediment was noted. Carbonation appeared to be light. The aroma was simple, giving light chocolate and brown malt notes, faint roast, thickness of caramel sugars, watermelon juiciness, and Arnold palmer lemonade/iced tea tannins. White sugar, soy sauce, fusel booze, and mineral came out with warmth. Our first impression was that, as in the nose, the flavoring was very simple, but with a variety of grain clashing for center stage. As we sipped, the taste opened with lighter chocolate malts, salty browns, milk chocolate discs, corn, white sugar, metallic vanillas, bread pudding, and soapy hops. Moving to the peak was more of a grassy hop, oily hazelnut, metallic bitters, continued basic brown and pilsner malts, and drying straw. The end came with lactic creaminess, more milk chocolates, grassy and floral hop bitterness, dirty dish water, brown malts, and toasted wheatiness. The aftertaste breathed of wet wheaty grain, rock salt, medicinal phenols, those bittered browns, tinny metallics, and lemon rind. The body was light, and carbonation was light. The feel was watery, especially with warmth, and each sip afforded little slurp, pop, or smack, with okay cream, froth, and glug. The mouth was lightly coated, but ultimately gave way to tannic dryness across the back of the soft palate. The abv was appropriate, and the beer drank decently.

Overall, the best thing about this beer was its taste. Showcased throughout was a great variety of malts, giving depth and difference at each part of the sip. Hops came in to kiss and balance, but their beginning soapy quality was, at times, hard to overcome. The feel, too, was thin and watered, and coupled with the more standard flavor profile, made it seem like this beer just never quite came together in the end.