Bessie's Brown Ale
Market Cross Pub & Brewery

 

On tap at Market Cross in Carlisle, PA on 9/20/08.

A - Slightly hazy auburn body with deep amber hues and one-finger creamy off-white head that receded into a thin ring of retention but left some attractive lacing. Minimal carbonation.

S - Malty nose with quite a bit of nuttiness and a mild hint of chocolate, some coffee and very little, if any, hop presence.

T - This brown ale has a predominantly nutty malt flavor with some mild chocolate and coffee notes, as well as some caramel and toffee notes. Very light hop bitterness in the finish.

M - Light to medium body with medium carbonation that's a little on the soft side. Texture is a bit watery overall. Very light bitterness on the palate with some residual sweetness on the tongue.

D - Quaffable brown ale that's par for the style. A little thin and watery, but not a bad brown ale by any stretch of the imagination. Nice and sessionable.

This beer pours a deep golden color, clear with a fine lacing head.

The bouquet has nice malt and spice on the nose. This translated well to the taste. I was initially hit with roasted malt and toffee, then just a touch of vanilla and nut. Ends with a slightly bitter finish. Nice and friendly!

The mouthfeel is good and the body seems to be good for a brown ale. This is a great session beer, but just watch, this beer does tend to cloy.

Yup...4s all the way across. My buddy is "the man" at Market Cross, and brought me some of this to try. Nice dark color..nutty smell AND at first taste...nutty and malty. NO hops to speak of, which is good to me. A tad thin, but full-flavored...so it's drinkability is pretty damn good in my opinion. In fact, we had several pints of this WITH PIZZA, and it went surprisingly well! Like I said, not too heavy, but with alot of flavor. I'd drink this again, and recommend it to anyone who's in the neighborhood of Carlisle! PLUS, there's a neat story about "BESSIE"...the inspiration for this fine brew! Ask 'em when you stop in! Nice brew Market Cross! SAAALUTE and cheers my friends!

A - A pleasing cascading turbulent mahogany ale with light tan head

S - a sweet mix of bready and light caramel aromas

M - a smooth, right-on creamy sweet, full, but light bodied feel

T - A real tasty cask brown ale. Mild and hardly any bitterness to speak of. Nice mellow nutty flavors with sweet vanilla and honey laced caramel. The malts are lightly roasted and give just enough depth to make you want to take another taste and another.

D - The quality I find most appealing about this well crafted ale. A session beer through and through and the cask enhances the mouthfeel and brings out the nuances of the nutty malt character. I could drink Imperial pints of this with chicken or just have this as a social drink it is so quaffable.