Honey Vanilla Brown
Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery

Sneaky opaque, bronzed hazelnut with amber accents. The head was orangish beige in color and stayed at a half finger for the duration. The lace was phenomenal for a bar pour; thick sheets over which thicker rings were left after each sampling. When the glass was empty of beer, it was filthy with lace.

The aroma was of orange zest and caramel with a cocoa twist. It was a nice balancing act between hops and malt; slanted more heavily toward the latter in accordance with the style. Unfortunately, the nose wasn't very powerful (its only, admittedly minor, fault).

What should a Honey Vanilla Brown taste like? Why, like this of course. Truth be told, the honey and the vanilla were more in the background than I would have preferred, but they made an appreciated contribution. It took me a while to sort through the various aspects of the flavor profile... which became more defined with time and warming.

There was a definite honey-like sweetness with a less obvious honey flavor. The vanilla was most noted on the finish and was coupled with a woodiness that I enjoyed. There was a moderate orange fruitiness as well, although hop flavor was less apparent than hop bitterness.

All of the above was fine and dandy. The centerpiece, however, was a cocoa powder-like, caramel-flavored brown ale that wasn't at all compromised by the other flavors. I'll guess caramel malt and probably even chocolate malt. The mouthfeel was a smidgen thin and the cask carbonation was on the mild side. And now, a statement that I must have made hundreds of times at least: a bigger body would have improved this beer immeasurably.

Honey Vanilla Brown is truth in advertising. As noted, I would have liked a little more 'H' and 'V', but the 'B' was as solid as they come. This is a different beer, an interesting beer and a beer that will keep Rock Bottom at the head of the brewpub class in Des Moines.