Red Flannel Ale
Penobscot Bay Brewery

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Poured from the bottle into a shaker pint glass.

A nice dark chestnut reddish brown ale body. hints of ruby toward the bottom. Small noticeable carbonation, with a light tan head maybe pouring a two finger head at most. Collapses slowly to a thin puck.

Nose brings a little bit of heat, and small caramel. Strangely figgy even a little spicy. It's quite inviting surprisingly as basic as it is.

First sips bring a little bit of caramel sweetness, but subside quite quickly. Carbonation picks up a little, bringing some spicy notes which subside rather quickly. Light simple milk instant chocolate comes through a little bit, mixing with the spice nicely. Some light heat manages some piping cocoa feelings also as it warms. This is actually getting better as it warms.

Overall it's a simple brown, with all the right notes but without the exquisite brilliant flavors. Easily drinkable even at a high abv. I would have this again though no problem.

 

 

Pours a creamy light 1/2 finger head that fades at a med pace with just a touch of lacing, over dark but semi clear maroon brown colored beer.

Nose has plenty of malts, copper and brown malts, a bit of a reddish caramel malt, brown sugar, molasses, touch of toffee, then some herbal earthy hops, and a slight hint of roast.

Taste starts malty as well, but fairly sweet. Lots of brown sugar and brown malts, toasty reddish malts as well, tons of caramel and toffee, molasses, even some maple, etc. A little biscuity malt as well. A juicy light malty taste fades to a slightly bitter earthy herbal hop flavor. It starts to get a little phenolic at this point, medicinal and herbal like, the only defect of this beer. The finish gets a bit more bitter, the medicinal flavor goes away as the malty flavors with caramel, brown sugar, and toffee come out more.

Mouth is med bodied, decent carb.

Overall not bad, the malts are nice, but the slight phenolic flavor bring it down a bit. Otherwise would be a nice drinkable beer.

Normally anything with a strong maple-sugary sweetness I avoid, but felt compelled to review this one. It's dark brownish-red with a thick foamy head - and big-time carbonation. Quite a show on the pour. But this is not a simple beer by any means. After all that sweetness, somehow the finish is dry and crisp and almost refreshing - kind of like Orval ( to me at least ). I'm in love with this beer. It's malty - not a hop-bomb like the Dogfish brown - but at the same time there's an underlying bitterness there that keeps you coming back. Big thumbs up here. Try it if you can find it - it took me quite a while track this one down in Maine. Found it at a nice little place: Weatherbird in Damariscotta.

Thanks to my brother in law for bringing a few of these down with him from Maine.

Poured from bomber into tulip - No best by date visible.*( he had just bought these from the brewery before he came down - so I know it's fresh)

A: Poured medium brown with amber hues, two and a half finger head that held its retention, formed a thick off white lacing that had great webbing as it lowered - good looking beer.

S: roasted malts, slight hops,caramel.

T: Roasted barley with some sweetness ,decent hops ,slight toffee flavors,slight chocolate notes, great malt backing

M: Full bodied ,with just the right amount of carbonation, slightly sticky and coates the tounge.

O: Overall a very tasty Brown Ale -If I had access to this it would definitly be in my fridge. great representative of the style.

In my Sam Adams pint glass this beer looked like coca cola, only not quite as carbonated as the soda. It had a small tan head.
Sweet caramel malt aroma. A hint of fruit.
Taste followed form. Caramel malt, cherry, very sweet.
Maybe a little too sweet for me, but still a nice malt backbone.
Enjoyable beer to savor.