Round Hill Root Ale
Corcoran Brewing Company

 

On tap:
Pours a cola-colored dark brown, with soapy/foamy edge lacing on a very full pour. Clarity is evident. Nose favors the spices, and meets the concept quite well... root spices like sasparilla, root beer, rhubarb, cinnamon, ginger. There is a little nuttiness to the nose as well. This sits atop a mild tart base, reminiscent of a decent pumpkin beer base.

Taste starts with the toasted nature of the malts, as well as a light unripe cherry flavor. The spice from the nose comes into play shortly, but not as complex as the nose. Cola, birch beer, ginger - hard to specify for me, but that kind of spice couples with the darker malts in an interesting way. The carbonation, while light, adds to the spice perfectly in it's muted form. The light-bodied beer could use just a little more body, though... but not too much more.

This beer was hard to rate given it seems to be a specific niche beer. Is it trying to portray root beer? Or just give hints to that effect? Spiced beers are not my favorite, and this lacked a body I would like, but that might destroy the intent. Judge for yourself!