The Whale
Community Beer Works

A lovely pour emptied the entire contents of a pint can into a clear glass liter mug. A modest, yet proper biege head was obtained by the action. Its color is what would be expected from a brown ale, almost black coffee brown, but just not quite there. It's opaque without any cloudiness. Mild roasted barley malt and hops are available for the nose, but not pronounced. The mouthfeel is invitingly smooth and light, but unfortunately light also has to be used describing the taste. With appropriate carbonation and density, this goes down easily and quickly. But, slowing the drinking rate doesn't bring more flavor. It's a mildly flavored Brown Ale, without taste transitions. Nicely balanced, good mouthfeel and even some modest glass lacing can't fully compensate for its want of full flavor. Overall, it's drinkable, with an ABV that allows several at a time. There's nothing disagreeable about it, other than it's timid taste.

**
11/26/25

Can to snifter.

Quite a nice brown ale. Getting harder to find Brown Ales, not from mass production, so I was happy to find this one.

**

 

On tap. Pours black with brown head and nice lacing. Aroma and taste are of herbal hops, toasty and nutty malt, dark fruit, brown sugar and coffee. Body is medium and smooth. Finish is long and dry. Nice brew, more porter than brown ale.

Poured from a pint can, the expected brown body with good initial head. Head in picture more due to my aggressive pour than the carbonation. Excellent lacing.

Aroma is roasted coffee. Delightful.

Taste follows nose with coffee up front. Nothing too bitter, just good roasted coffee flavor. Background chocolate malt flavor supports the coffee flavor well.

Mouthfeel is medium to light. Carbonation good.

Poured out of a 12 oz can into one of my pint glasses, this beer pours a dark amber/light brown color with a tan head that's about an inch thick when first poured. head settles to a thick, creamy looking foal surface coating along with a tick ring lining the inside of the glass. Nice lacing too. Aromas of roasted, somewhat bready malts and chocolate along w/ some chocolate notes and a bit of caramel and black coffee. The taste is quite similar, with roasted, somewhat bready malts that gives way to chocolate and caramel sweetness and a bit of black coffee bitterness along w/ an earthy and floral hop note. The sweet flavors do dominate my palate a bit, but the black coffee and hop flavors add a good balance to the flavor profile overall. Has a crisp, also smooth, medium bodied mouthfeel with moderate carbonation. Has a clean and slightly dry finish. A solid beer here all around.

Eric

Nice caramel brown ale with a ABV of 5.9%. Smooth and roasty .

Cola,iced tea appearance
Medium light carbonation with about a medium body
Aroma is a nice mix of bakers chocolate, black coffee, caramel with sweet bread.
Taste is mildly sweet with some dry coffee bitterness. Chocolate bread/pastry
Overall its a really good brown ale

16oz can. Bottom date stamp reads 'THE WHALE 23-072 CANNED ON 11/9/2023'.
Clear, ruby brown/cola brown colored body. Brief lasting tan head but there is a thin ring and minor surface storm. Scattered tiny dots of lacing.
Aroma is heavy with toasted grains, and also some coffee, and cola sweetness.
Taste is lit up with toasted grains heavily sweetened. There is a later coffee appearance. Floral hops add to the lightness and to the sweetness. Confectionery chocolate. Toasted grains have a long life in the aftertaste.
Pours thin, but mouthfeel is similar to syrup. Mellow and coating in the mouth. Supportive carbonation.
Beautiful clear body color, and has a fully expressive flavor profile for an English Brown Ale, plus an American degree of hops.

Poured into a Seattle Beer Week pint glass. Pours a very dark walnut brown with little light transmission in the glass and a patchy, thin, light khaki head with slight lacing. Aroma of lightly toasted malt, coffee, light bakers chocolate and molasses; coffee forward. Flavor is lightly toasted malt, cocoa, diner coffee and a hint of caramel. Light coffee and bitterness in the finish. Medium bodied with light to moderate creaminess. A pleasant, light brown ale that leans to the English style. Light in roast with a light hop bitterness, mostly in the finish. Well brewed and to style, a satisfying session brown ale.

Pours dark like a coke with an off white tannish head. Head had good staying power. Nose was caramel, cereal and slight coffee. Taste was semi sweet with a burnt caramel or coffee flavor. Nice bready finish.

 

A: pours a brown body with an off white head with some retention and decent lacing.
S: sweet, earthy toasty notes with hints of burnt caramel.
T: sweet, toasty burnt caramel notes with a. Slightly cereal finish.
M: full bodied and smooth.
O: nice feel and taste combo; solid overall.

 

 

on draft, in a nonic pint glass

medium brown in color, off-white colored head. Nice toasty malt aroma and flavor, good balance not too sweet. medium bodied.

 

 

 

L: a clear root beer color, that you can see through when held up to the light, with a thin off white head that quickly dissolves into a film.
S: not a lot there, mostly some roast malts and weak coffee
T: dark toast, weak coffee, a hint of chocolate, a little dark chocolate/hoppy bitterness that grows stronger as the beer warms
F: a little sweet at the beginning, but a dry finish with a mild round bitter aftertaste which grows stronger as the beer warms
O: Not too bad. The aromas are right, just weak. The flavors are nice, just weak. The biggest issue for me is how much strength the dark chocolate undertones and hoppy edge grow as the beer warms. The Whale is a fine, enjoyable brown ale when it is cold, but becomes more of a single note when it approaches room temperature