Oaktown Brown Ale
Calicraft Brewing Co.

 

Picked up a four pack of pint cans. No discernible date on the cans. Note that the ABV on this pack is 7%, not 6.7% -- perhaps the recipe has changed?

Pours a dark brown, almost black, with a finger thick tan head on top with average to poor retention. No particulates. Carbonation looks average, the smaller bubble variety. Theres a bit of lacing on the glass as you drink. Looks about as expected.

Aroma is oak, roast, yeast, chocolate, brown sugar and some citrus/pine hop spice to round it out. Quite a complex aroma that hints at some balance, but I expect this to be malt heavy.

Sweet and nutty up front with chocolate and oak. The hop spice builds up on the tongue as it sits, crescendoing on the swallow and lingering in the aftertaste with some bitter lemon and pine along with a lot of molasses and brown sugar maltiness. There's a nice earthy/yeasty/herbalness to this. Alcohol is masked nicely, though is slightly detectable towards the end of the glass as it warms. Fairly balanced, as brown ales go, but still quite sweet in the end.

Mouthfeel is solidly medium bodied with smooth, moderate carbonation and some creaminess on the swallow. The finish is long as a cloying malty sweetness sticks around on the tongue after the swallow. Definitely heavy for the style, but very pleasant. Wouldn't want more than one or two of these, though.

This is not a category I generally care much for as it's too sweet for me, but this one was pleasant. A solid amount of bitterness to offset some of the sweetness, at least. Still, it's pretty heavy, so it's a one and done for me. Not sure how often I'd seek out this style, but I suppose it can be fun every once awhile in the colder months. It is a quality offering at least. Cheers!

Serving: 16 oz glass pour, on tap at Mission Bar & Grill (SFO).

Appearance: Deep, dark mahogany brown with a solid head of tan foam.

Smell: Toasty roasted malt, caramel; earthy and leathery barrel oak.


Taste: Robust brown ale with a combination of nutty, toasty malt, chocolate, caramel, and more astringent hoppy bitter close.


Mouthfeel: Medium body and moderate carbonation.

Overall: Big brown ale with nice hop and barrel dimensions.

It’s interesting. Rich mouthfeel and body. Oakiness comes through, modest caramel sweetness from the malt and some nuttiness. Chocolate and coffee notes are there but subdued. Dry and bitter, tannin-like finish. It's hard to describe, but honestly, the flavor and astringency vaguely remind me of some black teas I've had. Not a flavor profile I encounter often in beer.

I don’t think I’d seek this out often as it’s not typically what I’m wanting out of a beer, but it was neat to try at least - not bad at all.

 

 

Had this on tap - one of the best browns I’ve had. It’s def thicker, fuller, creamier and maltier than most - yet retained a real smooth flavor. This and Alesmiths nut brown are my top two.

 

 

 

 

My first Calicraft beer - I really wanted to love this since I live pretty close to the brewery. Alas, it's just a middle-of-the-road, basic brown ale. I'm not a fan of the oak used, it's more or a wet wood aroma and not some deep, profound oaky presence. Everything else was ok.

 

 

 

Poured a clear brown with a frothy 2 finger tan head that dissipated to a thin layer. Moderate lacing. Chocolate malt aroma with a bit of char and vanilla. Initial taste of sweet malt, chocolate and bit of coffee that is overwhelming followed by moderate woodiness and hop bitterness. Moderate body and carbonation and a bit of creaminess. This seems too bitter for a brown ale.

Decanted from a 12 oz (355 ml) bottle into a conical pint; best by 10/17/18.
A: Pours a clear brown with a one inch, fluffy, tan head, good retention and solid lacing.
S: Aromas of mocha, macademia/almond, and vanilla are evident. Definitely malty to the nose.
T: Sweet and malty. Flavors of coffee, lactose sugar, and vanilla with a little zestiness, consistent with but not exactly minty. Nutty flavors in the background. Bitterness plays a big role in tamping down the sweetness.
M: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation. Sweet, tingly aftertaste/afterfeel.
O: Definitely an interesting, flavor forward brown ale. A bit sweet for my taste, but I truly appreciate the enhanced flavors provided by the oaking. Would have like to have seen more bitterness offsetting some of the sweetness, but I supposed that would have basically made it a porter.

 

A: The beer is brown in appearance and when held up to a bright light it is clear dark brownish red in color with a light to moderate amount of visible carbonation. It poured with a quarter finger high light tan colored head that died down, eventually leaving a thin layer of bubbles covering the surface, a narrow collar around the edge of the glass, and sone specks of bubbles clinging to the edge.
S: Light to moderate aromas of nutty and chocolate malts are present in the nose along with hints of oak.
T: The taste starts off with some initial flavors of chocolate and nutty malts but these are quickly replaced by strong flavors of oak along with hints of floral hops and a light amount of associated bitterness.
M: It feels medium-bodied on the palate and has a moderate amount of carbonation. The hops lend some dryness to the finish.
O: The oak aging completely changes the taste and mouthfeel of this brown ale, making it very unique.

Serving type: bottle