Label Up
The Mitten Brewing Co.

 

 

Very nice, smooth brown ale that almost reminds me of a porter. Sampled on tap at the Mitten. Very dark brown color with some slowly fading tan head and some great sheets of lingering lacing. Smells of roast coffee, maple and malt. Tastes of medium roast coffee, maple, roasted nuttiness, caramel, brown sugar, vanilla and malt. Great smooth, mild, slightly creamy mouthfeel and good carbonation. Really reminded me of a good smooth porter with its roasted coffee notes and creaminess.

16 ounce prowler into pint glass, filled on 5/19/2018. Pours crystal clear deep ruby red/brown color with a 1-2 finger dense and rocky light khaki head with fantastic retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lasts. Nice dense soapy lacing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Fantastic appearance. Aromas of caramel, maple syrup, milk chocolate, cocoa, pecans, brown sugar, and toasted brown bread; with light notes of coffee, dark fruit, herbal, pepper, and yeast/toasted earthiness. Nice and pleasant aromas with good balance and complexity of dark/bready/light roasted malt, maple, pecans, and light yeast/earthy hop notes; with solid strength. Taste of big caramel, maple syrup, milk chocolate, cocoa, pecans, brown sugar, and toasted brown bread; with light notes of coffee, dark fruit, herbal, pepper, and yeast/toasted earthiness. Light herbal/spicy hop and roast bitterness on the finish. Lingering notes of caramel, maple syrup, milk chocolate, cocoa, pecans, brown sugar, toasted brown bread, light coffee/dark fruit, herbal, pepper, and yeast/toasted earthiness on the finish for a while. Very nice complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/bready/light roasted malt, maple, pecans, and light yeast/earthy hop flavors; with a great malt/bitterness balance; and zero cloying/astringent flavors after the finish. Lightly increasing dryness from lingering hop/roast bitterness. Light-medium carbonation and medium body; with a very smooth, creamy/bready, and lightly sticky/chalky mouthfeel that is nice. Zero warming alcohol for 5.3%. Overall this is a delicious flavored American brown ale. All around nice complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/bready/light roasted malt, maple, pecans, and light yeast/earthy hop flavors; very smooth and easy to drink with the mellowly bitter/drying finish. Very rich and well rounded brown ale malt complexity, with great maple and pecan presence. A very enjoyable offering, and spot on style example.