Merrimack Mild
The Tap Brewing Company

 

day 3 at NERAX 2009

dark, amber brown. almost gem clear, maybe a faint haze. sudsy head reduces to bubbly ring. a few splotches of lace.

aroma: roasted caramel malts, almost coffee or cocoa. touch of grassy hop. trace of esters.

taste: mild grassy hop with gentle bitterness, giving way to coffee and roasted malt notes, with nice, dark roasted caramel foundation. gentle roast lingers even in the finish.

thin but smooth, with just a flash of texture in the finish. mild, gentle carbonation gives just a touch of extra body.

you'll have to be a fan roasty and coffee flavors to like this one. i sure did!

On-tap 5/8/08 at Doherty's East Ave Irish Pub in Pawtucket, RI, served in a US tumbler pint glass.

A: The beer is a deep reddish brown color, with a short off-white head that fades slowly and leaves a thick lace on the glass.

S: The aroma is of chocolate, roasted malts and some fruit with a touch of hops.

T: The taste is pretty malty as you would expect from a darker beer, with flavors of chocolate, coffee, nuts and some fruit up front. There's a mild hops presence that provides some balance. The after-taste is slightly bready and slightly sweet.

M: Smooth and crisp, medium body, medium carbonation, finish is slightly sticky.

D: Tasty, goes down easily, not too filling, mild kick, this is a good beer to drink when you want a beer of lighter weight but darker substance.

This beer came from the tap a dark mahogany color with a thick tan colored head. The nose has a surprising roast malt aroma. Surprisingly strong for this type of beer. The roasted aroma is balanced well by a mild hop flower back. The taste has a wonderful roast malt taste that is almost smoky in it’s intensity. As in the nose, the malt is balanced nicely by floral and citrus hop. Remarkable rich mouth feel, and a wonderful drinkability. This is one surprising beer, and a great rendition of this style.

The beer poured very dark in color. An odd darkness compared to what I was expecting for a mild. But even though it appeared dark, it had a thin quality to its appearance. There was a bit of a head that went away but created a slight lace around the glass. The aroma was mildly nutty. Because of the dark shade, I was expecting the taste to be heavier twoard the malty, but it came off as very smooth and only mildly hoppy--which actually come though in the finish. It had a slight creamy nature to it. The finish on the beer was also slightly dry. I could not taste a hint of alcohol. this would make a great session beer.

Clear dark brown in color with ring-inducing finger-thin layer of tan-colored head. Muted notes of dark chocolate and caramel in the nose. Flavor is stupendous. This has some porter-like qualities that I just loved. Some chocolate mixed with a roasty nut flavor that all but blanketed the miniscule coffee flavor that crept in around the edges. Towards the end, there's a subtle hoppy note that takes over. Dry finish. Immaculate mouthfeel and body. One of the most quaffable beers in recent memory. Nothing in the appearance, nose, or flavor gives any clue to this being a low-ABV / "light" beer. I sorely wish I could have access to this beer on a regular basis. Imagine evening after evening out on The Tap's spacious deck, a pint of this lovely Mild in hand, watching another day come to an end as the Merrimack flows by...

Nice medium- dark brown. Aromatic toasty brown malt. Yeast complexity in a bubblegum and cotton candy kind of way. Tastes like a biscuity toasty caramel ale with a minerally dry finish. Medium body and medium carbonation mix for a mediocre bubbly feel.

Overall just wonderful. A perfect session beer that has a ton of flavor. This is a great beer, and the fact that it it 3% is amazing to me. I would love to drink this all of the time.

Sampled on tap At the Tap

Pours a lightish brown color with copper hues. A nice light white head appears and receds quickly leaving a slight lace. Aromas are of carob and caramel, with just a bit of toffee. For flavor this beer is initially malty, demonstrating some nice light chocolate and carob flavors, follwed by what I find to be a somewhat smokey flavor. This beer finishes up smooth and gentle with just the slightest hint of bitterness at the end. This beer is light bodied with just the slightest tingle of carbonation that sits really well on the tongue. Overall a great session brew which I am very please to have named after my local river back home.

Pours a deep clear reddish-brown, with a medium fluffy light tan head, mostly lasting and lacing in sheets. Aroma is big maltiness, some biscuit, a slight roastiness, caramel, and a good dose of chocolate, with a slight hoppiness in the back. Flavor is lots of chocolate, with a bit of caramel in the middle, and a pleasant mild hoppiness in the finish. Medium bodied, very well balanced, and insanely drinkable. One of the best session beers I have had.

Pours a reddish-brown topped with a one finger light tan head. Thick sticky bits of lacing.
Floral and chocolate aroma, toasted malt, a bit fruity, touch of nuts.
Caramel and toffee in the taste, earthy and herbal malt.
Light-medium body, would make a good session beer.

On cask, AOBF 2004...

Sub mahogany appearance, ranges to slightly clearish. Head settles at 1/4 of an inch for the duration. Thick lace, gathers in clumps. Slightyl lilac floral tones to the aroma. Light-bodied with that fine-textured cask carbonation. Interesting taste, a little leafy with some wood bark notes early, transitions with a touch of cocoa and a unique nutiness for a Mild. Very quaffable, interesting take on the style, the beginning was just a little strange for me, though some may take to it.

This mild was probably my biggest surprise at NERAX. Admittedly, i wasn't well exposed to the mild style until attending this event. However, this was an outstanding beer. The gorgeous reddish ale had a modest caramel head and an enticing aroma. The flavor was balanced with complex, yet mellow chocolate, and caramel notes with a coffee finish. This beer was rich in flavor, but light on alcohol and body. It was extraordinary.

on cask at Bukowski's Cambridge

Tabby layers of bubbles settle into clear caramel color with a ruby light at the bottom of the glass. Rich caramel latte head, with a
faintly flowery aroma. Lots of good maltiness, with caramel tones but not sweet, leavened by a hoppy buzz. Light bodied, easy drinking.

Couldn't stop tasting that malty goodness!

Sampled on tap at The Tap.

This mild ale poured a clear, dark, ruby brown color with light brown foam that settled. The smell was malty: caramel and chocolate. A very respectable aroma for a mild. The taste was mildly malty: caramel, chocolate, and a hint of coffee. The hops were subdued but came out in the finish. The mouthfeel was smooth with medium body and good, crisp carbonation. There was a mild, lingering malty aftertaste. This was a very drinkable beer.