Witness Tree Nut Brown
Antietam Brewery & Restaurant

The entire contents of two twelve ounce cans fit nicely inside a clear glass liter mug. The brew revealed is dark brown in color, yet bright. There's plenty of carbonation, but not much of a light tan head. An aroma of roasted malt and nuttiness is to be had. That's how it drinks, malty and nutty, with a taste reference close to pecans. There's a proper level of sweetness to compliment the roasted malt and nut characters. The mouthfeel runs thinly for the category, but it's refreshing, nonetheless. Attesting to its lightness of body, there's practically no glass lacing. Overall, it's a pleasant nut brown ale that should satisfy those that appreciate this too rare style.

12 oz can

Pours a clear dark brown color, cream colored head. Aroma is toasty, with some sweet caramel as well. Taste is much more balanced, not really sweet. Medium bodied, feel is fairly smooth

 

12 oz can, no best-by date.

Pours a thin cola brown with an effervescent beige head.

Aromas include chocolate and caramel with a bouquet of nutty undertones and a faint leafy hop.

Flavor has a nice balance of toasted malt and leafy hop bitterness. Nutty undertones are present, but nothing bold enough to be discernible.

Light body with high carbonation, finishes pretty clean.

Small tan head over a translucent brown body with little lacing. Woodsy, toasted malt aroma; nuttiness is faint. Modestly sweet, earthy flavors; some chicory, some toffee, with a minimal hop presence. Lingering, gummy aftertaste. Medium bodied, lightly carbonated mouthfeel.

Not great. One of the beers out of the 6 pack was way overcarbonated to the point I think it was infected, the other 5 were consistently unpleasant. Metallic off flavors, only the slight hint of caramel notes. Distinct lack of character and flavor. It seems like their fermentation and canning process introduces a fair amount of oxygen in a less than sanitary environment. It's a beer, but not a good one.

 

This DelMarVa (+ DC) adventure of mine has morphed into my latest CANQuest (tm) focus! I really had no idea that MaryCANd, especially, was putting out so much beer. 8=O It seems as though every time I feel like I a close, some more beers from that area Pop! up from out of hiding to surprise me. Further, I am back to work so I CANnot keep up the pace that I set during the Christmas/Winter Break. 8=( On top of all of that, even New Beer Sunday is off-limits due to prior CANmitments. 8=( Inna meantime, a shout-out to my local, in-person trader, @tone77 who recently dropped this off for me.

From the CAN: "September 17, 1862: A small sycamore beside the Burnside Bridge bore silent witness to America's most devastating battle. It holds its secrets still over a century older and perhaps wiser."; "A delicious, creamy Brown Ale with a nutty, toasted, warm finish."; "Proudly Brewed in Maryland".

I Crack!ed open the vent only to bear witness to the first short-filled CAN that I have gotten in a long time! This CAN be a CANcern because the extra head space CAN CANtain oxygen. I beCAN a slow, gentle, C-Line Glug and was heartened to see that it was well-carbonated & there were no off smells emanating from either the CAN or the glass. It foamed up nicely to form just over a finger of fizzy, foamy, rocky, light-tan head with moderate retention. Color was a pretty Coppery-Brown (SRM = > 17, < 22) with NE-quality clarity. Nose had a pronounced toasted nuttiness, like walnuts or peCANs. Mmm. Mouthfeel was medium. The taste was definitely nutty, very much like walnuts and peCANs. Mmm. I had to laugh the other day when Rose McGowan, trying to walk back her apology to Iraq, was called a "f**king walnut!" by somebody on Twitter. Haha! Finish was more towards semi-sweet than semi-dry, but not so sweet as to be off-putting to this self-described, self-avowed hophead. YMMV.

Poured from the can into a nonic pint glass.

Nice clear bodied with dark appearance, hinting with hues of ruby red, to mostly classic mahogany brown. Head creation is a little minimal, making two fingers with a very light khaki color. Settles to a thin crowned top and puck.

Aroma has a bit more focus on less brown ale qualities. Mineral and rocky sensing water. Spritzy touches, with a faint touch of nut but under a sensing watery body. Really not sure where this is going, but first nose impressions are a bit weak.

Palate is a little less than desirable. Mineral light bodied with not much flavor. Fleeting touching malt caramel with a bit of flat carbonation as the dominant flavor. Strangely sharp touching bitterness which doesn’t seem to come from anything hop related, but more of a gaseous bite which is just odd.

Minimal brown ale character. Drinkable, but not something I would go for again.

 

Very nutty nutmeg taste. Has a dark glow but still can see through a little.

 

Draught pint at The Brass Tap in Baltimore. An ordinary brown ale w/NO trace of "nut"

Got this in a growler at the brewery. Dark brown color. Aroma is malt and roast. Taste is like the nose but with a satisfying roast and some nuttiness. Slightly sweet. Not a lot of bitterness, which is perfect for a brown in my opinion. Mouthfeel is very good. Just enough carbonation. As has been said, this beer is not overly complex (a good thing) but is very satisfying. My wife and I both really enjoy this brew. Good job Antietam.

In a nutshell (pun intended), a solid offering for the style. Nice brown color from the can to the glass, with a decent head that laced very nicely. Roasted malt in the nose, but the taste is balanced well with some bittering hops--not too much, mind you, but just enough. Taste isn't too complex, but does feature a hint of roasted pecan (unless it's all in my head). Mouthfeel is a bit more substantial than, say, a Newcastle Brown, but still quite refreshing and easily drinkable. I'd like to drop by the brewery and try it on tap.

Poured from a 12 oz. can. Has a dark chestnut color with a 1/2 inch head. Smell is strong of nuts, some malts. Taste has lots of dark breads, malts, nuts, very easy drinking. Feels medium bodied in the mouth and overall is a tasty and refreshing beer worth trying.

16 oz globe glass.
Pours thin with a quickly dissapating head. Smells of mild roasted malt, a touch of nut that was so light, it took a few attempts to find it. The taste pretty much matched the smell, however was much better than the smell advertised. There was a small bitterness bite mid-late, but was not detracting from the overall taste. MF had an even mix of carbonation/creaminess.

Overall, I liked this NBA. It wasn't great, but there was no major let down.