Cinnamon Bun Brown Ale
Russell Brewing Company

A- Pours a muddied reddish/brown color, with bronzed orange hues lurking in the background. There appears to be a fair bit of carbonation rising to the top, and I did note that the head was minimal upon pouring, and what there was settles quickly into a very thin ring around the inside of the glass. Along with the head, there is not much in terms of lacing either, with only an oily looking film covering the inside of the glass before sliding promptly back into the brew. Nothing wrong with the look here, but could use a little more too at the same time.

S- There is a definite aroma of sweet cinnamon spice, with fresh sweet dough, butter and sugar, so the whole idea of the cinnamon bun is not lost on the nose. Outside of the dessert like smells, there is some honeyed caramel malt, some faint nuttiness as well as hints of milk chocolate. The finish is rich, and with minimal hop presence. A very intriguing aroma indeed.

T- The flavors follow suit to the aromas actually quite well, with a blast of cinnamon spice right off the bat, perhaps even lingering into a muted black pepper taste. There are notes of bread, yeast, brown sugar, caramel/toffee, maybe even a bit of Starbucks Cinnamon Dolce coffee mixed in there too! Toasted malts, vanilla extract, chocolate and muted hop bitterness round out the finish, actually providing for a relatively clean aftertaste, however, the cinnamon sticks to the palate more than any other flavor found here.

M/O- For a brown ale, this actually leans light in terms of body, and the carbonation is quite heavy, providing a zippy feel on the tongue.....almost refreshing but a heavier version of refreshment. Flavors are bang on and I don't feel this is too sweet by any means, but rather the essence of what the final result should be.....a dessert beer that tastes like a brown ale, but with the cinnamon bun aspect all around it. Is this drinkable?, very! Would I have this again?, yup! Looking forward to purchasing again in the future!