Firkin Merkin
Hudson Brewing Company

On tap at brewery:
On the darker side for a brown ale, a barely beige head adorns this pour, providing some lacing. Nose of roasted nuts and medium leaning dark toast. Taste brings a little more of the latter, with the flesh of the firmer in a lighter respite before a light roast and earthy bitterness finishes the beer. Definitely a more American take, bolder and not too malty, but not too heavy with hop bitterness, either.

 

On-tap Grand Cru Beer & Cheese Market, Rhinebeck, NY

A: The beer is clear dark brownish red in color and has no visible carbonation. It poured with a half finger high off white head that left a thin layer of bubbles covering the surface and a frothy white head.
S: Light to moderate aromas of smoked malts are present in the nose.
T: The taste has flavors of brown and nutty malts along with light notes of smoke in the finish. There is a light amount of bitterness.
M: It feels medium-bodied and a little smooth on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: This beer tastes like a hybrid between a smoked beer and a schwartzbier.

Serving type: on-tap

I give this beer a fairly low judging only because it was marketed as an American Brown ale, but it looks and tastes closer to a stout or at least a dark porter. That said, this is a good tasting stout. The color is very dark brown, almost black. Light head that was almost dissipated by the time the glass made it to my table. It has low malt sweetness and hop bitterness. The dark/burnt malts provide the bitter roasted flavor that is in the forefront of the nose and taste.
I had this at a "popup" brew cafe in Hyde Park, NY. If I see it at my local beer store I would buy a 6 pack.