Air Mail Ale
Willimantic Brewing Co.

 

Growler into a Duvel tulip.

A: Opaque black body underneath an inch of rich light-brown foam. Average retention and lots of lace. Great looking beer, but resembles a stout more than a brown ale (edit: it's listed on BA as a porter, which seems about right; the brewery menu described it as an American Brown Ale).

S: Sweet, deep caramel and chocolate malts dominate, with a hint of earthy hops on the tail end. Nice.

T: Rich, complex array of sweet malty goodness. Very smooth, very flavorful, and finished off with just enough hops to stave off cloyingness. Very tasty.

M: Slick medium body with only light carbonation. Nothing special.

D: For its strength and sweetness, this is not bad at all. I'll definitely do my part with the growler.

Notes: Yet another strong offering from Willimantic, and one that shows their facility with malts is just about on par with their ability to coax the best from hops. Good stuff.

Cheers!

German-style refillable growler filled at the brewpub.

First imperial pint pours with a 1/2" brown head, over the opaque dark brown brew. The dense head falls recedes at a moderate pace to a solid but uneven layer of bubbles, with ample lasting lace. Aroma is deeply of dark grains, with balancing bitter character. Taste leans toward the bitter throughout. Starts with dark grain coffee-type bitterness, then goes sweet for a moment before tilting towards light to moderate hoppy bitterness. Mouthfeel is soft over the tongue, with good drinkability.