Emmett
Pivot Brewing Company

Dipping their toe into the dark end of the pool, the Pivot brewers give up Golden Delicious for malty brown, if only for a solitaire brewing session. The whimsy of brown ale comes from the cider makers with a robust taste and a nod to British brewing.

Dark brown and looking quite mocha-like, Emmett comes confidently capped with a soft eggshell foam. Rich aromas of chocolate, coffee, toasted walnut and a sweet scent of toffee graces the nose while it taste is decidedly malty sweet with caramel, toffee, brown sugar and candied nuttiness.

A proven malty tone persists throughout the session even as the middle palate begins the lessen its sweetness in favor of heavy toast, breakfast blend coffee, bittersweet chocolate and a roasted nutty flavor that seem on a drying track while gaining a robust and slightly bitter edge. Its late palate offers a balancing bitterness that carries impressions of the broad bitterness of aged woods, hay and orange peel.

Medium full on the palate, the beer's slightly more heft than usual has it siding with a sipping demeanor as its savory taste begins to outweigh its refreshment. A medium long afterglow of mild char, toast and wood spices begin to shed light on a mild roast derived astringency that taunts the late palate and throat.