Mild Mannered
Rustic Leaf Brewing Company

16 ounce crowler into tulip glass, filled on 3/15/2020. Pours lightly hazy nearly opaque dark brown color with a 1 finger dense nad rocky light khaki head with great retention, that reduces to a thin cap that lingers. Nice spotty foamy lacing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of big caramel, brown sugar, roasted nuts, toasted biscuit, and dark/brown bread/crust; with lighter notes of toffee, chocolate, cocoa, coffee, raisin, plum, apple, herbal, wood, grass, pepper, and yeast/roast/toasted earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of dark/roast/bready malts, and light-moderate earthy hop/fruity yeast notes; with big strength. Taste of big caramel, brown sugar, roasted nuts, toasted biscuit, and dark/brown bread/crust; with lighter notes of toffee, chocolate, cocoa, coffee, raisin, plum, apple, herbal, wood, grass, pepper, and yeast/roast/toasted earthiness. Light-moderate herbal, woody, grassy, peppery, roasted bitterness on the finish. Lingering notes of caramel, brown sugar, roasted nuts, toasted biscuit, dark/brown bread/crust, toffee, chocolate, cocoa, coffee, dark fruit, herbal, wood, grass, pepper, and yeast/roast/toasted earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Great complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roast/bready malts, and light-moderate earthy hop/fruity yeast flavors; with a great hop/roasted malt/bitterness balance, and no astringent flavors after the finish. Light-moderate increasing dryness from lingering hop/roasted bitterness. Medium carbonation and light-medium body; with a very smooth, moderately creamy/bready/grainy, and fairly sticky/chalky mouthfeel that is great. Zero warming alcohol as expected of 3.6%. Overall this is an excellent English dark mild ale. All around great complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roast/bready malts, and light-moderate earthy hop/fruity yeast flavors; very smooth and easy to drink with the mellowly bitter/drying finish; nicely soft, not overly bitter, very flavorful and not watery for the ABV. Great clean and nicely rich malt showcase; with balancing earthy hops and restrained fruity yeast. Mild residual sweetness with lingering dryness. A very enjoyable offering, and impressive spot on style example as expected of the brewery. No complaints!