Armada Brown Ale
Alaro Craft Brewery

my very first from these guys, a british brown and a downright impressive one, i love this type of brown ale and wish it were more prevalent in the states, really a nice specimen and a heck of a first impression here for me! a pretty rich amber color to this, but relatively light for brown ale i reckon, holding a nice frothy layer of just off white head. the nose is wicked, light roast which i cant see, layers of english malt, heavier crystal malt meeting more of a maris otter type, earthy and full of minerality, a touch sweet, chocolate and black tea tones, and a bread yeast aspect too, bran and toast and a hint of hazelnut as it warms, lovely and enchanting, autumnal and heartier than it looks. i think the same about the flavor, its complex without really ever being fruity, some of these take on raisin or fig notes and such, but this stays nutty, amaretto, maybe tobacco, definite dry cocoa powder, dark bread, proofing dough, and a pretty little sweet vein running through it, toffee at the end but it doesnt linger. the body is light for the style, and carbonation swift, and the overall quality easy to be impressed by. this is textbook, and it has me eager to try more from these guys. brown ale isnt a style i get overly excited about most of the time, but this one had my dander up. really well done!