Major Trail Brown Ale
Skaneateles Brewery

 

 

perhaps objectively the best of the beers i had when i was in here, either this one or their willow glen ipa. a really dark and very well done american brown, rich with malt depth, milk and dark chocolate richness, a sort of cola middle to it with a little sweetness, and a pretty clean ferment. cool that they use new york ingredients, impressive how the whole industry has boomed in the state in recent years, making this sort of thing possible. quite a dark color, almost looks like a porter in the glass, not a ton of head on it but lots of bubbles in the liquid. cool aromatics on this one, sturdy, autumnal, maybe even wintery, coffee, roasted chestnut, molasses, maple, even black pepper, sweet and pleasant. the flavor is just as good, trace smoke, wet leaves, old wood, high end chocolate bar, molasses again, and soft winter spices and dark bread, yum. fuller bodied and with some finishing sweetness, but this is drinkable beer too, more flavorful than most, a birch note late, very interesting and nuanced, sturdy, and smooth. well built, this will be money come the cooler fall weather!