Pioneer Path Of The Unknown
Connecticut Valley Brewing

Pours a dark brown, almost black color with a very thin head, large bubbles which leave no lacing on the glass and no cap.

Smell is mostly roasted malt with maybe the slightest hint of dark fruit on the nose.

Taste starts out with a roasted malt fruit, subtle hints of chocolate and dark fruit dance around in the aftertaste to make what was starting out rather simplistic into something slightly more complex and interesting, carbonation is weak but not entirely lacking, for 10% the beer hides the alcohol fairly well except for some alcohol breath but in terms of burning in the mouth there is none.

 

22 oz into snifter

L - Pours deep mahogany with half inch white head and heavy lacing
S - Toasted pecans, roast coffee and caramel
T - Opens with toasted malts, nuttiness and caramel, but then follows with astringent overly burnt flavors. Too much for me
F - Medium bodied, almost light given the ABV

Overall interesting, but not my favorite. There is a sharp astringency that doesn't sit well.

 

 

 

Typical brown ale appearance. Sweet aroma, somewhat oxidized. Sweet caramel malt taste, light coffee-like roastiness, solvent, oxidation. Not very good.

A: crystal clear - as I neared the bottom of the bottle and roused the yeast, that obviously changed; dark brown with ruby accents; 1 finger light brown head that receded quickly to a thin collar; OK lacing;

S: very restrained; what's there is deeply roasted grains with a bit of chocolate;

T: boozy all the way through; chocolate is predominant at mid-palate; boozier at the end; moderate bitterness at the finish;

M: medium bodied; moderate to high carbonation;

O: the carbonation is a little high for my taste; everything about this beer is good; nothing about this beer is especially memorable;

 

 

 

Great toasted malt flavor. It is thick in texture, and still manages to go down much quicker than similar beers with a 10% ABV.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A - A thick layer of espresso brown head sits on top of a dark body. Afer some sips, there is some impressive lacing as it inches down the glass. Gotta say, very impressive bottle, too. One of the finest labels I've come across... very intricate artwork of a wooded path,

S - Very strong notes of chocolate. Deep aroma of sweet malts. Hearty.

T - Very sweet and heavy ale here... Light carbonation adds to the thick feel of this beer. Loaded with malts, this beer is quite dense. The chocolate will not be ignored!

M - Very full mouthfeel to this ale. I can't remember having ever tasted a double American brown ale, but it's damn thick. Almost syrupy.

O - I'd definitely try this again, but maybe not in the middle of summer. The high ABV (10%) and thick pull suggest that it might be best sipped in the colder months. Very tasty.