Autumn Brown Ale Tasting

With Fall officially coming to an end, figured it was about time to post some tasting notes on my Autumn-inspired Brown Ale.  It's been a busy season, with little time to brew or blog, but I'll make up for some of that in the coming months.

Abscission Ale

Appearance - Beautiful deep brown, with creamy tan head that slowly dissipates

Aroma - Malt dominates, with a nutty and toasty complexity.  Just a hint of smoke.  The hops bring an earthiness with a touch of spice that backs up the overall rich aroma.

Flavor - Follows the aroma.  Rich, earthy, and nutty/toasty.  Strong malt backbone, with a low level of sweetness, supported by the spice of the Challenger and EKG hops.  Just enough bitterness to carry the malt.  Exceptionally quaffable.

Mouthfeel - Moderate body with moderate-low carbonation (as intended).  Would be good with a bit more body, but, as it is, it works well.  At only 4.2% ABV, I was worried about it being too thin, but I think the the specialty malts give it just enough substance.  Next year, I may add some flaked grain and/or increase the crystal malt slightly just to up the body a bit more.  I'll use Maris Otter as my base malt as well (my LHBS was out when I picked up the ingredients this time around)

Overall - A great Fall season beer - dark and rich enough without being too heavy.  This beer did not last long, though I did manage to hold onto a few bottles to share with family at Thanksgiving - this beer paired excellently with the (beer-brined) turkey.