22 oz bottle. Poured a dark orange/brown with a thin tan head that gave way to lots of lacing. Aroma of toasted malt dark fruit and some earthy notes. Flavor was peaty with toasted malt and a slight hint of hops. Body is somewhat thin, but carbonation was good and the beer had a crisp mouthfeel.

Some smoke. berries, earthy noble hop bitterness comes to play in the flavor. Not bad, but nothing special

Initial enormous head of canvas colored bubbles that settle slowly to a thin covering and catacombs of lace. Slightly hazed umber color. Grain and toasted malt aromas. A hint of green peat and mild earthy hops. Seems a bit too zippy in the body. Toasted malts dominate. Background of herbal, dry hops and a bit of earthiness. Acts more like a stronger brown ale than much of a wee heavy, and actually a very good brown ale compared to most. Easy to drink ale. Finish has a nice toasted malt component and just a bit of herbal hops. Thanks to my summer secret santa.

22 oz. bottle on 10/17/2008. Quickly fading beige head with spotty lace over a clear, deep ruby/brown body. Dark fruits like figs and dates, burnt toast, roasted nuts, and some earthy, peppery spice in the aroma. Medium body and carbonation, pleasantly smooth, but with a hint of astringency, and and a softly dry finish. Dark caramel and molasses dominate the flavor initially, but a sharp, peppery bitterness quickly ensues. I’ll admit that I’ve never quite understood Scotch ales, bu this is seems pretty good, very drinkable, and not overly sweet.

22 ounce bottle from Sam’s in Durham. The following is my review from cvillebeergeek.blogspot.com<br /><br />Appearance: This pours a slightly hazy reddish-tinted brown color with almost no head. What head is there sticks around atop the beer and leaves tiny specks of lacing. 3.5/5.0 <br /><br /> Aroma: Not surprisingly, there are strong caramel notes in the aroma. There also also some fruity notes, including apple, peach and coconut. Certainly very interesting. 4.0/5.0 <br /><br /> Taste: Primarily toasted grains, with some of the same fruity notes and a slight hint of peated malts that give the beer a nutty vibe. Bitter finish. 3.5/5.0 <br /><br /> Mouthfeel: This beer is medium bodied and has fairly vigorous carbonation. Otherwise a smooth feel. 3.5/5.0 <br /><br /> Drinkability: This is a 22 ounce bottle at a well-hidden 7% abv, so take appropriate caution. Perhaps not the closest adherence to style guidelines, but still a very tasty brew. 4.0/5.0 <br /><br /> Overall: French Broad is not distributed yet in Virginia, but is fairly readily available in North Carolina. This bottle came from Sam’s Quik Shop in Durham. If you ever come across their beers, definitely try them out. I’ve never been disappointed. This one is a fairly straightforward, pleasant beer. 3.45/5.0