Full Sail Nut Brown Ale

Brewed by Full Sail Brewing Company
Style: Brown Ale
Hood River, Oregon USA

Serve in Dimpled mug, Shaker

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I still have hope that there will be a few impressive beers from a brewery that I normally expect to mediocre beers. And this is why I keep reviewing Full Sail beers. This is, really, just as mediocre as most everything else that they make. Although the beer itself isn’t much to look at (well, nut brown ales aren’t usually too pretty in general), it has a good-looking, fine off-white head that maintains very thinly, but still solid and dense, through the entire length of the glass. No lacing has a chance to form, as the head slides right down the edges of the glass. No, there isn’t much residual sweetness in this beer and the only real character of sweetness comes from the nut/vanilla notes in the nose and in the flavor. Although the aroma is pretty soft and muted, its flavor is much more characteristic, with a soft, gentle, light roasted malt flavor accompanied by some nut-like vanilla. That malty vanilla flavor carries through into the finish and settles into the tongue with notes of wet wood. If this was a little more intensely flavored and was a little sweeter, with a body that wasn’t quite so flat, I would really enjoy this. But its shortcomings are too obvious to really enjoy. There are so many ways to make a really great nut brown, but that requires you to have some creativity, a good palate, and the tenacity to produce it. There’s no trace of that effort in this beer.

Pours coca cola color with off white diminishing head. Aroma of sweet floral and roasted coconut or almond husk. Floral is super-sweet like lily. Roasted cashew and almond husk into bitter floral (not sweet). Dark roasted huskl end bitter nutty malt and end classic nut brown ale. Very complex. Still not sold on nut ales, but the best I’ve ever had.

Pours a deep dark brown with a tan head. Smells of smoke and sweet malt. A nice smokey flavor with sweet malt just like in the nose. There are also hints of nuts.

Bottled, dark brown with thin tan foam, aroma is weak roast , flavor is light , thin maple and walnuts, light roast finish

Tallahassee, Fl. - New Leaf Market - 12 oz bottle. Pours a very dark cola-like brown with a soft, silky off-white head. Aroma has some eggy notes, a hint of milk chocolate. Flavor has some nuttiness, a hint of bittersweet chocolate, some potting soil. Mouthfeel is thick and sticky. Very enjoyable and tasty.

12oz bottle - pours ruby brown with ivory head and decent lacing. Nose is roasted caramel. flavor adds light chocolate. Light sweetness and moderate chocolate bitterness. refreshing and crisp. Easy to drink.

12 oz bottle. Dark brown with a light tan head, decent retention and lacing. Mild aroma of biscuits, bread, sweet malts, chocolate and light hops. Light to medium body with a creamy smooth feel. Medium sweetness and light bitterness. Chocolate malty flavor. Not too bad.

UPDATED: MAR 16, 2013 12 oz. bottle- Pours dark red to brown with a one finger light tan head that reduces to a collar and some lace. Aroma is roasted malts and some nut. The taste is nutty, creamy, delicious actually, roasted malts and a hint of campfire. Body is medium, creamy, carbonation is medium high, finish is very smooth. I really enjoyed this beer, sounded somewhat boring at first, but was impressed.

Bottle. Pours dark brown with a small, beige head. Roasted malt aroma with hints of chocolate and caramel. Roasted malt flavor with chocolate, caramel and a hint of nuts. Similar, slightly dry, finish. Drinkable but a little bland.

Blackened crimson. Pasty well-sustained caramel-hued froth. Decent aroma of tobacco, cacao nibs, creamed coffee, chocolate wafer cookie, raisin, burnt malt hulls, and peppery hops. Overtly fruity and metallic, with an early body-hindering onset of husky malt (burnt popcorn) and unripe plum acidity. The faintest glimpse of fresh-tasting malt is overshadowed by a moderate amount of tangy esters. Malt continues to lifelessly exude with a papery limpness, with virtually no soundness of structure or sharp definition to combat the prevalent sugariness. Earthy hop tickle emerges as subtle toffee and unsweetened chocolate attempt to salvage things. Finishes with an instant-iced-tea dullness and stewed sugar sweetness trailed by a considerable glow of warming alcohol. As with their "Session" line, this comes off as very cookie-cutter and generic. Malt resembles that of low-quality grain, and the notes of metal and fruitiness combined with the strong presence of alcohol make this too unclean to drink much of. No glaring flaws, though…it just feels like it needs to brewed with a little more intention.