Town Hall SpringFest

Draft at the brewpub. Poured a clear mahogany color. The head was off white and left a bit of lace on the glass. Subdued aroma overall with hints of brown sugar, fall leaves, and toffee. The flavor was malt dominated without being sweet. I tasted toffee, toasted bread, brown sugar, and light grassy hops. There wasn’t much more than minimal hop bitterness. IMO this was decent, but lacked personality. Looks like everyone who came before me thought it was the bomb. I didn’t think there was enough hop flavor or bitterness to lump this into the "malty IPA" category mentioned previously.

I’m taking a wild guess at the style on this one, as it’s really an enigma of a beer. It appeared at the pub without any notice, and when I asked about it, a server could only say "it’s a maltier IPA." I think that’s not far off. The website says this: "All the ingredients of spring....Lighter in color than most winter beers, lighter in malt than most winter beers, but still very crisp noticable hops...much like that first spring breeze." More mysterious. Of course, we’re far from a spring breeze, but obviously not intended to any style, so my guess is as good as any. But, let’s have at it, any way... Hazy, light brown color, nice cocoa-tan head, slim, but steady... Hoppy aroma, mixed with caramel malt. Green and brown. Taste: here’s where it counts. Smooth, malty, hoppy, delicious. Easy-drinking, full flavored, long finish, full bodied, but never obtrusive, never too this or too that. Sweet, sweet, dark, tasty malt, with a brace of hop bitterness dancing a dervish on the tongue as well. Great mix of flavors. Dark, malty, hoppy, damned delicious. This is something else. I love that it fits no category I can think of, and I’m probably way off base in the designation, but if you can come up with a better one, go for it! I can’t stop drinking this beer, though, it’s light enough to keeping passing by the lips, and hoppy enough to keep my tongue happy, and malty enough to keep the other part of my tongue occupied .... Reminds me of an India Brown, but with a different malt profile. Plainly put, it’s like chocolate meets hops. Very drinkable, even sessionable, with so much flavor...not too light, not too light...love it!

weird but good. Light malty aroma with a good hop character. Body was solid bit reminded me of a hopped up brown ale.

Draft at brewpub. Somewhat subtle aroma with some roasted malt and a hint of hops. Dark, hazy red with creamy, good sized off-white head, with a hint of yellow. Excellent lace. Requires a palate adjustment if you’ve had other beers prior. Very unique. I love the description of this brew: color lightening to greet the warmer temps of Spring. I am having this brew on the warmest day so far of 2008 in Minneapolis, with a high of 50 degrees. Style is still a bit of an enigma. I don’t agree with the "Amber Ale" designation. Mike Hoops indicated that this would be an IPA if it weren’t for the more substantial malt bill. I think it’s definitely more of an IPA than an Amber Ale. There’s a little something in the finish I’m not 100% enamored with, the malt? A very nice beer and the best one of four I had at Town Hall this evening.

Pours hazed and red; a robust and pleasant appearance. Creamy aroma of toffee, soft caramel, and cotton candy, with hints of golden fruits and earthiness showing around the edges. Classic. Taste is firm and malty with lots of gingerbread dough and cushy vinous fruit character of raspberry and grape. Some cocoa. Floral and mineral bitterness dry out the mid palate, and last through to the finish. Medium palate is chewy and smooth, with a great quenching character. Altogther, this is a perfect beer for spring, not brisk enough to provide summer refreshment and not heavy enough to accompany winter depression, but exactly right to drink when stepping inside from the rain, giving all the subtle richness and soft bitter comfort the best english ESB could offer. Well done.