Trinidad Ghost Town Brown

05-Aug-08 (22-oz bottle: Free sample bottle for stewarding the 2008 World Beer Cup in San Diego, CA) This beer pours clear and deep red in color with a brownish tint and an inch of light-tan head. The nose is roasty, but also sour, stinky a funky, so contamination appears to be an issue. The sourness is fairly pervasive in the flavor, but doesn’t quite mask the dry, roasty malts and dusty hops. Still, this beer isn’t what I suspect it should be, namely, a roasty, malty beer. Apple skins, tart fruits, but not in a good way. Dry and acidic mouthfeel, medium in body, moderately carbonated. Not enjoyable and the rest of this beer is hitting the kitchen sink very soon. Hopefully the other three bottles sent to the WBC weren’t infected as well, but it could explain why the beer didn’t make it out of the first round. Will look for a new bottle if I get to GABF this fall.

Bomber poured a clear dark brown with ruby highlights and a small lingering tan head. Aromas of milk chocolate, carmel, toasted malt and a hint of nuts. Palate was medium bodied and smooth. Flavors of cocoa,. coffee, and toasted malt with a smooth moderatly bitter finish.

Aroma is not good, there is a hint of roasted malt but this is overshadowed by an odd molding grass thing. Color is a deep, dark amber with low carbonation and a tight off white head. Taste is like roasted pine needles. Starting with a medium body it goes down smooth with a slightly flat feel. Finish comes in with a roasted flavor that has a pine like taste that stays all the way though with a sour twang biting at the sides of your tong. I did not like this beer, I don’t like pine flavors and its just odd and a bit flat.

Delicious brown, full but not heavy - well done. One of the better Brown Ales I have enjoyed.