Vierling Nut Brown

On tap at the restaurant/brewery. Deep red-brown body, medium-thin buff head. Toasty aroma with a hint of red grapeskin. Chocolatey body, toasty, with nutty notes and subtle fruitskin tartness. Dry, somewhat bitter finish. Crisply carbonated. Not bad.

Reviewed from a liter-sized, plastic, screw-top bottle that the brewpub uses to sell beer to go. Served chilled in a mini Chimay chalice. Pours a healthy deep brown with a thin cap of tan foam. Poor head retention but adequate lacing. Nice nutty malty aroma. Initial impression is an unimpressive thin, chocolatey beer, however subsequent sips showcase a depth of character that I didn’t pick up originally. Nutty and chocolatey malt flavors with some roasted grain as well. Bitter chocolate in the aftertaste. I find the beer too light in the body, but smooth and well carbonated. It is just shy of being a really good beer. Now - about that plastic to go bottle. I don’t like it. The bottle seems better suited to milk or juice than a carbonated beverage - wide mouth, short cap. When I bought it, a guy at the bar warned me not to let it tip on its side or it will leak. Unfortunately, he was right (as the passenger seat of my rental car will attest). Note to Vierling - get real growlers!