Civil Life American Brown Ale
What the brewers say
“Malty, caramely, tart and toasty, earthy and citrusy, with delicious hints of bitter chocolate and dark roasted coffee.”
What our panel thought
Aroma: “Toasty malt with a hint of roast and chocolate and a touch of cherry and raspberry followed by piney and citrus hops. Nice toasted nut flavors. Bright chocolate, biscuit, and caramel malts followed by balanced hops and yeast esters.”
Flavor: “Light malt sweetness followed by firm bitterness that sticks around well past the finish. A touch of rye or pumpernickel spice adds intriguing complexity. The hops come through more in the flavor with pine, grassy, slightly earthy, and grapefruit pith character.”
Overall: “The lightly roasted interpretation of the style is endearing—it lacks the sharp edges typical of so many browns. This is what I want to drink on a crisp autumn afternoon—it’s so crushable and balanced, you could take down two of these while looking for pumpkins and still have enough of your wits about you to PR a corn maze.”
