Headbangerz Brown Ale
Bomber, received as an extra from Beerman777, into a Duvel tulip. A: A moderately vigorous pour yields a towering 3-finger head of soft tan foam that beautifully fills the top half of the tulip and contrasts nicely with the deep reddish-brown body beneath. The voluminous head recedes at a measured pace, leaving lumps of creamy foam throughout and lots of frothy lace. Phenomenal-looking brown ale. S: Not much to it, unfortunately. Nothing but thin, sweet, nutty malt, with some caramel character as well. Pretty bland and boring. T: Starts out with the nutty character from the nose, then gets metallic and a little sour (ala Newcastle), and finishes with more generic thin sweetness. Definitely in the English tradition, but not even as good as Newcastle. M: Way too thin, but balanced with ample carbonation. D: Despite being a bit watery, this has just enough of a sour tang to it (and not in a good way) to make it less than pleasant to quaff. Notes: At times this beer seems to have a glimmer of something interesting going on, but it always seems to fade away into thinness. That said, it's an absolutely gorgeous example of the style, and with a bit more body and some hops it could become a really tasty brew. Thanks, Steve, for the chance to try it. Cheers!