Sierra Nevada Tumbler Autumn Brown Ale
Autumn leaves brown with pumpkin and bronze highlights and a lovely lid of caramel nougat colored cream. Soft divots form in the foam as it fades, and an acceptable amount of lace in shredded sheets is beginning to be laid down. The aroma is classic nut brown ale. The best decision that SNBC made was to leave the Munich malt (which is present in their standard brown ale) out of this offering. The malt bill here includes pale, crystal, chocolate and smoked. Sounds like... and smells like... a wonderful lineup. Tumbler Autumn Brown is good beer from stem to stern. Sierra Nevada, as usual, uses a fairly generous lupulin load, but the Challenger and Yakima Goldings hops don't outpace their malt support. This is one of the most balanced browns around. And one of the most well-crafted. Specifics include brown bread, toasted pecans, chocolate shavings, tea leaves, and an ale yeast fruitiness that ties it all together with a nicely drinkable bow. There may be a wee puff of smoke, but it isn't prominent. Again, good mix of malty sweet and hoppy bitter. The mouthfeel doesn't quite keep pace. Ideally, it would be a little bit bigger and more creamy, but that would require more malt and, possibly, a higher ABV. Slightly harsh bubbles settle down in no time. Tumbler Autumn Brown Ale doesn't seriously challenge the best American browns, but it's another solid effort from one of this country's finest (and most consistently good) craft breweries. What better way to watch the autumn leaves tumble down outside my front window than with a bottle of well-brewed brown ale?