Full Nelson Virginia Pale Ale
Nitro Nelson, i.e., the original Full Nelson, served on nitro tap. Arrives in a pint glass. Enjoyed at Blue Mountain Brewery, Afton, VA. Appearance: Comes that same ol' attractive Full Nelson color, a robust, reddish-orange amber, capped by a the remnants of a nitro head. I'm surprised the retention on this one wasn't better (she did take a while bringing it to me, but still) - all that's left is a solid but microscopically-thin sheen of lace and a solid, sheet-like layer around the glass. Carbonation is, expectedly, nil, with the exception of an occasional stray bubble, fine and medium speed. Looks pretty much what you'd imagine a nitro Full Nelson to look like, but I'm disappointed in the head and the sort of "dull"-looking quality that this one has as a result. Though I almost gave it a 3.0, I'm gonna bump it up to a 3.5 because of the nice lacing, sheet-like and stringy, which makes for an added attractive quality. Aroma: Equal parts citrus and herb make for a very hoppy nose. Nothin' heavier is really getting' pushed up here - carbonation isn't launching volatiles into my nose, in essence, and so this one is pleasantly hoppy. Agitation reveals some straight up doughy caramel notes, but mostly it's just grapefruit, orange, tobacco, rosemary, slight pine, and a few other stray leafy notes. Pleasant, and a little more direct than the regular Full Nelson, but also a little less balanced. We'll call it a score wash. Taste: Tastes like a different beer, almost. Well, ok, no, that's an exaggeration. But a lot of different notes rise to the surface here, different than you would expect. Contrary to the description on the menu - suggesting that the "bitterness rides throughout the beer" when served in this way - I find the bitterness to be significantly subdued, giving way to a huge caramelized citrus and leafy, herbal quality. The typical characteristics of the Full Nelson - waves upon waves of bitter, sprucey pineyness - are still here, to be sure, but definitely not as prominent. Tobacco-esque notes and what I imagine toasted, candied oranges would taste like mingle with doughy, bready notes, roasted notes, relatively dry and wholesome, slightly earthy. It's not necessarily "better" than the carbonated FN, but it really is a different beast. Ok, as it warms further, I'm going to disagree with what I just said and suggest that this IS better than the regular Full Nelson - it's just more flavorful, denser, richer, while still remaining a certain flavorful crispness, particularly due to the leafy, herbal notes, which give you that sort of "Dentyne-fresh ahhh" quality in the back of your throat. Mouthfeel: Here's where you can definitely tell it's nitro. Subtle, mild, smooth and creamy, almost cream soda-esque (a suggestion that's augmented by the orange notes from the Cascades), you can tell precisely how thick the Full Nelson is (answer: moderately to even perhaps a little above moderately thick, odd, given how dry it is). Not a bad thing, either. Good. Drinkability: A unique offering, and a pleasant way to see this one served. You don't see too many IPAs or PAs on nitro tap (and this one pretty much rides that line), so it was interesting to see which notes were augmented and which subdued with this serving type. Though I wouldn't argue conclusively that the end result was better or worse than the original, I'll say that it's very different, and definitely worth trying, if only for educational purposes.