Sierra Nevada Tumbler Autumn Brown Ale
Surprised to already see an Autumn seasonal hitting the shelves in July (sigh...). 12oz bottle into a snifter. Tumbler is more auburn than brown, but the clear body is attractive with garnet highlights. Good retention on the tuft of light khaki head which slowly settles to a thin sheet of foam. Nice lacing, too. I'm not quite sure how, but Sierra Nevada has captured Autumn in a glass. The aroma reminds me of a brisk walk in October through a pumpkin patch. AND IT'S JULY IN TEXAS! So, yeah...well done. Toasted butternut squash and brown sugar maltiness shine through more than anything else. Nice roasted quality to the freshly-kilned malts. Whiffs of yeasty funk and soil. [Edit: Hmm...the more I smell Tumbler, the more I detect that rotten-egg yeastiness of a fermenting beer. Points off...] The flavor is an interesting blend of bitter, earthy hops and bittersweet roasted malts. Tumbler finishes with an English-toffee sweetness and a hint of medicine. I can't really say that it all gelled for me...something...disparate about the whole flavor profile. Mouthfeel is lively with carbonation and the medium body bodes well on the palate, finishing with a crisp smoothness that only Sierra Nevada can pull off. Bottom line: not bad, but not great. Although I wasn't a huge fan of SN's Anniversary IPA, I still think it was a better Fall release than Tumbler will be.