American Brown Tasting

Wanting a cheaper American brown ale than the very tasty but relatively pricey Janet's Brown Ale, a few weeks ago I brewed the Dirty Water Brown, also from Brewing Classic Styles (though I had to substitute the hops). The results are quite pleasant, but unsurprisingly not as distinctive and enjoyable as the Janet's Brown. My first tasting was three weeks after brewing, at which point it had a "green" taste. It has however improved significantly since then. Again, more and more I have seen that most of my brews should not be consumed at less than a month old.

Appearance: Coppery brown in color with moderate chill haze despite that this bottle has been in the fridge for 5 days. Good off-white head from the initial pour, which over time fades to a light coating of bubbles on the surface of the beer and sticks to the side of the glass.

Aroma: A good whiff of Cascade hops greets the nose upon the initial pour, combined with a slightly sweet and toasty smell. Pleasant. The hoppy smell fades as I drink, with the toastiness becoming more prominent.

Taste: A really nice combination of slightly sweet / malty / toasty character combined with a fruity hoppy character and moderate bitterness in the finish.

Mouthfeel: Low carbonation, moderate body, with a slightly sweet aftertaste.

Overall: A moderately hoppy, moderately malty brown ale, well balanced between malt and hops. No alcohol bite. Not a strongly flavored beer but very pleasant. I like it a lot.

For Next Time: I don't think I would change anything with this one except for finding some way to reduce the chill haze. I did put Irish moss in the boil. Maybe I could make improvements to the wort chiller or boil more vigorously?