Wolaver's Brown Ale

Brewery: Otter Creek Brewing
Location: Middlebury, VT
Style: Brown Ale
Brewery Website
Rating: B+

Wolaver's is a line of organic beers produced by Otter Creek Brewing. The brown ale is one of four beers available year-round from Wolaver's. The Wolaver's Brown Ale pours a deep reddish amber with a hefewiezen-like haziness. There are lots of fine bubbles rising as well. The head is a foamy, golden tan, and is fairly short. The head has citrus and yeast. There are faint aromas of sweet cereal, wine and rye bread as well.

Initially on the palate there is a sweetish maltiness, which is followed immediately by bitter hops. Mineral notes as well as a faint buttery diacetyl flavor are detectable in the background. The dominant flavor character I note is a piney hops bite. The finish has notes of cereal, grapefruit and resinous hops. The Wolaver's Brown Ale has a medium body. There is some slight astringency and a touch of fine fizziness.

I do appreciate the hoppy bite of the Wolaver's Brown Ale. It is a bit out of character, hovever. Brown ales tend to be very malt-forward, but I found the malt being a bit overpowered by the hops here. Despite the hop inbalance, this is quite a tasty beer.