It’s been a heckuva day, and I’ve already had one of my own homebrewed Bourbon barrel aged Russian Imperial Stout. So, I reached into the beer fridge and decided to drink the first thing I grabbed. I believe I pick this one up a few months ago at the liquor store in a mix a 6-pack. The bottle says, “Ale Brewed with Hemp”
Location: Poured into a tulip shaped pint glass from the bottle at my home in Bloomington, IL.
Numbers: 5.7% ABV, 32 IBUs, 30L Color, 170 Calories
Ingredients: Malts: Two Row, Wheat Malt, Crystal 75, Crystal 120, Chocolate Malt, Toasted Hemp Seeds (adds an herbal / nutty flavor). Hops: Bittering – Chinook, Late Kettle – Tettnanger
Appearance & Aroma: It’s dark brown, almost black in color with some clear ruby highlights when I held it up the light. It had a thin head, which fell to just a ring of bubbles around the edge of the glass. However, there appears to be a decent amount of carbonation in it. It’s got a malty, nutty aroma, with a good amount of dark caramel.
Taste & Feel: The body is light and the mouthfeel is somewhat crisp from the carbonation in it. The crispness up front makes it difficult to distinguish any flavors initially. However, a sweet caramel nuttiness emerged in the middle, with toasty, nutty flavor growing in finish. There was a bit of a nutty aftertaste that lasted for only a brief while.
Food Pairing: This was a crisp, nutty ale, with some sweet caramel flavors. Given these flavors, I’d probably pair it with something covered in a nice mushroom gravy – I’m thinking either a thick, juicy mushroom and swiss burger, or a weiner schnitzel.
Overall Impression: I thought this was a pretty flavorful, malty, nutty brown ale, which I enjoyed. I think it could have been even more enjoyable if the carbonation crispness were a bit smoother and creamier. Overall, I thought it was a good brown ale I’d recommend.
My Rating: 
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