Otter Creek Brewing
793 Exchange St.
Middlebury, Vermont, USA 05753
(800) 473-0727
Preface: This 12 oz. bottle of Wolaver’s Brown Ale was purchased for $2.50(USD) at Peas & Pickles Grocery in Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn, NY. There was no “Best by…” date number on the neck.
The following notes are made after a mouth wash with room temperature sparkling water. These notes have not been influenced by reading promotional material or any other review of this brew.
I am including this preface to inform the reader of any and all circumstances that might be conceived of as creating a biased review or a conflict of interest regarding the choice of words used in the following review. I could go on and on with semi-legal jargon but I guess you will just have to trust me eh?
The following are my tasting notes:
Appearance: A crystal clear amber garnet brew carbonated with tiny bubbles that form a healthy parchment white head of small and medium bubbles.
Aroma: The first impression is a sweet roasted grain aroma. The second visit brings out more roast aromas with undertones of brown sugar. The third visit revealed little new. The moment between lip and sip picked up some sweet.
Mouth feel: A firm handshake would be a fine description of this brew.
Flavor: The first impression is of a creamy smooth sweetness that is almost immediately swept away by a sharp tang. The second sip finds some sharp spikes of almost metallic flavors getting the receptors on the front and sides of the tongue a wake-up call. Finally the third sip has these various forces focused and calibrated. Further indulgence would have probably smoothed the flavors even more.
Finish: The last traces of the emphatic hop tangs saunter towards the finish
Comments: The folks at Otter Creek have groomed the Wolaver’s line of brews into a serious contender in the organic food market. That said, I will have to consult with some brewer buddies to determine the effect the brewing process and packaging that makes using organic grain and hops into anything more than simple perceived value.
Food & Beer: Here is something I would suggest as an accompaniment to a selection of cheeses from the artisanal cheese makers of Vermont.
The Brewery: http://www.ottercreekbrewing.com/
What others say:
BeerAdvocate: http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/119/397
RateBeer: http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/wolavers-brown-ale/823/
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