Big Sky 'Moose Drool' Brown Ale

Big Sky Brewing 'Moose Drool' Brown Ale. 5.1% abv. 26 IBU. Dark brown color. Nearly two fingers of ivory head. Good retention and low-moderate lace. Nose of malt, nutty, slight smoke. Front taste of caramel, roasted malt, notes of dark fruit. Aftertaste of caramel, earthy hops, distant bitter. Thin-medium body. Mouthfeel is thin, small bead carb.

This is a decent brown ale, certainly an example of its category, but unfortunately nothing more. The nutty and smoky notes of the aroma do not carry over to the taste which is largely roasted malt. There is some hop presence in the aftertaste but not nearly enough to stand this beer above the fold. The promised mix of different malts and hops are barely detectable, failing to create any complexity.

Brown ale is one of my favorite beer styles, and many people love Moose Drool, so I was unexpectedly disappointed. It fits its category, but is not impressive or memorable. I originally ended this review with "pass on this one." However, I won't discourage you from trying one - you may well enjoy it like many others do - but I can't recommend it either. Like many other beers I've reviewed, I can and do enjoy this beer, but it is far from my first choice.

From the brewery:

"Moose Drool is the world's premier brown ale. For a dark beer, it is extremely drinkable and excellent complement to most foods. Four different malts are used in this brew. We also do four hop additions consisting of a combination of East Kent Goldings' Liberty and Willamette."
[source: bigskybrew.com]