Dundee Nut Brown Ale
It’s that time of year where the beer selection in my fridge is of a richer, maltier nature. Sure a stray pale ale will show up now and again, but right now the variety is dominated by brown ales — Bells Best Brown, Dogfish Head Indian Brown and Sierra Nevada’s Tumbler are all in there right now. That means that this sample of Nut Brown Ale from Dundee has it’s hands full in comparison.
Brewed with natural hazelnut flavors the brew certainly has a nutty character to accompany it’s lightly roasted malt base and is easy drinking, but it just doesn’t quite stack up to some of my favorites. The beer just doesn’t have that richness that personally enjoy in this style of beer.
Appearance
Chestnut in color the beer sits with a quickly falling, off-white head.
Aroma
The nose is a little on the subtle side with hints of roasted nuts, bready malts and a light caramel notes.
Taste
For the most part the beer tastes like a nut brown ale, but it’s on the more subtle side of the flavor profile. Everything is somewhat muted with a light caramel malt and nutty character coming through a bit more as the beer warms in the glass. The brew also isn’t as full on the palate as I would like for the style, instead delivering it’s flavors with a light body and crisp mouthfeel.
Overall
Dundee’s Nut Brown Ale isn’t a bad first attempt at the style for the brewery, but with the likes of the competitors that I mentioned above in the intro, it’s not one I would personally seek out. That said, I’m sure it would make for a solid introductory example of the style to those who haven’t quite gotten into the richness of these seasonal brews.
Rating: 3.25/5
This is a review of a promotional sample received from the brewery.