The Triangle

Issue date: 5/2/08 Section: Arts & Entertainment

Media Credit: Karl Kuchs

Somewhere between the bitter pale ales and the malty black stouts lies the brown ale. Like a stout, the brown ale gets most of its character from malts, but its color is not as dark. They generally have more malts than their pale counterparts, but more hoppiness than their stout cousins. You often see people who "don't drink dark beers" enjoy a brown ale from time to time. That isn't because brown ales aren't dark, but because brown ales are refreshing, not too strong and very flavorful. Tröegs' Rugged Trail Nut Brown Ale is no exception.

Rugged Trail pours a deep, translucent brown. It's deep, but not opaque, topped off by a bit of tan head that dissipates quickly down to a thin coating. It looks like the perfect brown ale. It's not so dark that you can't see through it, but it still blocks out the bar light. The dark malts that give this beer its wonderful color work even harder to give it its aroma. It starts off smelling like chocolate and coffee. This bitterness gives way to the sweetness of caramel scents. After that, you get the full floral bouquet of the hops. The wonderful scent matches the beautiful body perfectly. This marriage of sight and smell is the beer's best quality.

Unfortunately, the taste doesn't quite live up to the rest of the beer. That's not to say it is bad, though. At first sip, there's a slight mocha taste. After that, there's a wave of hoppy bitterness, and finally it washes a nutty taste over your tongue. The finish is long and nutty. I love that aftertaste, though. It is bone dry compared to the lightly sweet flavor of the beer and also lets you really taste every bit of the roasted malts.

The beer is perfectly carbonated, although it is a little thin and watery. It is very smooth and easy to drink. You can chug it down or sip it to savor the flavor. But to fully enjoy it, sample it along with some soft, nutty cheese, like Arina or some other gouda. The creaminess of the cheese matches well with the mouth feel of the ale, and the nutty flavors will complement each other. You can also enjoy Rugged Trail with the dinner course. It is versatile enough to go with chicken and could also stand up to a pork chop; however, a steak might overpower it. What can I say? Rugged Trail offers great drinkability and a good flavor.

Rating: 4

Inebriating: 2

Page 1 of 1

Article Tools