People's Pint: Farmer Brown

Farmer Brown Brown Ale

            The People’s Pint Brewery is a local brewery (local to Greenfield, MA) with a commitment to making good beer from local and traditional ingredients.  I went to their bar/restaurant this past weekend and had a number of their beers; I started out with their Brown Ale. 

            Historically ‘brown ale’ was a term first used in the late seventeenth century by London Brewers to describe a new style of mild, lightly hopped ale made with entirely brown malt.  That definition has evolved over the centuries to a modern definition encompassing ales including a sweet component, moderate bitterness, and a malty hoppy finish with low alcohol content. 

            Farmer Brown is mahogany in color with a short, off-white, head.  It has a pleasant aroma of freshly baked bread and sweet malt.  The first sip is creamy and velvety and slightly nutty with a lot of brown sugar.  As you continue to drink you begin to notice a definite sweet fruity presence – a faint veil of raspberry attempting to push its way through to the foreground.  Each sip brings a slightly different flavor, now hazelnut and almond, now vanilla, now just the slightest whisper of a medium roast.  This is an incredibly drinkable ale with subtle carbonation.  It is one of the most popular brews at The Peoples Pint; I know I am enjoying it, as each sip leaves delicate lace rings along the inside of the glass.  I would describe this as a solid fallback beer, one that would stand alone alongside a spicy or salty meal – I would not, however, add sweet to sweet.  I would give it a B.

Beer: Farmer Brown

Serving Type: Tap

Style: Traditional American Brown Ale

ABV: 5.4%

Score: B