Grand Teton Bitch Creek Extra Special Brown.

Yet another sleeper of a beer I've been putting off buying. I did enjoy that Sweetgrass APA well enough, after all. This second offering from Grand Teton, endearingly name Bitch Creek, is also labeled with an ESB. In passing, I had always assumed this was a standard "ESB", an extra special bitter, but upon closer inspection, it is a brown, not a bitter. I will say I already knocked off a bottle of it before this one. I have to say, this is a pretty luscious brown ale. The nose is warm and inviting, very bready. It reminds me of the iconic, to me, scene of the stack of simple meat and white bread sandwiches (FUCK YEAH SANDWICHES) with the percolator of hot, black coffee. But I digress.

If I had to relate this taste with one other thing in the world, it would be a cafe au lait from Cafe du Monde. The rich, roasted malts essential to the brown ale come on just strong enough to lend a bitterness, with a minor impression of dry (clean) dirt around the edges. As it reminds of cafe au lait, there is a richness that is analogous to adding cream (real, not non-dairy, powdered or otherwise flammable substances), leveling off those sharp peaks.

This is a well-balanced beer. Strong character but without too much bulk. It carries some girth, unlike a Newcastle, but not so low and heavy as strong stout. The carbing reminds me of my homebrew nut brown ale, whatever that may mean to you. Because it's a pretty tasty brown ale, I will forgive it for not being a nut brown ale and failing miserably. I'm going to bet this goes with some smoked cheeses and fresh bread. It would probably also be good with or in some stew-y/roasted beef.

• Appearance: Nearly opaque brown, slight tint of red against a light. Light brown head which fades.
• Smell: Warm, bready aroma with minor coffee notes.
• Taste: A solid coffee based with roasted malts. The darkness is not overdone, and it comes off as slightly 'cafe au lait'. Very pleasant.
• Mouthfeel: Not so light as Newcastle. It has some substance but keeps its distance form stout territory. Carbing is fairly full with a mild bite for a brown ale.
• Drinkability and Overall: 6%ABV, slightly beyond session level, but a few won't hurt you. Decent enough brown ale, of which there are far too few.