92 Smuttynose Durty Mud Season Hoppy Brown Ale (American Brown Ale; Smuttynose Brewing Company, NH). This new brew originally comes from

one of Smuttys Short Batch releases, but makes its

seasonal debut this spring. Its a wonderful balance

of rich, toasty brown-ale characteristics and bright,

citrusy hop notes. The hop prof le leads on the nose,

with forward scents of grapefruit peel and pine resin,

while the malty core of caramel, toI ee and brown-

bread f avors f esh out the creamy palate. The f nish

is dry and astringent, with good length and a kiss of

bittersweet cocoa f avor.

abv: 8.4% Price: $9/12 oz 6 pack

90 Karl Strauss Fullsuit Belgian-style Brown Ale (Belgian-style Brown Ale; Karl Strauss Brew-ing Company, CA). Aged on French oak chips, this

leads with toasty aromas of roasted nuts, charred

wood and vanilla-caramel sauce, with supporting

notes of brown-bread dough, toasted malt, toI ee and

dried hops. The spicy yeast notes of clove and pepper,

as well as a touch of banana, unfold on the creamy

mouth and linger through the close. Despite the rich,

sweet aromas and f avors, its well balanced, clean

and easy to drink.

abv: 6.3% Price: $10/12 oz 6 pack

90 Uinta Bristlecone Brown Ale (English Brown Ale; Uinta Brewing, UT). A refreshing and well-balanced selection, this is a smooth and clean

brown ale that also happens to be quite sessionable

thanks to its easygoing prof le and low alcohol. Flirty

scents of caramel malt, peanut shells, weak coI ee

and brown bread dance in the bouquet and continue

through to the light-bodied palate. Brisk carbonation

keeps the mouthfeel bright and lively, with just a no-

tion of bitter, earthy hop that unfolds on the f nish.

abv: 4.3% Price: $9/12 oz 6 pack

WINEMAG.COM | 103

Brown ales are nothing new to the beer

world. Traditionally an English style,

brown ales were spawned from mild ales

as sweet, malty selections of full body and

medium alcohol. The hop prof le of these selec-

tions is typically lowlight on aroma, f avor

and overall bitternessallowing the malt char-

acteristics to take center stage

and truly shine. Some produc-

ers prefer a leaner prof le, with

cleansing carbonation to lif the

roasty characteristics, while

others might drill down into the

rich, malty, nutty goodness that

some people cant get enough of.

American versions are of en

quite similar to their European

counterparts, although they of-

ten use American ingredients,

including hops. Like most Amer-

ican beer styles, the hop prof le

is of en amped up a degree or two (or even three

or four) from traditionally styled examples, and

with that might also come an increase in alco-

hol, especially for producers looking to make

imperial- style selections.

These hop additions can result in some

blurred lines when it comes to knowing what

to expect from any given American brown ale.

Some may be brewed in a more traditional style,

while others might be more of a hybrid of the

brown ale and IPA styles, even though of cial

style guidelines for American-style brown ales

list low to moderate hop characteristics. Al-

though sometimes labeled as Brown IPA, your

best bet for knowing what to

expect is to read the beers la-

bel for indications of style or

IBUs, or check out the produc-

ers Web site for more recipe

specif cs.

In addition to these brown

beauties, we also reviewed a

handful of seasonal selections

for this issues Beer Buying

Guide. Some are winter releas-

es while others are scheduled to

hit shelves this spring, but ei-

ther way, theyll get you through

the change of season with plenty of ease and

good taste. Becuase we didnt have enough

room to share them with you here, be sure to

visit buyingguide.winemag.com to check them

out online.

Prost!

Lauren Buzzeo

Brown is the new black

BEER

Traditionally an

English style, brown

ales were spawned

from mild ales as

sweet, malty

selections of full

body and medium

alcohol.

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CLASSIFIEDS

When I first read the recent

Harvard School of Public

Health study declaring

that a couple of drinks a

day is not only not bad,

but can actually improve your health,

I imagined my non-cursing German

mother muttering under breath, No

scheisse.

To this day when she overfills

her belly with too much bratwurst

and strudel, she takes a nip from

an itty-bitty bottle of Underberg, an

alcoholic German elixir that tastes like

Fishermans Friend cough drops with a

tinge of alpine meadow.

Developed in 1846 using a secret

herbal recipe and process mysteriously

referred to by the brand as semper

idem, Latin for always the same, its

packaged exclusively in 2-centiliter

bottles, each carefully wrapped in a

twist of straw-colored paper like a

grand cru Bordeaux.

I myself was once given a homemade

dose of high-proof pinecone-infused

zirbenschnaps that cured my head cold

while on a visit to Austrian ski country.

For ages, alcohol was used to make

water safe for drinking, and it was

the top medicine in the Middle Ages

literally called aqua vitae, or water of

life, a term preserved by the Danish

caraway-flavored liqueur, aquavit.

The French liqueur Chartreuse, still

produced by Carthusian monks, traces

its complex herbal sip back to a recipe

for the elixir of long life.

Absinthe also began as a medicinal

product. Its controversial ingredient

is wormwood, which was used as far

back as ancient Egypt to treat anything

from indigestion and fever to menstrual

cramps.

Patent and side show medicines

made during the 19th century were

usually heavily alcoholic (sometimes

with other ingredients like opium and

cocaine).

Plenty of spirits are still categorized

as digestifs, from Italian amaros to my

moms beloved Underberg.

While I cant stand the taste of

Underberg, preferring Rolaids to soothe

my stuffed stomach, I relish the fact

those white lab coats at Harvard are

just now catching up to what my

mother, and her mother before her,

have long known.

Ingrid Steffensen

lastdrop

TAKE TWO SIPS AND CALL ME IN THE MORNING

A recent study (again) confirms what grandmothers have known for centuries: A drink can be good for you.

BE

RT

HA

RD

Y/S

TR

ING

ER

/GE

TT

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AG

ES

A Carthusian Monk testing some long-life elixir.

104 | WINE ENTHUSIAST | MARCH 2014

2014 Clos Du Val, Napa, California