Blue Ridge Hopfest Brown Ale

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 9 | Overall: 8

Solid beer. Poured a medium brown color with nice size head which left good lacing. Aroma was nutty and malty some hops. Flavor had a hop bit to it but was mostly roated malts and nuttyness. Mouthfeel was a little thin, but still a good beer.

Aroma: 9 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

Another fine Blue Ridge showing for only 1.40 per single. Poured a somewhat clear brown color with a very nice head and great lacing. The aroma was nutty and light roasted malts with some hop presence. The flavor was hoppy, reminded me a little bit of Moose Drool, and balanced by nutty and roasted malts (some light chocolate in there). Mouthfeel was thinner than it could have been to match the flavor. It was also slightly acidic.

Aroma: 6 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 8

A whole new brewery for me, though I'd swear that the label design is either a homage or a borrowing of a much older (long-gone) beer from the PacNW. Either way, this caught my eye, especially with the "wacky amounts of HOPS!" (sic). Hmm, we'll see.

Pours a little on the dull side. Little head retention, lacing, or carbonation going on with this one. And while the aroma is fairly nice (50/50 split of maltiness and hops in the nose), the beer's looks leave a lot to be desired.

One question. Is this a Rogue or Stone beer? `Cause it surely has a ton of hops (I guess you could say a "wacky" ammount"). From other reviews, I take it that this is made with Palisade hops exclusively. And while I'm not a huge fan nor foe of that particular hop, it's use -- or, rather, it's *over-use* -- does get a bit distracting.

So, is this is a Hoppy Beer (i.e. "HopFest" moniker), or is it an English Brown Ale? The two seem to be diametrically opposed, IMO.

Not a bad drop, but seems to be a drying in the middle and backend, and the mouthfeel gets a bit sticky in the finish. But for a Brown Ale that borders on being over-hopped (yes, to even this West Coaster's palate), this is still not a bad quaffer, all told.

My first beer from Blue Ridge (not to be confused with the USS Blue Ridge, of course!), and not my last, I should hope....

Music: Doom Capital (A Maryland/DC Stoner Rock Compilation)
//TB

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 9 | Overall: 8

Poured a bright red (when held to light) to a dark brown color with a medium sized light tan creamy head and nice lacing on the glass. Citrusy hops, sweet chocolate, nuts, and malt in the aroma. Taste too, is dominated by hops, with nice chewy, sticky, and sweet malts. I really liked this one, it reminded me of a small Arrogant Bastard.