Scotch Irish Corporal's Bitter Brown Ale (Corporal Punishment)

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

The Scotch Irish brown beer. A deep murky mahogany liquid fills the glass topped by a good inch of foaming light brown bubbles. Roasted malt, nuts, and resiny hops fill the nasal cavity with delight while the tastebuds yearn for their sampling of caramel, roasted malt, and a bitter chicory finish. If this is Corporal Punishment, sign me up!

Aroma: 5 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

330ml stubby bottle
4.3% ABV (as written on bottle)
Labelled as 'Corporal's Bitter Brown Ale'
I tried this beer on November 9, 2010 after purchasing from the Queen's Quay LCBO in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The beer poured a hazy brownish gold with a thin white head (certainly not the rich mahogany colour described on the bottle). The aroma was grainy malt, ginger, and some floral hops. The mouthfeel was medium bodied with medium carbonation. The flavour was grainy malt, with citrusy hops, yeast, and spices...and I still have a ginger taste. I really enjoyed this beer. Appearance is marked down because brownish gold comes nowhere near mahogany! Had the side of the bottle not said 'mahogany.....it would have received a higher score!

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

Tapped an amber-brown with a 2 finger white cap...laced the glass well. Aromas of light caramel over citrus-hay tones Medium-light body, sandy mouth feel, hoppy-citrus character. You get a momentary chew on light caramel malts up front before a rush of pale ale flavors hit: fruits, citrus-pine hopping....all wraped in a mild body...finishes bitter like an ESB..poor balance and missing most of the flavors we drink Brown ales for. Although well crafted this ale seems to have an identiy crisis...it's too hoppy, unbalanced and missing the nutty yeast and toasted caramel tastes of a Brown ale, it has a the sharp mouth of an ESB and too dark for a pale ale..I have to ask what's the point? Is the brown ale label just a legitimizing vehicle to carry alpha oils in an unbalanced hop-forward ale? Not my cup of tea in a brown ale

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

An intense and innovative draft of the brown ale style - myself being being a big appreciator of the classic Nut Browns (a la Sam Smith, etc) this has done more than impress me. Sampled off tap at Volo (their third, I believe, keg in no less than a week). Came served with a big, dense head. Too thick to even call suddy, this was like a creamed soup sitting atop. Dense lacing. Tons and tons of bubbles stuck to the glass. A sparkling, glowing brown but with light orange highlights. Aroma is hoppy !!.. ? Wow, yeah, hops in the brown ale?! Zut Alors! Ces't incroyable! Mouthfeel is clean mostly, but rounds out with some resiny bitterness - hardly 'punishment', more so 'pleasure'. Flavour sort of leaves abruptly but finishes out with a long, tasty resonance. Flavour is soft and nutty upfront with some soapyness in the back. A hoppy, earthy (figs, molasses?) as well. Great hop intrusion to balance the flavour. Damn tasty.
What a great take on the brown ale, I hesitated to give a beer this style such a high mark, but it has done more than enough to deserve it.

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

Tap: Medium brown colored ale with nice head with good retention. Aroma is quite bitter and strong malt can already be detected. Taste is bitter as expected though not as much as I would have thought but I also found out it was much more creamy then expected. Very good mouthfeel with good body and carbonation.

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

This bitter brown ale poured a deep copper colour with a creamy off-white head and good lacing and retention. Smells bitter alright ! Could also detect grainy malts with hints of floral scents. Tasted malty at first, but then the bitterness kicked in. Wow ! Long-lasting aftertaste. The IBU of this beer is 84. Quite the punishment.