I sometimes wish there were more European beers available for sale in Alberta. Whenever I want to try a traditional European beer, I often have to purchase some craft beer interpretation of the style. Fortunately, there are a great many brewers in north America who make awesome European beers. I still think it's nice however, to be able to purchase a "real" English brown ale once in a while just so I can have something official to compare the local stuff to.
English brown ale can be described as malt forward with a certain nutty character. At least this is the case for northern brown ale, as opposed to the southern example. The color should be a deep, leathery brown. Fruit esters should be low, with flavors skewing towards dryness. Hops tend to be more subtle, being only present enough to balance the beer's malt sweetness. It Always Starts in a Tavern pours into my glass crystal clear and a deep, leathery brown color. The head is dense, tan in color, and lasting.
On the nose, rich aromas of malt lead the charge. Up front I get notes of deep, rich caramel combined with hints of nuts. Nuts lead into a center where I find aromas of damp earth combined with hints of tobacco. This may be my imagination but I smell just a hint of something that could be dates. All of this leads into a finish that is short and gentle in its dryness.
Taking a sip shows me an ale that is smooth and rounded up front. As with the nose I find rich flavors of caramel only this time it seems to be paired with something like cocoa powder. The flavors take a turn towards leather and tobacco in the center. As with the nose I taste something reminding me of dates before things move into a finish that is dry and lasting.
I think this beer deserves a solid 7.75 out of 10. It's smooth, rich, flavorful, and decently balanced. It Always Starts in a Tavern reminds me of a very solid English style brown ale. I would go so far as to say that if you can't find an "authentic" brown ale from England, this would be a good substitute.
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