Boston Brewing have been on a bit of a roll, releasing several noteworthy, left of centre releases including a trio of stouts fine-tuned to mimic Neapolitan ice-cream and a hemp IPA. Now, they’ve added another intriguing, if not quite so unusual, release to their limited roster in the form of an India brown ale.
Though the style isn't so talked about, there’s much to be said about balancing bitter, fruity hop characters and sweet, complex malts. Here, Boston have struck a balance that draws out coffee, whisky barrel and stewed fruits from the latter while hops deliver sticky pine and citrus. Notes of burnt toast, toffee, oak, marmalade and apricot intermingle in a manner reminiscent of fruit toast, or the accoutrements of a good cheese board (minus the cheese, although a wedge of blue or a rich taleggio would make a great pairing here...).
At 6.6 percent ABV, the alcohol content is noticeable but sits well against the complex notes from malt and sappy, pine like hops. Almost in "whisky like treat" territory, this one is perfect for slower sipping as the flavour transforms with a bit of warmth.
Jono Outred
Published October 10, 2023 2023-10-10 00:00:00
