Frangelic Mountain Brown is a limited (brewed-once) beer that was released into the Founders distribution network July 2012. Midwest and some East Coast folks got a shot of getting this in bottles; lil' ole me in California needed to rely on friends out that way to try it myself. Thank you, as always, friends across the country! Founders says: "We’re excited to share this beer with all of you. The use of hazelnut
coffees in the brewing process gives Frangelic Mountain Brown distinct
flavor and aromatics, with sweet and nutty notes beautifully balanced.
We think you’ll enjoy it. We do."
As the name suggests, this is a brown ale that checks in at 9% ABV. As the quote from Founders mentions, it was brewed with hazelnut coffee as a adjunct, so there is meant to be a strong flavor from that, melding (ideally!) with the nuttiness from the brown ale style.
Appearance: Clear dark brown, not opaque, with a small one-finger head that recedes down to invisibility and leaves essentially nothing on the sides of the glass.
Smell: Hazelnut is super dominant: nutty and sweet. There are coffee notes there, as well as faint traces of biscuit and milk chocolate.
Taste: It tastes exactly how you would expect it to, from the smell: huge hazelnut coffee sweetness dominates the palate, with more subtle notes of caramel, toffee, and light chocolate at the end.
Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied with a slight chewiness, that then finishes surprisingly dry. Excellent mouthfeel -- there is body and heft throughout that feels appropriate given the flavor profile, but then it doesn't linger and feel sticky and overwhelming. Nicely done.
Overall: For me, this wasn't the most complex beer. The hazelnut was super dominant and overpowered a lot of the more subtle notes I might have otherwise picked up from the brown ale style. All that said, it was pretty damn good, especially if you are a hazelnut fan -- think Nutella, Frangelico, etc. Particularly considering that great mouthfeel, this is still a beer that Founders can be very proud of. The beer fully commits to its style and namesake, which is a nice change from me often drinking a beer that claims to be brewed with something, and not actually being able to taste it that much. So overall, well done.
3.5/5
As the name suggests, this is a brown ale that checks in at 9% ABV. As the quote from Founders mentions, it was brewed with hazelnut coffee as a adjunct, so there is meant to be a strong flavor from that, melding (ideally!) with the nuttiness from the brown ale style.
Appearance: Clear dark brown, not opaque, with a small one-finger head that recedes down to invisibility and leaves essentially nothing on the sides of the glass.
Smell: Hazelnut is super dominant: nutty and sweet. There are coffee notes there, as well as faint traces of biscuit and milk chocolate.
Taste: It tastes exactly how you would expect it to, from the smell: huge hazelnut coffee sweetness dominates the palate, with more subtle notes of caramel, toffee, and light chocolate at the end.
Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied with a slight chewiness, that then finishes surprisingly dry. Excellent mouthfeel -- there is body and heft throughout that feels appropriate given the flavor profile, but then it doesn't linger and feel sticky and overwhelming. Nicely done.
Overall: For me, this wasn't the most complex beer. The hazelnut was super dominant and overpowered a lot of the more subtle notes I might have otherwise picked up from the brown ale style. All that said, it was pretty damn good, especially if you are a hazelnut fan -- think Nutella, Frangelico, etc. Particularly considering that great mouthfeel, this is still a beer that Founders can be very proud of. The beer fully commits to its style and namesake, which is a nice change from me often drinking a beer that claims to be brewed with something, and not actually being able to taste it that much. So overall, well done.
3.5/5
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