Nutcase Brown by ClubGonzo, American Brown Ale, 6 % ABV, IBU 36.5.
Nutcase Brown a.k.a. ClubGonzo SoloBrew no. 1. I love the label!
This interesting brew was provided by Stian Krog a.k.a. ClubGonzo, which is half of the famous (at least on this web page) JoKr Brewers. I must admit that I’ve never encountered nutmeg notes in a beer before, but I assume that ClubGonzo has, and that he designed this beer to see how much nutmeg he could possible fit into the little bottle. Experimental brewing FTW!
The first impression is not very good: a cloudy, dirty-looking dark brown body with a frothy, light-brown, short-lived head that vanishes more or less completely and leaves virtually no lacing.
The aroma is roasted with a spicy touch. I don’t know if I would have managed to pick out nutmeg if I hadn’t’ read the label, but now that I have, I do find lots of nutmeg. Cool! Unfortunately there’s also these sour yeasty notes that I’ve found in a couple of the JoKr beers. The yeast masks much of the more pleasant and interesting notes, and the aroma ends up as not that impressive.
There is some sweetness in the taste and a moderate to light bitter finish. Kind of dull, really. The flavours are very much in agreement with the aroma, with nice roasted notes, lots and lots of fun nutmeg but also far too much yeast. The yeast gives a rather dry chalky finish, but apart from that the mouthfeel is pretty good. Medium body, smooth texture, soft carbonation, and, brace yourself ClubGonzo: the alcohol is completely hidden!
Conclusion: a fun experimental brew with a really interesting spicy nutmeg twist, but that isn’t enough to rise this yeasty creation up from mediocrity.
Aroma: 5
Appearance: 2
Taste: 5
Palate: 3
Overall: 10
Ratebeer score: 2.5
Where did the head go?
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