Beer of the Weekend #758: Ellie's Brown Ale

The Avery Brewing Company recently entered the Hawkeye State. I have heard good things about Avery’s brews but have never had the opportunity to drink any of them — mostly because I haven’t been back to Colorado in nearly six years. Thankfully, Colorado — via Avery — came to me.

The beer of the weekend is Ellie’s Brown Ale, brewed by the Avery Brewing Company of Boulder, Colorado.


The color is deep, chestnut brown. One finger or so of tan-tinted, eggshell-colored, shiny, tight head leaves an even skim, a couple bubbles, and a short lacing on the glass. It definitely smells like a brown ale with brown malt, caramel, a toasted character, dark fruit, cocoa, biscuit, and nuts. It smells like November and a good beer to drink around Thanksgiving. There is a scent of cherry licorice, too. The flavor is much fruitier and sweeter than I ever expected with a lot of cherry licorice. Brown malt is also noticeable, as well as the nuttiness and cocoa from the aroma, but the beer is sweet and fruity. Its toasted character does play a role, and the flavors all eventually create a pleasing medley. But, again, it’s sweet and fruity for a brown ale.

Fun facts about EBA:

• Style: Brown ale.

• Price: $10.99 per six-pack of 12-ounce cans at the New Pioneer Food Co-op in Iowa City.

• Alcohol content: 5.5 percent ABV.

• The beer’s webpage has quite a lot of information. Check it out here.

• Printed on the bottom of the can is, “DENNIS AND LOLA SITTING IN A TREE CANNED 12-26-15.”

• Speaking of having not visited the Centennial State in six years: That drought will end a week from today. I am heading west for my conference this year and will drive through Colorado. I will pass through it again on the way back and plan to spend a day or two consuming good beer and edibles.


The Quiet Man’s grade: B-.

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