Beer Review: T.B.A.

Reviewing T.B.A., a collaboration brown ale from Stone Brewing Company, Fat Heads Brewery & Saloon and Bear Republic Brewing Company.
Score: 87

2012 vintage bottle. Served in a Dogfish Head snifter and enjoyed on 09/15/12.

Appearance: Pours a root beer-ish brown color with three titanic fingers of tan foamy, dense soda-like head that slowly settles to a think creamy layer of head. Really good lacing, slightly above average retention. 4/5

Smell: Lots of grapefruity hops upfront, then cocoa, brown sugar and a touch of caramel malt. A hint of raisins too. Smells like a black IPA. 3.75/5

Taste: Pine wood flavor upfront, followed by creamy, but cotton-mouthing grapefruit and hot cocoa. There is a little brown sugar flavor towards the finish too, but it is not very sweet. Smooth and subtle caramel malt backbone. A cocoa-y grapefruit flavor really sticks and lingers on the back of the tongue. 3.75/5

Mouthfeel: Light-plus bodied, medium carbonation. Creamy mouthfeel with a dry finish. A little sweet, a little bitter. 4/5

Overall: I honestly expected to hate this beer, but I found that I enjoyed it. The grapefruit aroma/taste is really interesting, and the mouthfeel really works with the beer's flavor profile to enhance the drinking experience. While not anything that would set the earth on fire, this brown ale tastes much more like a solid black IPA. This not a beer I would go out of my way to try again, but I would certainly drink another glass if offered again.

Recommendation: Worthy trying, not worth going out of your way to hunt down. Casual beer drinkers might find the mouthfeel and wood flavor strange, but I enjoyed it.

Pairings: Cohiba cigars.

Cost: $3.49 for a 12 oz bottle.