So I’m at a 7-11, looking at the typical intoxicants:

malt liquor, Heineken, caffeinated alco-pops… And then something peeks out at me. Hiding in the glide trays.

Legend Brown Ale.

First of all, I’m not used to seeing this in the door. The familiar Legend label is easily recognizable, and with it come thoughts of artisan brewing; not just a convenient buzz in a bottle. Indeed, the first beer I tasted from the Richmond brewery was in 2005.  To commemorate my first visit to my girlfriend while she was living in Blacksburg, she’d bought me Legend Imperial India Pale Ale.

It was a dissertation on hops in a bottle. I loved it.

Unfortunately though, I’ve had mixed luck with some of Legend’s other work.

Having just finished a long, hot day, and yearning for a good craft beer, I figured I’d indulge. I bought the 22oz bottle and cracked it open as soon as I got home.

The ale pours out a rich brown-black, leaving a pale head that doesn’t stay for long. The aroma has a bit of butterscotch with a bit of chocolate malt. Ice cold, this beer doesn’t taste like anything amazing. A typical brown. As the beer warms up though, the layers of flavor come out, revealing a grainy maltiness–a sweet, caramelized maltiness–punctuated by a roasted taste that explains how the beer got so good and dark. The hop profile in this beer, however, could be a bit more forward. It’s great with food; malty but not heavy. And it’s a good easy drinker.

Legend Brown merges a lot of important qualities of great beer.  It is good and malty without being as heavy as other malted beers, like a dopplebock.  BJCP, the Beer Judge Certification Program describes the American version of the Brown Ale overall as “a bigger, maltier, hoppier interpretation of Northern English brown ale.”

So… in theory, this beer could be Newcastle, after it’s hit the gym for a few weeks.

And don’t get me wrong, I’ve certainly knocked back my share of Newcastles.  Suffice it to say that, in addition to not having as much of a dominating diacetyl (butterscotch flavor), Legend Brown is a standout beer in and of itself. Accessible enough for people who are still venturing out of their beer comfort zones, yet complex enough to warrant a review by a beer geek. If you see it around, give it a try. And Legend, if you feel the need to send me free samples, I understand.

Homepage photo by wallace, quoted from Picasa Web.
Original photo this page by Jason Perlow, quoted from Off the Broiler.

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