As I’ve mentioned in my last few posts, I’m at Madeira Beach in Florida on my family vacation. Today we went to John’s Pass, a touristy area with lots of souvenir stores, ice cream spots, restaurants, and tours. We walked along the boardwalk and stopped into The Hut Bar and Grille to rest and grab a bite to eat and drink.
Location: On tap and served in a plastic cup at The Hut Bar & Grille at John’s Pass in Madeira Beach, Florida.
Numbers: 5.5% ABV, 25 IBUs, 14% OG, 24 SRM, 185 Calories
Appearance & Aroma: It was dark brown in color and appeared to be a bit cloudy. Despite being in the plastic cup, it had a nice, thin, very creamy, tan head on it, which actually left some lacing on the cup. The aroma was toasty with some roasted malt smells and a bit of nuttiness.
Taste & Feel: The body was light, but the mouthfeel was fairly creamy from the head. However, there was a slight bit of carbonation bite up front from the carbonation in it. The flavors up front were lightly sweet toasty and caramel malts, and more roastiness and nuttiness come in during the middle. The finish was fairly dry with a bit of bitterness which seemed to be a mix of earthy hoppiness and darker roasted malts. The aftertaste didn’t last long but left a bit of roastiness and nuttiness.
Food Pairing: This beer had mostly roasty characteristics, and I would probably pair it with a hearty meal like a steak. I think adding a bit of mushrooms and gravy to the steak would bring out the nuttiness of this beer even more. In the spirit of Florida, I would also pair this beer with a pulled-pork Cuban sandwich as well.
Overall Impression: It’s always tough to judge a beer when it’s served in a plastic cup, but there seemed to be a fair amount of aroma and flavor to overcome that barrier a little bit. The flavors were a mix of toastiness, roastiness, caramel, and nuttiness. However, the roasty flavors seemed to come forward more than the other flavors. I was a bit surprised by the lightness of the body, but it makes sense for the Florida heat… and the creamy mouthfeel made up for it a bit. Overall, I thought it was a fairly good beer with a nice mix of flavors.
My Rating: 
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