First Trax Brown Ale - Fernie Brewing Co.

wordemupg

Alberta (Canada)

3.43/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

355ml can poured into pint glass oct30 2010

A clear brownish amber when held to the light with a fast falling two finger head that left no lace

S mild milk chocolate and not much else

T the same milk chocolate with a little nutty flavor, not too bad just a little basic

M a little silky with enough carbonation to give it some life

D OK beer, I might get board after a few but I could drink another one

decent beer, nothing about this one is going to blow you away but nothing disappointed me either

Serving type: can

10-31-2010 05:42:55 | More by wordemupg

Noxious26

Saskatchewan (Canada)

3.13/5  rDev -12.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

355ml can poured in a pint glass. Thanks to my buddy Scott for the beer!

Clear, dark brown with ruby highlights. Dark beige foamy head is 1/4 inch on the pour and slowly recedes to a thin cap. Spots of lacing.

Aroma is malty, woody and slightly sweet. Subtle, but alluring.

Malty with a nutty undertone with hints of wood and caramel. Wet finish is brief with little to no aftetaste.

Thin and watery for a brown ale. Mild carbonation.

A decent brown ale. Lacks some complexity and the mouthfeel hurts the overall presentation and drinkability, but a decent brew none-the-less.

Serving type: can

10-06-2010 03:43:17 | More by Noxious26

joemcgrath27

Alberta (Canada)

3.48/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A - very dark amber, one thumb tan head with decent retention and a nice lace up the glass
S - nutty and sweet caramel malt, hints of cherry and alcohol type sweetness, all very rich smells
T - the nutty and sweet malts are mixed with the extra sweet tastes right away, there is some of that sweet cherry pie filling flavour, but the alcohol flavour does seem to creep up on the finish
M - low carbonation, the feel quickly moves to a dry and tart sensation that isn't bad but doesn't quite fit
D - very rich flavours are interesting, more than I was expecting on that front, but between the sweetness and dry feel you probably wouldn't want to session

Serving type: can

08-13-2010 02:52:13 | More by joemcgrath27

Shadman

Alberta (Canada)

3.85/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Decent looking EBA. Rich cola brown, clear, fluffy head that maybe died a little too soon. Some big chucnks of lacing left behind.

Toasted malts with a generous portion of nuttiness thrown in.

Nice effort! Nice gamesmanshipo between the toasted malt and the nutty malts. Neither dominates and yet they do a dance back and forth on the tastebuds. Slight, slight sourness mixed in and a nice hazelnut bitterness @ the end.

Maybe my pour was overly agressive, but found the the feel to be a bit flat and watery compared to other browns.

Easily their flagship beer...

Serving type: can

03-30-2010 00:45:22 | More by Shadman

DoctorStrangiato

Alberta (Canada)

4.1/5  rDev +14.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured a 355-ml can into a tulip glass.

Appearance - fine brown ale with a thing head with a nice lace around the edge.

Smell - nutty, almond aromas and a little fresh coffee scent as well.

Taste - coffee-choco flavours over a nice roasted malt taste. Very nice, calming and enjoyable.

Mouthfeel - very smooth with the right amount of activity.

Drinkability - very easy going down. Could put away several of these very easily.

Serving type: can

02-01-2010 04:39:06 | More by DoctorStrangiato

elricorico

Alberta (Canada)

3.55/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Fairly deep brown with some reddish hues. Light passes through the thinner parts of the glass. A hard pour generated two full fingers of beige head, which is relatively slow to recede.

Toasted malt aroma is first that I note. Then chocolate malt (like the drink, not the ingredient). Mix in just a bit a sourness. Not bad.

In the taste, toasty comes first again, with a much more subtle chocolate. Nuttiness fairly pronounced in the finish. Can't find much hop flavour to comment on.

Pretty good mouthfeel for the style, there is a bit of creaminess to go with ample but soft carbonation.

The English Brown style is almost never a show stopper, and this is no exception. That being said, it is a fairly solid brew and would make a decent pub session beer.

Serving type: can

03-04-2009 06:15:24 | More by elricorico

MAB

Alberta (Canada)

3.9/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

This was the best North American beer I've ever had from a can. While it can't touch a Holsten Festbock, it was a very nice brown ale and offered something that others don't.

It was almost buttery once you tasted the sour/ grain notes. Very complex, and very tasty.

Worth a try, any time.

Serving type: can

01-02-2009 04:32:18 | More by MAB

canucklehead

British Columbia (Canada)

3.13/5  rDev -12.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

This beer starts out pretty nice but what kills it for me is the tinny finish with over carbonation. A beer that has potential but comes up short but compared to my first tastes of this brewery is an improvement but work is needed. We don't need another OK Springs

Serving type: can

04-02-2007 03:00:05 | More by canucklehead

Derek

British Columbia (Canada)

3.25/5  rDev -9.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A: Copper/dark-amber; off-white head, very little retention, some lace.

S: Fruity esters, sulfur, caramel, toffee.

T: Sweet caramel up front with an earthy bitterness in the finish; toffee, some fruity ale esters and a hint of nuts.

M: Light to moderate body and carbonation.

D: Very approachable, but too much dark caramel/crystal malt sweetness for me.

Serving type: can

09-13-2006 03:10:55 | More by Derek

IronDjinn

Alberta (Canada)

2.95/5  rDev -17.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Came in a 355 ml brown can, fitting enough colour choice for the style. Pours out a transluscent mahogany in appearance, red cola highlights when held up to the light, with a thin tan head that didn't retain very long. Toasted malt, coffee and chocolate wafer detected on the nose. The flavour is a much more watered down version of the aroma, cannot live up to the robustness of it. In fact it doesn't have much of a flavour at all except for subdued toastiness to it. A brown perhaps expected to be drank straight from the can. The mouthfeel at least is decent, holds its own without having to be propped up by the carbonation. In the end though it's a bit disappointing from what the aroma promises. A watered down brown for the macro market perhaps?

Serving type: can

03-12-2006 19:04:44 | More by IronDjinn

biboergosum

Alberta (Canada)

3.58/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A weekend ski-cation at Panorama Resort, and it appears that this is the current local craft offering/Kokanee beater in the numerous pubs that populate the mountain village...

This beer appears a clear dark reddish brown colour, with one finger of creamy off-white head, which leaves a decent paint job of lace around the glass as it duly settles. It smells faintly of nutty malt, and a bit of further toffee/caramel sweetness. The taste is toasted malt, and leafy, somewhat bitter earthy hops. An average level of bubbles, smooth, mildly creamy body, and dry earthy finish make for an easy drinking brown ale.

Whether at lunch in the lodge, apres-ski on the frozen patio, or later in the pub after warming the hell up, this proved to be a balanced, agreeable pint.

Serving type: on-tap

03-01-2011 21:26:24 | More by biboergosum

BigBry

Alberta (Canada)

3.73/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

We visited Fernie for a wedding, and although I missed the Brewery Tour (only on Friday @ 3:00), was still able to try all of their beers on tap at different venues.
Poured a dark amber brown, unfortunatley no head or lace left by the time the pint arrived. Nutty and sweet caramel malt smell. More of the same sweet malts, nuttiness, earthy bittering hops to finish. Low carbonation, smooth feel, but not flat. Dry finish. Sweetness comes through more at the end, a decent local brew.

Serving type: on-tap

08-25-2010 03:11:36 | More by BigBry

rhoadsrage

Illinois

3.3/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

(1 liter swing-top bottle served in an imperial pint glass)

A- Deep mahogany brown clear body with a thick rocky tan head. Nice gentle carbonation.

S- Faint toasted malt aroma with a nice crisp hop smell. Almost a hint of chocolate but it is very hard to detect.

T- Very nice crisp clean maltyness. Not pale malt but just a bit toasted. The hops are not a sharp taste but kind of build up to a slight taste at the end of the sip. Maybe just a bit of nuttiness and a hint of fruity tang at the finish.

M- Kind of a slippery mouthfeel with just a bit of bitterness in the aftertaste.

D- Although the alcohol is a bit higher than most English brown ales you don't really notice it. It is a well-crafted brew that is great for a session and I'm glad it came in a 1-liter bottle. Sipping this reminds me of chewing on malted grain and it really has a nice freshness to it. Definitely worth tracking down if you find yourself in Fernie BC.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2005 02:40:35 | More by rhoadsrage