Harvest - Long Trail Brewing Co.

cbutova

Massachusetts

3.1/5  rDev -14.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A- An aggressive pour yields a dark red-brown ale with a foamy white head. Decent retention as the head falls to a nice cloud and ring. A good coat of fine lace.

S- The toasty nutty malt led me to think it was a brown ale upon huffing. Some buttery caramel hints. Just a tad roasty. Dark fruit is the other main component with the malt.

T- Slightly roasty malt leads off a flavor that is also filled with dark fruit hints (that remind me of their blackberry wheat. A bit buttery. Some adjunct like malt flavor as well.

MF- Light body that is slightly watery. The high carbonation is suitable for the flavor here.

DB- I am a bit torn here. I really enjoy the roasty nutty malt but the adjunct seeming fruit and corn flavors throw it off somewhat. It just feels light and a tad artificial, but still not bad.

Serving type: bottle

10-09-2010 04:08:40 | More by cbutova

IronCitySteve

Pennsylvania

3.6/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Had on tap at Long Trail Brewery in Vermont.

A: Pours a reddish brown color with a small off white foam head that quicly dissipates. There is no real lacing.

S: Mostly caramel, chocolate and some roasted nuts. There is also a small hint of coffee.

T: A sweet brown ale with mostly caramel, nuts, brown sugar coming through throughout. A very straightfoward brew.

M: Leaves a sweet taste on the palate.

D: This is not a complex beer, but it is a nice change of pace on a cool autumn day.

Serving type: on-tap

10-06-2010 12:26:49 | More by IronCitySteve

lovindahops

New York

4.18/5  rDev +15.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

A- pours a dark color with a white frothy head. It's not super dark as some brown ales usually go

S- some warming tones of hazelnut, toffee, coffee, and slightly toasted malt. While it's not necessarily overpowering... it still has a great profile.

T- pretty good flavor! The combination of nuts, malt, and strong caramel are delighting the palate. It's the same idea as the scent whereby it's not overwhelming. Just some good crisp taste

M- light, creamy, but a little bit watery. Maybe it's the lack of alcohol?

D- this is a very drinkable brew. This will be a go to fall brew for me.

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2010 00:58:44 | More by lovindahops

StaveHooks

Oklahoma

3.48/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

A- Dark hazel brown. With thick head that disappears into a thin layer of tiny bubbles.

S - Smoked woody malt. Tosted toffe. Floral hops. Coffee.

T - Toasted malt, hazelnuts and toffee. Hints of brown sugar and chocolate. Kinda thins out towards the finish.

This has nice toasty flavors but it's watery and thin. You lose everthing on the finish.

Serving type: on-tap

10-02-2010 18:16:56 | More by StaveHooks

devinoconnor

New Jersey

2.93/5  rDev -18.8%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

This Harvest Beer doesn't feel that bountiful. A bit thin for a fall beer, but nonetheless drinkable and goes down easy. Compared to other brewery's fall specials, this one isn't one I'd run back to, but if someone offers me up one I'm not going to say no. It's just average, for me.

Serving type: bottle

09-30-2010 22:19:04 | More by devinoconnor

Kegatron

Pennsylvania

3.65/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap @ the Long Trail Brewing Company (Bridgewater's Corner, VT) on 9/26/10. Served in a pint glass.

Pours a clear copper, with a finger of frothy white colored head. Creamy retention on this that throws a foamy cascade of lacing up on the sides of the glass that then quickly slides down. The aroma is very freshly floral and green smelling, with some light notes of caramel, cocoa, and roasted nuttiness emerging up underneath the hops. This is pleasant enough in the nose I guess but seems a bit understated.

Hops levels are a bit high here in the taste, with a moderately bitter green feel that sticks right up front. Some light chocolate and caramel notes pull up the back, as does some roasted character that trails some nuttiness into the finish. The mouthfeel is light-medium bodied, with a generally easy feel on the tongue that is keeping this drinking well throughout the duration of the glass.

While I little too green tasting at first, this actually balanced out nicely as it warmed, and the earthy hop character coupled with the easy feeling body made for a decent thirst quenching experience. Nothing mind-blowing here but this was a decent drinking Brown Ale for the fall season.

Serving type: on-tap

09-29-2010 17:02:53 | More by Kegatron

lou50rp

Maine

3.73/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Nice dark copper color with a tan head that isn't much and dissipates quickly. No lacing.
Smell is toasted malt with a touch of chocolate and hops.
Taste is similair to the smell but subtle. it is good, but a stronger taste would be nice.
Mouthfeel is light, bordering on watery. A stronger taste might have given it a better body.
Very drinkable as a session beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-26-2010 15:55:25 | More by lou50rp

claspada

New Jersey

3.2/5  rDev -11.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Aromas are quite inviting. Medium brown color with a slight copper hue. Some cream colored head, but not much; dissipates quickly.

Aromas are quite inviting. Butterscotch, maple, caramels and molasses. Hop hop character worth mentioning.

The taste is good solid malt up front with a bit of complexity, kinda finishes watery which is a tad unfortunate. Lagery yeast flavor at the end which is obviously not good because this is an ale. Would have liked the tastes to match the aromas a bit more.

Very drinkable and sessionable. Enjoyable for the season and the reasonable price tag but there are no strong dominant flavors. I expect more in my beer and from Long Trail to be honest. Relatively balanced but light for a brown ale.

Serving type: bottle

09-24-2010 19:08:29 | More by claspada

BeerPhan86

New York

3.93/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - Pours a reddish chestnut brown with a one finger tan head. Head is somewhat thin and dissipates quickly, with almost no lacing.

S - Toasted malt, chocolate, and quite nutty. Not a bad start.

T - Lots of hazelnut flavor with biscuity malts and a toasty finish. Hints of chocolate and some dark fruit. I would have liked more of a hop presence in this fall brown ale, but what's there is balanced and tasty.

M - Medium bodied and lightly carbonated, which works well with this style. People saying it is flat apparently have not had many brown ales.

D - Very sessionable. The flavors are nice but are also subtle.

Overall, this is an enjoyable fall brown ale. I still like the Sierra Nevada Tumbler more, mainly because it has more of a hop bite to it. I hope Long Trail makes a pumpkin ale some fall.

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2010 01:59:31 | More by BeerPhan86

steinlifter

Massachusetts

2.98/5  rDev -17.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

poured a clear brown not much head to speak of thin almost non-existent collar.
aroma was faint but pleasant, sweet malty aroma..
not much tatse here...subtle hops, and malt on finish..
mouthfeel is thin and watery...
drinkability for me is just ok...have had much better autumn beers...

Serving type: bottle

09-15-2010 16:10:04 | More by steinlifter

weeare138

Pennsylvania

2.95/5  rDev -18.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Appears a semi transparent dark amber with a small white head that slowly fades into a gentle cap. Tiny spts of lacing are left around the glass.
Smell is of brown sugar, roasted grains a d caramel.
Taste is of the aromas with a standout of brown sugar...hmm. Not very complex but maybe that's what they wanted.
Mouthfeel is medium bodied, slick, and a bit thin on the finish. Not my favorite offering from Long Trail.

Serving type: bottle

09-03-2010 00:43:08 | More by weeare138

mempath

Pennsylvania

2.68/5  rDev -25.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

whoa....it must have changed since the brothers have reviewed it!

pours a decent dark amber-brown with a flatish head and some sparse lacing.

nose has a decent, sweet malty smell.

taste...not bad at all, but...not good or great....something smokey/burnt that i usually like, but not here. like some sort of morphed/mutated Shiner... (?)

mouthfeel is a bit thin. if i want thin and good and a bit burnt, i'll have a yuengling porter

drinkable. probably better with food. that would make it more drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2009 20:54:42 | More by mempath

micromaniac129

Pennsylvania

2.85/5  rDev -21.1%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Pours a bark amber with a little head that doen't linger very long. Carbonation is very low.
There is a slight malt aroma, not much at all.
There is little in way of taste. Some roasted malt notes can be picked up on the first sip with some yeasty bread notes at the end.
This beer feels thin and watery with some coarseness when you drink it. This beer is drinkable but it lacks character.
This beer needs more roasted malts and should be brown or a deep amber if is going to be a brown ale.Could also use a bit more carbonation to help keep the head afloat.

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2009 10:40:53 | More by micromaniac129

pokesbeerdude

Colorado

3.33/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Extra in my most recent trade with Wasatch. Bottle notes this as a brown ale, and that's what it is to me as well, and how I will review it.

A: Rich mahogany colored beer with a cream colored cap, nice head retention, a good quarter inch sits on top of the beer, excellent clarity.

S: Malty, slightly roasted, sort of has a hazelnut smell, biscuity, not too shabby.

T: Hazelnut flavor follows through along with biscuity malts, no perceived hop flavor or bitterness, fairly malty, but really not a whole lot going on. Has a few nice flavors, but really is light in the flavor department.

M: Light, and very watery, medium carbonation.

D: Easy enough to drink beer, and could be a definite session, probably a beer I would have a few of if it was on tap. Not a bad beer, but just nothing to make me say wow, I really enjoyed that.

Thanks John!

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2009 00:56:55 | More by pokesbeerdude

Wasatch

Utah

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

Bottle sez Brown Ale

Pours a nice clean/clear golden brown color, nice carbonation, nice little fizzy off-white head, with some sticky lacing left behind. The nose is malty, with some nice caramel notes, slightly nutty. The taste is sweet, malty, nutty, with a nice touch of caramel. Medium body. Drinkable, a pretty tasty brew.

Serving type: bottle

10-27-2009 01:23:48 | More by Wasatch

Kinsman

New Hampshire

3.88/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

First off, this site list it as a Amber/Red Ale but Long Trail considers it a brown ale so I am reviewing it as a brown, not that it makes a whole lot of difference.

A: Pours a dark brown, with very little light passing through. Has a creamy thick head but quickly fades to a thin lace.

S: Toasted malt notes as well as a little bit nutty. Overall a very pleasing nose, with nothing really out of balance.

T: A well balanced ale, most notably malty, but not too sweet as some malty ales can be. Toasted and nutty flavors upfront, but a little bit of a biscuity flavor can also be detected. Hops are present, but do not provide much in terms of bitterness.

M: Nice medium bodied ale, but carbonation was not strong at all. Taste was fine, but it felt "flat"

D: Overall a very enjoyable brown ale for cool autumn days.

Serving type: bottle

10-22-2009 21:31:31 | More by Kinsman

UA8

Washington

3.58/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

A- Pours a dark and clear ruby hue with a one finger tall off white head.

S- Malt notes of seasonal grains are prevalent with a slight hint of European style hopping.

T- Malty with a slight yeast sourness. Reminds me quite a bit of an English brown ale.

M- A bit of a just put bubbles in it thing going on here without thought of what would accent the flavors. A bit coarse.

D- Mild and easy to drink. A bit unrefined and rough around the edges but sessionable none the less.

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2009 22:32:15 | More by UA8

AndyAvalanche

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a Sam Adams perfect pint glass. It comes out a nice brown color with a beige or off-white colored head. When held up to the light it turns out to be more of an amber red color. It has good clarity to it, well filtered. The head goes away after a few sips and leaves a ring with a little layer of foam over the middle, small random patches of lacing that seem to try to work it's way down to the liquid. The smell is very good, it smells very well hopped, pine and floral notes. There's a lot going on in the taste department. Much sweeter than anticipated, can clearly taste some roasted caramelized malts. There are also a slight chocolate taste to it, more like coco, very interesting. Only a slight hop aftertaste, it doesn't taste anything like the smell that's for sure. There's also a smokey taste to it, probably some roasted/burned malts involved with the flavor. It's a very complex taste, but quite good. The mouthfeel is good, despite the complex flavor I'd still call it a medium bodied beer and closer to the lighter side. This is an incredibly drinkable beer, and another solid brew by Long Trail. Still haven't decided whether or not I'm going to pick up another six pack this season because there are so many seasonals I like this time of year. If not than I have something to look forward to next year. On a side note, I really enjoyed the label on the bottle, the husband and wife farmer bears really make me think of the fall/harvest season.

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2009 20:42:41 | More by AndyAvalanche

thespaceman

Connecticut

4.13/5  rDev +14.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a pint glass:

Appearance: Pours an awesome looking deep amber in color, lots of red highlights zipping up the glass. A promising looking head dissapated quickly but left thin lines of lacing around the glass.

Smell: I get a nice aroma of crystal malts up front, very deep and bready. A nice fruit boquet sits in the backdrop here, I get bits of apple and fresh pear. Very nice balance here between the fruitiness and the malt.

Taste: Plenty of big maltiness here, a nice blend of some caramel, toffee and some earth like tones. Going back to the aromas, I do get some apple spice and a nice tinge of light fruit from the hops. Very balanced again here, the maltiness is bold and right on point. The finish consists of a quick shot of vanilla, some more crystal malts and a bit of nutty aftertaste.

Mouthfeel: Semi-light in the mouth but the dose of malts make this a bit more filling. Medium bodied, good carbonation and very robust on the tongue. A slight bitterness from some of the hops is just what the doctor ordered.

Drinkability: I really enjoyed this Long Trail offering, as I do most of their seasoanal offerings. This beer features a huge dose of malty goodness to get you through those cold fall months. Very balanced all around with the huge malt backbone being the star of the show. At 4.7% ABV, this beer drinks bigger then the ABV indicates. Huge drinkability here, I think I'll have another!

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2009 03:24:01 | More by thespaceman

Jwale73

Rhode Island

3.03/5  rDev -16.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Served in a nonic. Poured the color of cola with some cranberry juice highlights at the base when backlit; no head on this one. Nose was mild - some dark malts and wheat, but that's all I'm getting. Taste - not much in that department either - malt, some caramel notes, but fairly bland. Mouthfeel was light-medium with a light background effervescence, almost flat, and a fairly clean finish. Very bland; I actually struggled to finish this. I was hoping this would be better off the keg than from the bottle, but I was pretty disappointed.

Serving type: on-tap

10-12-2009 21:28:39 | More by Jwale73

confer

Pennsylvania

3.73/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This beer poured a deep amber. A small off white head gave way to trace of head around the perimeter.
A light hoppy aroma, very clean.
The taste starts with a small hop bite but fades quickly to a watery dull wheat taste.
This beer is easy enough to drink and will probably taste better after the first bottle.

Serving type: bottle

10-09-2009 23:41:12 | More by confer

mnrider

Connecticut

4.05/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

12oz. brown bottle. Has freshness date printed on bottle. Pint glass.

A: Pours a deep dark red, with two finger tan head which stays thick around the outside of the brew. Lacing is light.

S: Sweet malts are strong with a nutty toffee aroma.

T/M: Medium+ bodied. Smooth with light carbonation. Malts are the most noticeable ingredient, with their caramel nutty taste. Leaves sweet and not very bitter or dry. Hops are not very noticeable. Label say's its a Brown Ale, I have to agree.

D: Great brew here from Long Trail. Probably one of my favs from them. A real good beer to drink during the fall months. I will be drinking many of these.

Cheers!!

Serving type: bottle

10-09-2009 03:48:04 | More by mnrider

Gavage

New Jersey

3.98/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: dark copper in color with a one finger tan colored head.

Smell: nice malt sweetness, mild smoke, and earthy tones are easy to detect.

Taste: nice malt base with a pleasant mild smokiness, some earthiness, prunes, and a hearty bitterness to bring everything back into balance.

Mouthfeel: medium bodied beer. Lightly crisp to start, smooth and mildly dry at the finish. Aftertaste is long as the bitterness and smokiness last a while.

Drinkability: this was an interesting offering and the flavor profile is different from other harvest ales. Easy to quaff.

Serving type: on-tap

09-30-2009 13:10:21 | More by Gavage

Ezone024

Connecticut

4.22/5  rDev +16.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Long trail harvest is not you average fall seasonal. it's a one of a kind autumn beer. it's a brown ale with a sugary/smoky. flavor. it actually tastes like autumn(sitting outside near your fire and the fresh, brisk New England air) if you can understand that at all.

it pours a deep red/brown color, and has a thin off white head, decent carbonation/ fizzy on the tongue.

not much hops but it's balanced with the sugary smoky malt. smooth and crisp yet warming. very very drinkable..

really great autumn session.

Serving type: bottle

09-28-2009 01:15:24 | More by Ezone024

strictly4DK

Pennsylvania

4.3/5  rDev +19.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Deep red/brown, almost chestnut like, 1" off-white head, little retention

S - Earthy hops up front, sweet breads, smoky

T - Just as with the smell earthy, mild floral hops, toasty malts, sweet bread, slight smokiness

M - Medium body, low carbonation, almost creamy

Perfect autumn session beer, I can already imagine the leaves and that autumn smell in the air.

Serving type: bottle

09-25-2009 04:47:52 | More by strictly4DK