Origin: Bridgewater Corners, VT
Style: Amber Ale
Hops: Undisclosed
Malt: Undisclosed
Profile
The Long Trail Brewing Co. put the first batch of their beers out the door in 1989. At the time they started brewing, Vermont wasn’t in the top 5 states for craft brewing. It wasn’t in the top 20. But it was brewers like Long Trail that began the slow rise of Vermont into the top of the lists over the next thirty years. And Long Trail was blazing the path for those around them. Built on the vision of a community brewery that made great beers but also made for great people, Long Trail has been a community leader in Vermont since the day those first cans were loaded onto a truck. Having recently joined the Mass. Bay Brewing Company, Long Trail is part of an even bigger community of brewers who are ensuring excellence in the craft scene of the North Eastern U.S. The Long Trail Ale is based on a classic German variety that makes for smooth, quaffable ales perfect for putting up your feet in the lodge at the end of the hike. Serves well at 8°C and can cellar for six months.
Look
Pours a deep amber colour with a slightly hazy body and low carbonation. A thin but frothy head of bone-white foam pours from the can.
Smell
Quite sweet smelling, with a warm, toasted caramel malt and a touch of confectioner’s sugar. There’s a bit of stone fruit and black cherry on the nose.
Taste
Quite a mild flavour compared to the aroma. All the elements of the sweet malt, the touch of fruit, a bit of grassy hops, come together into a well balanced and harmonious flavour, but it’s a subtle flavour and you might find it a bit hard to pin down. Smooth mouthfeel and barely registers an aftertaste. A mild and pleasant drinking beer for sitting in front of the fire.
Pairing
Put it together with a Cottage Pie and enjoy being festively plump.