Penn Brewing Nut Roll Ale (7/10)

The Pennsylvania Brewing Company is located in Pittsburgh, PA.  They pride themselves on brewing beers in accordance with the ancient German beer purity law Reinheitsgebot, which limits the kinds of items which can go into their beers.  Their beer was one of the first micro-brews I ever tried, and I was immediately impressed with the rich and complex flavor compared to the American beers I'd been drinking.

Their Nut Roll Ale is a spiced ale they produce from November through January each year.

It pours a deep brown, but not quite black, in the glass.  The head is a finger-thick beige that dissipates fairly quickly and leave behind absolutely no lacing.

The flavor is initially one of grainy bitterness, followed by a hint of flat cola (the image of Coca-Cola flitted through my mind as I drank it, which is something I've never encountered in a beer), ending in a mix of the to.  The grainy bitterness lingers past the finish until your next sip.

On balance, I like it.  I don't love it.  The Beer Advocate rating is 80/100.

I tried this locally at The Pint Room in Dublin.  I've not seen it available for sale elsewhere in Columbus.

ABV:  5%

IBU: Unknown, best guess around 28

My Rating: 7/10