Charlie Brown - ABV: 6.2%
Charlie Brown is a 6.2% brown ale from Thornbridge Brewery in Bakewell, Derbyshire, and is made using organic peanut butter and then, during maturation, the beer is 'dry-peanutted' with large amounts of green peanuts.
Now I'm not a fan of peanut butter... just saying. Don't get me wrong, I like those salted peanuts that you eat by the palmful at Christmas, but peanut butter? Nah, you can keep it to be honest.
However, I'm also never one for refusing a new beer, but although wanting to try Charlie Brown, it was with a little trepidation as I was expecting to taste it and politely say 'sorry, but it's not for me I'm afraid'...
So, when Steve at Harvey Leonard's in Glossop sent me a Facebook message saying 'I've got some Charlie Brown in, do you want a couple?', I gingerly replied 'Yes please... but just the one thanks'. How wrong could I be?
Charlie Brown used to be known as Thornbridge's 'Peanut Butter Brown Ale' and it poured quite lively from the bottle, a lovely mahogany colour with an off-white head that lasted only a few minutes, although lacing was good.
The smell does give a sense of peanuts, but nowhere near the amount I was expecting, as the overriding aroma is of warm, toasty malt and subtle fruit.
Flavourwise, there are certainly light peanutty hints, but in the main it is of sweet caramel fruitiness with a dash of chocolate. Trepidation well and truly gone, this is a really moreish brown ale with an unusual, yet lovely flavour. I must pop back in and see if he's still got some bottles left.
Verdict: 4/5
Now I'm not a fan of peanut butter... just saying. Don't get me wrong, I like those salted peanuts that you eat by the palmful at Christmas, but peanut butter? Nah, you can keep it to be honest.
However, I'm also never one for refusing a new beer, but although wanting to try Charlie Brown, it was with a little trepidation as I was expecting to taste it and politely say 'sorry, but it's not for me I'm afraid'...
So, when Steve at Harvey Leonard's in Glossop sent me a Facebook message saying 'I've got some Charlie Brown in, do you want a couple?', I gingerly replied 'Yes please... but just the one thanks'. How wrong could I be?
Charlie Brown used to be known as Thornbridge's 'Peanut Butter Brown Ale' and it poured quite lively from the bottle, a lovely mahogany colour with an off-white head that lasted only a few minutes, although lacing was good.
The smell does give a sense of peanuts, but nowhere near the amount I was expecting, as the overriding aroma is of warm, toasty malt and subtle fruit.
Flavourwise, there are certainly light peanutty hints, but in the main it is of sweet caramel fruitiness with a dash of chocolate. Trepidation well and truly gone, this is a really moreish brown ale with an unusual, yet lovely flavour. I must pop back in and see if he's still got some bottles left.
Verdict: 4/5