Deep Tracks

New, or at least new to me, is Deep Tracks, an American Brown Ale from the "normal is weird" crowd at Barrie, Ontario's Flying Monkeys Craft Brewery. Sold in 473mL cans featuring a guitar-wielding lad walking a dirt track, this ale contained a heady 6.2% alcohol and 45 IBUs. The beer poured with an impossibly fluffy off-white head. Beneath that, it proved to be a dark brown ale with ruby highlights.

To my nose, Deep Tracks had a very mild smell--caramel maltiness leaning on a faintly bitter foundation. The flavour had a bit more oomph. It started sweetly, with caramel goodness leading the way. Behind that came a mellow finish, turning up just slightly at the very end with a crackle of hops bitterness. In terms of mouthfeel, this ale was creamy and smooth.

While Deep Tracks wasn't as bitter and assertive as many of the American Brown Ales I've sipped in the past, it did have a lovely character that left me feeling peaceful and jolly. If Flying Monkeys keep brewing this stuff, I'm sure I'll keep buying it--it has the cache needed to worm its way into my semi-regular Ontario beer purchasing repertoire.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10.