My opinions of brown ales has come full circle. When I first started drinking craft beers the smooth, slightly sweet and approachable brown ales were one of the first styles I gravitated to. As my tastes evolved and bold, hop-bomb IPAs became new beers of choice I dismissed brown ales as one-note. I’ve come back around recently, while they still are not my favorite style well crafted brown ales combine rich malty flavors with easy drinkability, making them perfect beers for the fall. This time of year I usually get hoppy beer burnout and focus a good portion of my drinking on more malt forward styles anyways. Mayflower Brewing Company clearly agrees with my idea of drinking brown ales in the fall, their fall seasonal is Hometown Brown. I guess it’s also fitting to drink a Massachusetts beer named “hometown” on a day when three of our local sports teams have important games. Mayflower Hometown Brown is brewed with 6 types of malted barley and is available August through November on draft and in 12 oz. cans.
Mayflower Hometown Brown pours cola brown with a small off-white head. The scent is all rich toasted malt. The flavor is also malt forward, notes of caramel, bread dough and cocoa. There is a touch of late hop flavor, earthy and just enough bitterness to keep the sweetness in check without being assertive. Hometown Brown is medium bodied and smooth, not too boozy 5% ABV. The finish is clean with a little lingering malt flavor. This is a really well crafted and delicious brown ale, I’ll put a few of these back this fall. Hoppy Boston score: 4.5/5.
Previous Mayflower Reviews:
Mayflower Alden, Mayflower Standish, Mayflower Daily Ration, Mayflower Squanto, Mayflower Porter, Mayflower Scotch Ale, Mayflower Spring Hop, Mayflower Oatmeal Stout
Hoppy Boston 
