Bell's Best Brown Ale

Today I have Bell's Best Brown Ale in my glass.  This one tastes like fall to me.  The lightly roasted malt is akin to the toasty leaves falling from the trees, the hops add crunching texture (like more leaves) ringing in like the last vestiges of summer, it feels like a step between the lighter beers so perfect for hot summer days and the heavy stouts that make winter a little more bearable.  Eminently quaff-able, I would never call any brown ale "my favorite beer," but at the same time there is absolutely nothing wrong with this beer.  It's simple, it's straightforward, and it's good.

Surly Coffee Bender

Today I have Coffee Bender from Surly in my glass.  And I think it's good, if a bit overrated.  Probably more overrated than Surly Overrated.  I've been hearing good things about this one for awhile, and while it's not bad, I'm also not overly impressed.  It has a decent amount of flavor for a 5.1% ABV beer, but that qualifier is necessary.  The coffee in this beer is probably most evident in the pleasantly rich nose, though there are some pleasant notes on the tongue as well, and the finish is surprisingly long and full.  Okay, this is one of the more impressive overrated beers that I've had.  If it was half as expensive and hyped I would probably call it a great beer, as is it nearly lives up to its reputation.