Feral & 2 Brothers Collaborator 2012

I must admit I bought this one almost entirely based on the Feral reputation but happily the gambit payed off.

It's a brown ale but not typical to the style, delivering if anything a brown version of the stalwart hop hog. This is a pretty interesting experience with its lush green herbal notes first up, then more typical caramel brown ale performance in the back half with nice nuttiness. It's in some ways a clash of styles as the grassiness doesn't really meld with that dark finish, but there's not a great deal of jarring in the experience - it's more an pleasingly docile, intellectual manticore than a misguided attempt at a frankenstein.

My feeling is if you were really after a brown ale, this might not scratch your itch. Taken on its own merits though it seems a massively drinkable beer and another interesting take on a style. 8.0