Peak Organic Brewing Company - Nut Brown Ale

Loosely brewed as an English-style brown ale, this brew presents an attractive medium brown with a nice cap of foam that drops to a persistent collar. Rich caramel malt notes are readily apparent on the nose, joined by complementary notes of brown sugar, some fruity esters, mild nuttiness, and just a hint of butter. On the palate, look for toasted, caramelized malts to form the core of this brew. All the aromas seem to come through on the palate as well. We found the beer offered a really nice balance between a touch of sweetness throughout and a countering hop bitterness that comes through with the earthy and grassy note we anticipate from Hallertau noble hops. On the lighter side of medium bodied, this food-friendly session ale works well with roasted beef and pork dishes or a simple snack of crackers with smoked cheddar or gouda. Cheers!

Given its small population, Maine is home to a surprising number of craft breweries, such as Allagash, Geary’s, and Shipyard, just to name a few. The state just knows good beer, and we’re very enthused to bring you another great producer, Peak Organic Brewing Company, which, as the name suggests, is one of a handful of breweries devoted to producing USDA Certified Organic beer. The brewery was founded by Baltimore native Jon Cadoux, whose homebrewing experience stretches back to his college years in the late ‘90s. It was during that time that he discovered the merits of both organic food and beer, and how much better they tasted to both himself and his homebrewing brother Mike and their friends. After graduating from Harvard with an MBA, and surrounded by supportive friends and family, Jon took the leap and founded Peak Organic Brewing Company in 2005.

Peak’s focus is not simply on organic beer (produced with organically grown grain and hops), they’re dedicated to sustainability and purchasing their malts, hops, and other ingredients from local farmers and producers who share their philosophy. They’ve collaborated on beers with Taza, a producer of hand-crafted bean-to-bar chocolate, as well as Coffee By Design, a local artisanal coffee roaster. In fact, their Espresso Amber Ale became the first Fair Trade Certified beer in the US. To highlight local production and to showcase the effects of regional terroir on a finished beer, Peak released their very unique “Local Series” beers, a set of four brews with identical recipes but featuring malts and hops produced in just one particular state, either Maine, Vermont, Massachusetts, or New York. To learn more about Peak, visit their website at www.peakbrewing.com.