Long Trail Brewing Company can trace its origins back to 1989 when they were known as Mountain Brewers. That was the year they also rolled out Long Trail Ale which helped foster Vermont’s craft brew market as well as the market around the country. Today, we review their signature beer, Long Trail Ale.
Long Trail Ale is an original Vermont Amber Ale according to the bottle. It pours a beautiful deep, dark amber with a thick, creamy head that rose to just under two fingers at its height. The aroma is one of malt, yeast, and a very faint signal of hops. There was moderate carbonation seen racing to the top of the glass.
The first sip follows the nose. You taste the malt, a little yeast, and a finish of hops. There are notes of bread and a sweetness that faintly tickles your tongue before yielding to the hops. It is medium-bodied and the head offers a little creaminess to it as it drinks. The hops at the end give it a somewhat dry, though not bitter finish. In fact, the finish is very smooth and makes you want another sip almost immediately. There is some very nice lacing on the glass as you drink and the beer has retained some of its head throughout the process.
Overall, this was a pleasant beer to drink. It has won a few awards over the years and one can see why. It is just a good beer. It isn’t flashy, it doesn’t come with a lot of bells and whistles. This is a beer you can drink when you want to drink a beer. If you happen to be a fan of darker beers this might be right up your alley and worth the try. I will certainly be on the lookout for this in the future. At 5.0% ABV this is easily a beer you can have a session with and the nice, even, somewhat complex flavor will keep your mouth happy.