Welcome to Beer Tastings, a weekly series in which Utah Beer News highlights a particularly tasty local brew. This week, we grab a Burnt Mountain Brown from the Zion Brewery booth at the Great American Beer Festival. What are you drinking? Let us know!
Beer Tastings: Burnt Mountain Brown
I returned recently from my first Great American Beer Festival. It’s nice to taste out-of-state beers. But it’s exciting to see familiar logos amid the 800+ breweries pouring at such an event.
I tried to taste beers from each of the Beehive State’s representatives. For this week’s Tastings column, I sought out a brewery 300 miles south of Utah Beer News World Headquarters.
Zion Brewery, located in Springdale, is Southern Utah’s first craft brewery (soon to be joined by Policy Kings in Cedar City). Seeking some solace from sours, I gladly sampled Zion’s Burnt Mountain Brown Ale.
It pours a deep, clear mahogany. Aromas of slightly charred toast and a hint of sweetness give way to nutty flavors and a nice roasted character.
We were allotted one-ounce pours at the GABF, but I returned to the Zion station for a couple extras. I wanted to make sure to get a fair representation of the beer. Needless to say, it didn’t disappoint.
- Brewery: Zion Brewery
- ABV: 4%
- Serving Style: Draft (taster)
- Date Tasted: Sept. 22, 2018
- Purchase Location: Great American Beer Festival
Zion Brewery: Scenic Sipping
I’ve yet to visit Zion Brewery or its Zion Canyon Brew Pub. Seated just outside Zion National Park in Springdale, Utah, I have no doubt it could be one of the country’s most scenic places to enjoy a pint.
Opened in 2006, Zion Canyon Brewing Co. became Southern Utah’s first “microbrewery.” It features a brew pub at the entrance of Zion National Park.
Burnt Mountain Brown — Zion Brewery
Product Name: Burnt Mountain Brown
Product Description: From the brewers: Dark brown in color with balanced flavors of dark dried fruits, brown malts and pecans.
- Aroma
- Appearance
- Flavor
- Mouthfeel
Overall Impression
A rich, dark brown ale that pours clear. Slightly charred toast and a bit of sweetness. Flavors of roast, nuttiness.
- Aroma: Slightly sweet nuttiness; some roast
- Appearance: Deep brown, clear; off-white head
- Flavor: Nutty, toasty, some char
- Mouthfeel: A little thin but pleasant
But you don’t have to take my word for it.
Notes: The tasting notes format is adapted from a Homebrew Academy Beer Tasting Mastery course I took in 2017. Utah Beer News is not compensated in any way for beers mentioned in the Tastings series.
