Is it fall yet? I don't think so. At least, judging by the thermometer it's not fall here in Georgia. We're still experiencing a steady stream of mid-nineties days, and the thought of cool breezes and multi-colored leaves is still far off. Thus my surprise, then, upon spying a six-pack of Sierra Nevada Tumbler Autumn Brown Ale at the local Kroger a week ago. It did seem a bit early for that.

Not that that stopped me from buying the stuff. At $8.99 for a six-pack it wasn't cheap, though it wasn't expensive, either, as craft beers go these days. Tumbler Autumn Brown replaces Sierra Nevada  Anniversary Ale in the company's annual lineup, which should not really surprise with Torpedo IPA already in the lineup.

A nutty brown ale for fall could well be the ale world's response to Oktoberfest lagers, at least the original versions. The nutty-malty flavors in both work well in the cooler weather. Sierra Nevada brews their Tumbler Autumn Brown with chocolate, crystal, two row pale and, just for fun, smoked malts.

What's more, the malts are used freshly roasted, within days of roasting according to the brewer. And you can tell: the beer has a wonderfully fresh, sweet malt character about it.  Challenger hops are used for bittering, and again for finishing, where they're joined by Yakima Goldings.

Sierra Nevada Tumbler Autumn Brown Ale pours to a mahogany brown color with a thick creamy head formation and an absolutely irresistible nose of sweet dark malt and a hit of molasses. It only takes me one sip to fall in love with this one. It's just so wonderfully flavorful and delicious that it would be hard not to. At first, there are notes of delicious sweet malt, dark and ever so slightly roasty and hinting at chocolate. That imparts a chocolate cookie character.

Toasted nuts and molasses are also present, and in the finish there's just a bit of bitter, herbal hops to balance the sweetness. Just enough to keep the beer honest mind you and not overly sweet; for a Sierra Nevada Beer, the hops are definitely restrained. there's a subtle hint of smoke to cap everything off.

This is an excellent sipping brew that won't overwhelm you. Sure, it's dark, but it's very drinkable nonetheless. At 5.5% alcohol by volume, it's not a behemoth, but it is a charmer. I can easily imagine sipping a pint while watching football at the local sports bar, or popping a bottle after raking leaves in the yard. I paired a second bottle with a cheeseburger piled high with ripe garden tomato on a freshly baked bun to very good effect.

Update: September 7th, 2011: This year I was lucky enough to enjoy a full liter of Sierra Nevada Tumbler on tap at Taco Mac. Once again, I loved the soft malty character of this finely balanced beer. perfect for sipping as autumn approaches. Don't miss it.

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