Legend Brown Ale
Where Spotted: Whole Foods, 2700 Wilson Blvd., Arlington
Price: $9.49/six-pack
Brown the Hatch: If flimsy beers like Newcastle have put you off brown ales, full-bodied browns like Legend’s will help you come around to them. It has deep molasses sweetness and a touch of burnt caramel, bolstered by its beefy 6 percent abv. Thick and chewy, it’s almost enough to make a meal out of a couple of mugs and some pretzels.
Quantity is Job 1: This Richmond beer is available only in Virginia, but Legend is making it worth crossing state lines by (finally) bottling in six-packs, not just 22 oz. bombers. The downside, of course, is that you can no longer tell yourself you’ll “just have two beers” and crack open a couple of tall boys. But I suppose moderation is OK, as long as there are six opportunities to consider it at a sitting.
Seen an interesting quaff lately? E-mail beerspotter@washingtoncitypaper.com