Judge's Review: 90 Rating - Thai Peanut by Right Brain Brewery

Thai Peanut Brown Ale by Right Brain Brewery is a unique experience to be sure. This is meant in a very positive way, and if you are a fan of Pad Thai (as I am), this will definitely fit the bill!  This Brown Ale with spicy Thai peanut butter is being evaluated as a Category 30A Spice, Herb and Vegetable beer as per the 2015 BJCP Beer Style Guidelines.

The aroma starts off with a somewhat harsh earthy green chile with an aromatic spiciness, light brown malt sweetness and a touch of peanut nuttiness. There isn’t much of anything else, with little to no hop character coming through. The color is a rich brown with fantastic clarity and a cream-colored large bubble head at first pour that dissipates extremely quickly – much like a soda. This lack of head is probably due to the oils present from the ingredients.

The up-front flavor is like a liquid peanut butter with chile spiciness, very much like a spicy Thai peanut butter as advertised. There is a very subtle malt character behind it with light hop flavor and bitterness. The middle and finish maintain the strong peanut butter flavors with a heat that builds in the finish, becoming quite strong but not overwhelming to my palate.  While the balance is toward the Spice, Herb and Vegetable characters in this brew, there is enough of a malt and fermentation presence to identify this unmistakably as a beer. The body is medium-thin, and the carbonation is at a moderate level. 

Thai Peanut Brown Ale is probably not a daily driver, but it is certainly a delicious offering by Right Brain that could very well satisfy your Pad Thai cravings in case you can’t get to a Thai Restaurant right away.