635. Gatlinburg Brewing Company (Gatlinburg, TN) - Don’t Feed the Bears

No description other than “American Brown Ale” on their website, and the version I brought four of back in cans is the plain, non-variant version. The one I tried in the taproom—over a month ago—was a peanut butter and jelly variant that I recall being very fine. (And of course I didn’t write down any notes on it.) There is nothing particular to remark about this beer, though it is a fine example of the style—dark and rich, but also smooth and crisp. The 6.7% ABV gives it a little bit of extra heft, and just thinking about it takes me back to our delightful trip to the Smokies last month—so I would probably love it even if it weren’t very good; but it is.

632. Gatlinburg Brewing Company (Gatlinburg, TN) - Breakfast Juice

“Tropical fruit flavors and aromas are complimented [sic] with a pillowy mouthfeel in this interpretation of a New England IPA.”

The beers I tried in the taproom were much better than this one out of a can; I genuinely can’t come up with anything to say about this beer. Yes, there is fruit there; but it tastes more like stone fruit than tropical fruit to me, though whatever that flavor might be is light. That said, I maintain a species of affection for it, because the Gatlinburg outpost of this company is a very lovely place to sit and have a drink. We went twice, sat at the same table both times, and were both dismayed and amused by the fact that there was a Trump Store across the street. I was a tiny bit disappointed with the pizza, but the service was exceptional. If you go, ask for Rachel.