There is a curious trend in the beer-drinking world, in which cerebral imbibers will study an elaborate snifter of a complex, high-gravity Belgian brew, nostrils flared for optimum sensory inspection. A feathery quill might be seen to bob as they observe with deft penmanship, upon elegantly monogrammed stationary: Currants and elderberry dance upon the rear-middle of the tongue, yet phenolic clove and bergamot contrast shockingly upon the palate. Considerable halibut nose, disappointing!

Today, however, we'll be taking a look at a "session" beer, which is a particular breed prompting a response more along the lines of: "This is good. I would like nine more. No, make it eight, I'm driving."

In brief, session beers come from England, and are typically of the "mild" or "bitter" variety: smooth, low-carbonation, malty brown beers with very little hop character. (Despite the name, English Bitter is not very bitter, by today's increasingly hop-headed standards). Despite their rich sweetness, these brews are actually rather light in body and low in alcohol, making them perfect for extended drinking... yes, you guessed it... sessions. There are a few stories as to how this style emerged. Some say it was simply a means of curbing drunkenness, others have suggested that a mild alcoholic beverage was more potable than the water in some places.

In the United States, we generally only see the "Extra Special Bitter" imported to our stores and bars (Fuller's ESB being the best example), but the ESB is a stronger, hoppier beer than your typical session drink; a number of American microbreweries have developed their own ESB's, though these tend to have the higher levels of carbonation favored in the US. But now an American brewery has released a beer that may prove to be truer to the British standard of the session.

Brown Fox Session Ale
Brewery: Two Brothers (Warrenville, IL, USA)
Format: Bottle
Cost: $9.49/6-pack
Bought at: Julio's Liquors (Westborough, MA)

Two Brothers is a brewery that has lately found its way into Massachusetts, largely, no doubt, by offering a few uncommon styles like French country ales and dortmunder lagers without the hefty import price tag. Brown Fox is their spring seasonal brew, running (according to their website) from February to April. If we want to get technical, it's described as a Mild, and at 13 IBU (International Bittering Units... we're getting technical, I said!) I am comfortable with that designation (by comparison, Harpoon IPA runs around 40-50 IBU).

Appearance: (3.7) It's brown! Brown Fox is brown, who'd have guessed. Well, it's a bit darker than I might have expected, but even a little dark malt will heavily tint a beer. No head at all, hardly a bubble to be seen.

Smell: (4.0) The beer has a nice, sweet smell, predominantly caramel, but not overwhelming.

Taste: (4.3) For a session beer, it is surprisingly rich and malty, but nothing I wouldn't have expected after the smell. It is a very sweet brew, with virtually no noteworthy bitterness.

Mouthfeel: (3.6) Although low carbonation is standard for the style, it's uncommon to see an American brewery follow that guideline, especially in a bottled beer. But Brown Fox definitely has that silky, British body, undisturbed by fizz. The sweetness leaves a residual tang in the mouth, though.

Drinkability: (4.3) The hallmark feature of a session beer, and Brown Fox doesn't fall short. It's predominantly the lower carbonation level that makes this beer so eminently quaffable, and the rather moderate 4.2% alcohol by volume will keep you conscious should you make a night of it. The malt profile, however, might get to be too much after too many of these; while a serviceable session beer, it falls short of a proper Fuller's bitter when it comes to fearlessly knocking back a dozen pints.

Overall: (3.98) Brown Fox is fine brew, to be sure, though it suffers a tad by its own definition. Two Brothers is a fairly creative brewery, and they've gotten rather fancy with the malts on this beer; as a result, they have created something quite unique and inarguably tasty, but it deviates somewhat from the standard of a traditional session beer by virtue of its own complexity. If you like a sweeter, rich-tasting beer, by all means check this one out. While I wouldn't regret purchasing some six-packs of this beer, I'd be slightly less inclined to drink it all in one go.