Since it has been an interesting experience trying these beers at different temperatures, I think that I am going to continue with that theme.
One first word of caution: Be careful when pouring this beer - a vigorous pour will result in quite a bit of a foamy head. We're talking 2/3 or 3/4 of a pint glass (especially if the can is agitated ahead of time) worth of head. The good news, though, is that the head doesn't stay that full for long, and will be down to about finger within a minute or two. The beer does keep a thin layer of a tan head, which maintains some nice lacing around the circumference of the glass. Aside from that, the beer is a fairly dark brown and very slightly translucent when held up to a bright light.
A little note on the can gives the recommended temperature as 48 degrees Fahrenheit. My first pass at this beer will be as close to that as I'm able (measuring about 48.7 on my infrared thermometer) .
At 48 degrees
A very nutty and chocolate nose . If you really stick your nose in the glass and take a good whiff you can find some more bitter burnt malt aromas reminiscent of coffee, but the sweetness predominates.
At this temperature, the malt flavors aren't quite as strong as the aromas were, and seemingly from nowhere a large dose of an earthy, herbal hop flavor (think English bitter-like) comes on strong. It blends quite nicely into (and with) the sweeter, malty flavors, and definitely helps to temper what could be overly sweet to some.
Despite the addition of oats to thicken the beer, I do wish it just had a little bit more body. It's not watery - not even close - but it is just a bit thinner than I want. Maybe I just like fuller bodied beers, though. On second (and third and fourth) sip, it isn't so much the overall body, it's just the very beginning of the sip when the beer feels too thin. Once it's in the mouth it coats nicely and has a great round and smooth sensation, without feeling heavy. After about 3/4 of the glass, it did seem like it may also be a touch under carbonated, or that may be from my initial vigorous pour.
At 52 degrees
Even though it's only a couple of degrees warmer than the initial temperature, this temperature really bring out the darker chocolate and rich toffee aromas from the roasted malts. In the taste, the earthy and English hops still make their presence known (but not aggressively) but there is also a subtle but present coffee-like roasted-bitterness. Although these darker malt flavors are very stout-like, they are subtle, and the sweeter malt flavors really do keep the beer well balanced and prevent it from venturing into stout territory.
At 40 degrees
I went a bit colder for this last beer. The aroma is even more on the sweeter side at this colder temperature, with lots of nuttiness and toffee. The herbal hop flavors are also a lot more subdued than they were at the 'recommended' temperature of 48 degrees (or the warmer 52). It's still got a lot of nice, rich malt flavors, but this colder temperature definitely mutes some of the nice depth and complexity that this beer has to offer. If you like that in a beer, this beer will give it to you, but I would recommend trying at least one at the recommended temperature.
At all the temperatures the aftertaste strikes a nice balance between lingering and quick. Both the earthy hop and sweeter caramel malt flavors are the ones that linger the longest, but they balance out nicely and neither of them are out of place.
Overall, Against the Grain has done a nice job with the Brown Note - a nice mixture of brown ale maltiness along with a subtle hoppiness that adds a bit of brightness and tames some of the sweetness.
