     Fat Squirrel Ale (New Glarus Brewing Company)
The famous Fat Squirrel. Well, I guess its probably not that famous but it certainly has a following in Wisconsin. I love the label that New Glarus designed for this beer, its a classic (like a lot of their other labels as well). From the New Glarus site: "One deceptively spring like winter day, Brewmaster Dan walked home from the brewery, sat down to dinner and said, "Boy, there are some fat squirrels out there. They're running all over the place. I think I should brew a Fat Squirrel Nut Brown Ale." Deb agreed and so another beer legend was born. Here we go... Pour - nice dark amber to brown in color with some reddish highlights and a good inch of off-white foam on top. Looks delicious. Aroma - initially I am reminded of apple cider followed by some toasty, biscuity, doughy, malty and fruity notes along with some wisps of alcohol. Smells clean and quite inviting. Taste - this beer will provide more enjoyment than you might expect. There is a good amount of malty/biscuity/bready flavor right off the bat along with some caramal malt sweetness but there is also some nice fruity estery flavors and a really thought provoking alcohol flavor that you might get from much stronger beers. Its like a maple liqueur almost. So much flavor in such an innocent seeming beer. Loved it.
Overall - great beer. I love the depth of flavor this beer has with so much maltiness and a clean, crisp finish. Its such a simple beer but with a good amount of complexity.
Would I buy more of it? - absolutely, this is a great spring beer when the nights aren't as warm as you wish they were!
Note - The word squirrel comes from the Greek word σκιουρος, skiouros, which means shadow-tailed, referring to the bushy appendage possessed by many of its members.
Posted by Russ Labels: Brown Ales | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
   Bolita Double Nut Brown Ale (Cigar City Brewing Company)
I am pretty excited about this beer as I've had nothing but great experiences with Cigar City thus far. Everything has been incredible and this beer sounds like it should follow suit. A nice strong brown ale should end this night nicely. From the Cigar City site: "Our Bolita is a Double Northern English-style brown ale that has a complex malt forward character with notes of chocolate, toffee and hints of roasted nuts in the finish. Bolita pairs well with Baklava, Big Band Music, Cool Evenings and robust cigars." Here we go... Pour - nice dark, deep mahogany and brown in color with some reddish highlights and a nice cream colored head. Good looking stuff.
Aroma - hmmm. I took a whiff of this before I poured it and it smelled a bit off but I shrugged my shoulders and hoped for the best. I smell a lot of sour cherry and funk. After a little bit of research online it appears that I've got a bottle that was accidentally infected with Brett (brettanomyces) and thus the funky smell combining with cherry and some of the chocolate and malty aromas. Sigh.
Taste - since Brett is something that can make a beer great (see Orval and New Glarus R & D Golden Ale) I've decided to continue with this in the name of science/beer drinking. The flavor is indeed funky and a bit sour and acidic and despite some desperate attempts by the surely good malty, chocolatey, toffee flavors this one just doesn't work. The Brett is just too strong and cancels things out, it wasn't meant for this style of beer. I did my best to enjoy this and in the end it had to go down the drain. That is a rare thing in my world.
Overall - disappointed that this was infected and pretty much undrinkable. I will do my best to procure another bottle, but that may be difficult.
Would I buy more of it? - I'd love to try a bottle that wasn't infected as I am sure this is a great beer.
Note - "Bolita was a type of lottery popular with the working class citizens of the Ybor City district of Tampa. Bolita means, ’little ball’ but profits from the illegal (and often rigged) game were anything but little. In the 1920’s Tampa native Charlie Wall was the undisputed kingpin of the Bolita racket."
Posted by Russ Labels: Brown Ales | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
   Cubano Espresso-Aged Maduro Oatmeal Brown Ale (Cigar City Brewing Company)
I couldn't resist picking up a bottle of this limited release beer as I absolutely love coffee beers and Cigar City has made nothing but a great impression on me based on what I've tried so far. Thankfully these beers are available in nearby NY state where you can also get tap filled beers at liquor stores. From the Cigar City site: "Our Maduro Brown Ale aged on whole beans from Naviera Coffee Mills #3 Espresso blend with chicory." Here we go... Pour - looks like any other well brewed brown ale. Nice looking head that sticks within the walls of the glass. Nothing to get excited about yet...
Aroma - strong smell of very, very good coffee, cocoa, chicory, dark sweet malt, brown sugar, caramel and fresh baked chocolate chip cookies.
Taste - damn that is good! A mouthful of coffee, cocoa powder and some vanilla flavor as well. For a brown ale of this strength this beer has the feel of something much stronger. I say that because the flavor just seems to engulf my mouth and feels like multiple layers on my tongue. Its almost creamy in texture and has a complexity not found in a lot of beers this style or ABV. I am left with a dry mouth and tongue with the aftermath of coffee taste and dark chocolate bombardment. Very, very tasty.
Overall - Flavor, flavor, flavor. I love how everything comes together so well in this rather unassuming brown ale. Once again the folks at Cigar City have impressed.
Would I buy more of it? - absolutely, this is some great stuff.
Note - I got this bottle filled at an awesome grocery/beer store called DeCicco's in Ardsley, NY. They had an incredible beer section with loads of great hard to find micros. Along with this beer they had 5 other beers on tap that you could get in growlers or flip top bottles. They also had some Captain Lawrence beers which are always hard to find.
Posted by Russ Labels: Coffee Beers, Brown Ales | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
   Saint Botolph's Town (Pretty Things Beer & Ale Project)
Botolph's Town is the origin of the English town name of Boston, which is where the city of Boston in Massachusetts gets its name. Saint Botolph was an Abbot and is the patron saint of travellers as well as various aspects of farming (go figure). The more you know... From the Pretty Things site: "This Yorkshire-inspired beer is a big malty brown ale fermented in open squares with Yorkshire malts and eclectic yeast strains. It's pretty much sold out, but we'll be bringing it back for early fall." - which means now... Saint Botolph's Town pours a very hearty, rich, dark brown color with a fluffy, thick off-white almost yellow head. This is a rich flavorful looking beer to say the least. The aroma is dark roasted malt, coffee, cocoa, a little smoke and a little brown sugar. Very nice smelling brew. One sip and I remember how much I really liked this beer the first time I had it. Its got a big malty flavor that is rich, toasty, roasty and very delicious. Plenty of coffee flavor meshes well with some sweet cocoa and caramel. Very easy drinking but also very flavorful. This is not your boring, run-of-the-mill brown ale, this is something special. Pretty Things you've done well.
Posted by Russ Labels: Brown Ales | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Hobgoblin (Wychwood Brewery Company Ltd)
Ahh, yes, ye ol' Hobgoblin. Once a rarity in any form it is now even available on tap here in Stockholm. Wychwood does some pretty good beers, and this is probably their most famous and the one that has already set a standard despite being around for less than 20 years. (Wychwood Brewery didn't really get up and running till about 1990.)
Posted by Kelly Labels: Brown Ales | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Pandan Brown Ale (Trade Route Brewing Company)
I've never had anything from this brewery but was intrigued by this one, mainly because I didn't know what pandan was. It turns out pandan leaves are "used in Southeast Asian cooking to add a distinct aroma to rice and curry dishes such as nasi lemak, kaya ('jam') preserves, and desserts such as pandan cake. Pandan leaf can be used as a complement to chocolate in many dishes, such as ice cream." Sounds good. From the Trade Route site (and on the bottle): "Exquisite brown ale with a delicate Southeast Asian pandan leaf aroma and palm sugar finish." Pandan Brown Ale a rusty brown color with a fizzy head that is sort of loosely packed together. Sort of reminds me a bit of cola. Aroma is caramel and brown sugar, I still don't really know what the aroma of pandan should be so I am not sure I can pick it out. Overall the smell of this beer is rather bland and reminds me of Newcastle. The flavor profile of this beer is pretty much that of an average brown ale with some sweeter than average components. Its definitely got some brown sugar stuff going on and a very malty finish but no real complexity. I wish the pandan offered up more so that I could brag about how much I enjoy pandan and people could assume I know a lot about its use in cooking but alas that is not the case. Nonetheless I respect the brewery for doing something new and innovative. Trade Route Brewing Company, whose mantra is "Explore the beer frontier", represents a new breed in breweries that are producing beers with more unique flavors. They sort of remind me Uncommon Brewers' in Santa Cruz who produce Siamese Twin Ale, a Belgian-style dubbel brewed with kaffir lime.
Posted by Russ Labels: Brown Ales, Herbed/Spiced Beers | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Sixpoint Brownstone (Sixpoint Craft Ales)
The Tap & Mallet in Rochester is easily one of the best beer bars you're going to find in Upstate New York. Its got lots of taps, lots of bottles and lots of great food. The staff is friendly and knows their beer. I met up with Kim Reid, from Beer Lens, for a couple beers here tonight for some international beer blog bonding and as I was leaving I grabbed a draft bomber to go. Thats right, they sell 22 oz. bottles of any of their drafts to go! That is unheard of in New England. Needless to say, I was happy to get 22 oz. of draft only Sixpoint Brownstone. Sixpoint Brownstone pours a very dark brown with a good amount of fluffy off-white head. Considering that this was poured from the tap into a bottle and then from that bottle into my glass its looking pretty good. Aroma is a boat load of sweet malt. It definitely has a lot of that dark brown bread smell to it along with the smell you get when you open a can of malt extract. There is also some sweet caramel and definitely some dark brown sugar. Its a very "warm" smelling brown ale. Flavors and aromas are one in the same. There is a ton of sweet caramel and dark brown sugar flavor to this beer. Its a big dose of sweet malt and a bit of hop bitterness that just rounds out the finish to each sip. Very tasty. Everything I've ever had from Sixpoint has been excellent. If you ever find yourself in NYC, venture down to the Redhook section of Brooklyn and pop into Sixpoint for a tour and a tasting, you won't be sorry.
Posted by Russ Labels: Brown Ales | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
  Rocky's Revenge Bourbon Brown Ale (Tyranena Brewing Company)
A little bit about the name to get things started, from the Tyranena site: "Deep in the darkest depths of Rock Lake prowls a great saurian known today as Rocky. The legend of Rocky is old. The ancient inhabitants of Aztalan warned of the beast by building a giant serpent mound at the lake’s edge. The early residents of Lake Mills were forewarned of a guardian placed in the lake to protect its sacred stone tepees. And history tells of numerous encounters with Rocky, who became a source of great worry and fear. Although not seen for over a century, divers still experience a feeling of dread and being watched. Enjoy Rocky’s Revenge, our offering to this legendary protector of Tyranena." This makes me realize there are quite a few beers names after mythical aquatic beasts. Rocky's Revenge is in fact "an American brown ale with a portion aged in bourbon barrels. Each bourbon barrel will contribute its own unique character to this rich, satisfying ale." Peronally, I find this quite unique as there are very few beers available as year-round releases that are aged in any sort of barrels. Rocky's Revenge pours..well...brown. Sure its a nice color of brown and its got some hints of red and orange, but overall its brown. Its got a nice creamy, white head on it that has a lot of potential to last until this beer is done. Impressive. The aroma is lots of sweet caramel, rock candy, molasses and plenty of malt. This sort of reminds me of toasted brown bread. Okay, one sip and I realize that this not your everyday brown ale. Its got a good amount of toasted cereal malt flavor as well as a good deal of sweetness but the big difference is the subtle flavor that the Bourbon barrel aging does for this beer. Its not going to floor you with vanilla and tannins but it will definitely have you thinking whisky. Lots of malt flavor provides a great environment for the remnants of the bourbon and the wood from the barrels. Delicious. I have to admit, when it comes to whisky barrel aged beers, I think less is more. A little bit of flavor goes a long way and Tyranena did a nice job by making this a reasonable blend for a brown ale (one they release in six-packs nonetheless). I like it. Its a nice brown ale with an added element that sets it apart from the crowd. Cheers!
Posted by Russ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Jacobsen Brown Ale (Carlsberg Danmark A/S)
If you have been to Denmark, and more specifically Copenhagen, then you are aware that Carlsberg does a lot of things besides TV commercials involving the word "probably" and the mass produced lager that goes along with those ads. In fact if you've been to what is known as the Carlsberg brewery (elephant gates and all) in the center of Copenhagen you haven't been to where they brew the green labeled stuff - you've been to where they brew beers like this one. The Jacobsen brewery complex opened in 2005 on the grounds of the original brewery. This is part of an entire range of beers under the Jacobsen name (J.C. Jacobsen founded Carlsberg) that were once only available in Denmark but have slowly trickled out to the US and Scandinavia. This is currently the only one available even in Sweden, although a Christmas version also appears seasonally. In total they've down about 8 higher end beers including a chamomile double and a white beer flavored with apples. Let's see how this one measures up, and if it achieves that "craft beer" taste that the big C is going for.... Pours a dark brown-ruby color that is almost opaque with a head that quickly diminishes. The smell is fruity with notes of cherries and plums, as well as some malt. The taste is very smooth, starting sweet and ending in a really nice malty finish. There is definitely a black cherry taste, but it is subtle and works nicely with the thick sticky malt. This is really not a bad beer at all, there is even a taste of macadamia nuts (that's high end). This is probably the best beer I've had from Carlsberg, not brilliant, but wow does it beat the big name stuff. If you have not been to Denmark, it is truly worth the trip to try the wide selection of beers that Carlsberg brews and this is one of them...oh, and of course Legoland.
Posted by Kelly Labels: Brown Ales | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
  Locks Timberwolf Nut Brown Ale (Wolf Beer Company)
This was another beer that was given to me by my friend Mike down in North Carolina. I have never heard of this brewery and a quick search online reveals that this is one of only three beers that they bottle. I do like the Wolf Beer Company slogan, "Just Good Crafted Beer". Their site has this to say about their Nut Brown Ale: "This wolf is complex, but knows what he's doing. With six specialty malts, the flavoring is magnificent and unforgetable. Locks Timberwolf is full-bodied with fresh nutty aroma, notes of caramel, and raisen, brown sugar and a grainy texture. A real treat for the dark beer drinker!" I have to admit that the idea of a "grainy texture" is not one that I look for in a beer but who knows... Timberwolf pours a dark,dark brown, almost looks like a glass of Pepsi. The head is very thin and quick to dissipate, carbonation looks good. Looks very caramel-y. Smell is that of rich dark, brown bread. Very sweet smelling with aromas of malt, caramel, brown sugar and some iron. Taste starts of with bold mouthful of sweet caramel malt but quickly develops a thin, watery feel. I get the flavor of soft pretzel from this beer, not that is a bad thing, its just a bit unexpected. The body of this beer needs some work,maybe a little "oomph" to pick it up and straighten it out. There is more wolf inside this beer, it just needs some help to come out of its den.
Posted by Russ Labels: Brown Ales | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
  Bellaire Brown (Short's Brewing Company) Another tasty treat from the midwest! I really am digging the labels on Short's beers, they really are great. Bellaire Brown pours a murky, chestnut, dark amber color with a very thin head. I am guessing that might have been different if I had let it warm a little bit before I poured...I guess I am a little impatient. The aroma is a lot of sweet malt upfront, it smells like a brewery does when you know they are brewing (sorry if that is too broad of a statement). Some nice roasted coffee flavors and some milk chocolate come out as well. Lots of toasty smells, like brown bread or even better yet, like BM bread in a can! Talk about flavor! Initial sip is a big bold mouthful of malty goodness. Lots of toasted malt flavor, more brown bread and coffee. This has to be one of the most flavorful brown ales I've had, so much packed into each sip. Wow! As it warms the flavor just improves even more, I am really, really impressed by this beer. Brown ales tend to be a style that really doesn't blow me away since most times they taste relatively similar. Not this, its on a different level. Short's Brewing, you guys rock. I need to find a way to get more of your beers!
Posted by Russ Labels: Brown Ales | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
   XAP XOPYM Dark Beer (Apu Brewery)
The Mongolian mystery beer has been poured! Thanks to my friend Dan for hauling this little beauty back from a recent trip to Mongolia. He had it stuffed in a shoe and it survived unscathed. Now if only I could find some information about this beer! I know its a dark beer and I know its "the Mongolian premium beer" but the label tells me those things. Everything else remains a mystery for now. Pours a dark auburn color that is clean and clear when held to up to the light. Based on the carbonation and the color I will go with this being a brown ale. Its also my guess that Mongolia is a lager drinking country. The head is about a finger in thickness and very rich. Not a bad looking beer. Smells of dark malt, some apple or dark fruit along with a sweet buttery-ness. There is also some caramel notes and dark bread. Tastes very much like dark German wheat bread! There are also some hints of sweet fruit. The taste is very refreshing as its definitely beer you can drink nice and cold and there is little to no aftertaste. A pretty basic dark beer but extremely easy to drink. Its the best Mongolian beer I've ever had! Note: XAP XOPYM (on the label) is Mongolian for "Empire Karakoram".
Posted by Russ Labels: Brown Ales | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Thunder Hole Ale (new) (Bar Harbor Brewing Company)
There are definitely a lot of things going through my head as I pour this beer. Why the new label? Why the contract brewing? Will it taste the same? Afterall, its the "same" beer but with new yeast, new water and it comes from a whole new brewery. I don't want to pass too much judgement since the beer itself will speak volumes and hopefully answer some of my questions about whether or not its the same beer. Pours a very dark, almost opaque brown with hints of ruby redness. The head is about a finger's width in thickness and dies down rather quickly leaving some oily foam on top with and a ring around the color of the glass. Something else I notice is the amount of carbonation bubbling up from the dark depths. Smell is sweet caramel and burnt sugar, dark rich maltiness and some roasted coffee. There is also a hint of smokiness like burning wood. Pretty good smelling beer. Taste is sweet dark malts with a dry astringent aftertaste and lots of bubbles on the tongue. The coffee notes come out quite strong after a few more sips. The roasty smoky taste is a lot weaker than the smell might let on. One thing that I notice with this one is a syrupy after taste that is a bit cloying. Not sure how to describe it, kind of like a diet soda aftertaste or something. This is a decent brown ale but its unfortunately not the same as the original bombers brewed up in Bar Harbor. That would have been near impossible to recreate.
Posted by Russ Labels: Brown Ales | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
  Palo Santo Marron (Dogfish Head Craft Brewed Ales)
Palo Santo means "holy wood or tree" in Spanish. The tree itself is native to the southern region of South America and has been used to ferment wine in Paraguay. Its also got quite a few medicinal qualities as well. I actually saw people selling small pieces of "Palo Santo" on the streets when I was in South America. Dogfish Head got pretty damn creative, once again, and imported a bunch of it and built some pretty massive tanks in which to ferment and age this very strong brown ale. The label reads: "An unfiltered, unfettered, unprecedented brown ale aged in handmade wooden brewing vessels. The caramel and vanilla complexity unique to this beer comes from the exotic Paraguayan Palo Santo wood from which these tanks were crafted. At 10,000 gallons each, these are the largest wooden brewing vessels built in America since before Prohibition. It's all very exciting. We have wood. Now you do too." Pours dark, thick, very viscous and pretty much black in color. Reminds me very much of an Imperial stout. At 12% its hard to imagine still having a brown color for this ridiculously strong and complex "brown ale". The head is miniscule and quick to go away. While it does last its a nice coffee color with big loose bubbles. After settling its a very thin lace of off white hugging the top of the glass. Smells of rich malt, dark roasted coffee, alcohol, and burnt sugar. I really don't know what to look for when it comes to the smell of Palo Santo. That is a bit of a mystery and I hope it is unraveled when I pour some of this into my mouth. My god that is good stuff. Sooo smooth and instantly warming! I love it. Tastes of dark toasted malt, bitter coffee along with some tangy sweetness. I definitely get the alcohol kick at the back of my tongue. Its got some qualities that are similar to a red wine, its a hearty strong beer with a bit of a dry fruit flavor at the end of each sip (this is definitely one you'll want to sip). Dark, rich and mysterious. Palo Santo Marron is a hell of a strong and complex beer. At 12% its a beer that you'll want to savor and enjoy all its different elements. Cheers to Sam Calagione on another amazingly unique beer from Dogfish Head!
Posted by Russ Labels: Brown Ales | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Wolaver's Brown Ale (Otter Creek Brewing Company)
Wolaver's is a line of Certified Organic ales produced by the Otter Creek Brewing Company. They've been around since 1997 and were some of the first organic beers produced in the US. When I first saw Wolaver's years ago I kind of wondered to myself what the big deal was, but now that the organic food trend has snowballed I can see they were ahead of their time. Wolaver's is now a leader in the organic beer market in New England. The Brown pours a lighter shade of...well...brown. Its also got some nice little bubbles flying upwards to produce a rather thin head. A nice clean looking pour. The smell is sweet caramel, some baked apples and raisins and nice, rich maltiness. This beer has a lot of great characteristics even before its touched my tongue. Taste is toasty malt, more caramel sweetness with a nice touch of bitterness at the end. I smell a lot more of the hops once I've jammed my face into the glass for a sip. The carbonation is nice on this one as well, it makes for a very easy drinking and delicious beer. I am really impressed by this beer. Regardless of whether or not its organic, this is a great brown ale. If you are into the organic thing, this is where you should turn for your brown ale fix.
Posted by Russ Labels: Brown Ales, Organic Beers | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Bar Harbor Real Ale (Atlantic Brewing Company)
I didn't actually know that this was a brown ale for quite some time. I guess when I think "Real Ale" I think of a golden colored ale. This is a great beer on tap and I'd love to find it on cask somewhere in Maine. I am sure that would be pretty amazing. Pours a nice deep brown with a very tall, fluffy head. The fluff doesn't last long and before I get a sip its down to a quarter inch clinging to the sides of the glass. Smells heavenly. Very toasty, malty with some molasses and coffee notes. Taste is rich. I get a lot of toast and sweetness along with some nice juiciness in the finish. This is a very tasty brown ale. I've still yet to have an Atlantic beer that has left me wanting more. You can't go wrong with anything this brewery puts out.
Posted by Russ Labels: Brown Ales | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Indian Brown Ale (Dogfish Head Craft Brewed Ales)
This is one of those beers that could confuse a person with strict beer style morals. What is an Indian Brown Ale anyways? What kind of weird, yet delicious, crossbreed did Sam Calagione come up with? According to the Dogfish Head site, the Indian Brown Ale is: "A cross between a Scotch Ale, an I.P.A., and an American Brown, this beer is well-hopped and malty at the same time. It is brewed with Aromatic barley and caramelized brown sugar." Personally, this is one of my favorite Dogfish Head beers. Don't get me wrong, I love the 60 Minute IPA. This beer however has grown on me over the years and has become a go to six pack when I can't find anything new to try. I guess, for me, its the great mix of styles that keeps bringing me back time and time again. Pours dark and earthy brown with a nice head that looks like it was born on the top of the beer. Its a great looking head on a very perfect looking glass of beer. The smell is very strong coffee and dark toasted malts. Its a smell that is very inviting. There is not a lot of hop in the nose but the malty sweetness and dark roasted smell is a great combo. Tastes sweet, malty and with a nice hop bitterness at the end. There is a bit of a sweet brown sugar taste that really stays with your taste buds. I also get the same taste that I get from a cup of very dark coffee that has sugar collected at the bottom. Don't get me wrong, this is not a bad thing. I really enjoy this beer. Its a unique style that I think works very well. If you see it, pick some up!
Posted by Russ Labels: Brown Ales | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Thunder Hole Ale (old) (Bar Harbor Brewing Company)
Bar Harbor Thunder Hole Ale sure has a nice label. There are a lot of of Maine type things going on! I put a better shot of the label below this post so its a little easier to see. It's good example of just how nice the area around Bar Harbor is. Speaking of nice, Thunder Hole sure gets nice reviews. According to their website, this is also "The brown ale that beat Newcastle, Sam Adams, Sam Smiths' and more, at the World Beer Championships in Chicago." Pours a nice deep brown with a large fluffy tight head. Smells sweet, malty with small hints of hops. This just smells like a solid beer. Actually all of the Bar Harbor Brewing Co. beers that I've had have been solid. I really need to get up there and pay a visit. I know the brewery was just sold, hopefully that won't affect the character and integrity of their beers. First sip is a flood of malty sweetness with a bit of hoppiness and a sugary sweet finish. This is a really enjoyable brown ale. I really like the smoothness of this beer and the fact that is a full bodied brown and not at all watery and free of that sharp astringency that some browns have in the finish. Definitely the type of beer I could get comfortable with. The gold medal is well deserved.
Posted by Russ Labels: Brown Ales | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Old Brown Dog Ale (Smuttynose Brewing Company)
Old Brown Dog Ale, brewed by Smuttynose Brewing Company in Portsmouth, NH, is your quintessential American Brown Ale. It was first brewed 20 years ago this year so this beer is time tested and almost legally allowed to drink itself! It pours a nice dark brown color (like a brown ale should of course) with a nice creamy head. You can always tell a quality beer from the way the head of the beer is. This one is pretty much perfect as it slowly dissipates. I'm a sucker for Smuttynose beers, I've really never had a bad one and this one is solid (and its my wife's favorite so we tend to have it in the house quite a bit). The taste is nice and rich and at 5.7% its not your typical low alcohol "session" brown ale. Its got a lot of malt taste with a hoppy tanginess that comes through at the finish. Like I said, this is a solid brown ale and another great year-round release from Smuttynose. Smuttynose also released a Very Old Brown Dog Ale in their Big Beer Series, in honor of the dog on the label (Olive) who had aged a few years since that picture was taken. It was appropriately an Old Ale and came in at 7% ABV. Sadly, Olive passed away last year close to her 16th birthday. Her legacy lives on with this kind and gentle beer. Cheers to the memory of dogs everywhere that are running free and eating infinite amounts of meat in dog heaven.
Posted by Russ Labels: Brown Ales | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
