Brooklyn Brown Ale

Draft. Brown pour, medium, sticky tan head. Aroma of hops, sweet malt. Flavor of wheat, hops, malt, toast, caramel. Not as full-bodied as I’d like and a bit too much carbonation. Strong flavor compensates for those shortcomings, and overall this is a solid brown ale.

Bottle at MacNiven’s. Pours cherry brown, minimal head. Not a strong nose, but some dark malt and more hops than expected come through. Taste is pretty hopped up for a brown, as is typical from Brooklyn. The hop bite seemed to fade eventually, and smooth, fresh berry malt took over. All in all this was pretty enjoyable, though a little ’empty’ or lacking depth at times.

(12oz bottle) Pours a very dark brown (for the style) with a nice fluffy tan head that sticks around a while. Nose is of toasted sweet malts and nutty. As I taste it I’m realizing this may be oxidized, but still good. Over carbonated though. Taste is of roasted malts, not enough sweetness for a brown ale, an odd lingering on the tongue probably due to the oxidation. I think I will need to re-rate this at some point, but still solid. Hard to discern flavors with oxidation.

Bottle at beerbistro. Tasty easy drinking brown ale. Pours reddish brown with beige head. Nice toasy malts, caramel and nuts.

A thick, off-white and brown head. Clear and reddish brown. The head is rocky. A first blast in the nose of heavy yeast; very nice. A sweet, brown sugary malt as well. The yeast is major, really overwhelms. Fine by me. Again, a tremendous yeast presence. Some sweet brown sugar and molasses. Really a nice, yeast-heavy taste. Bready and sweet. Not really balanced (it’s heavy on the sweet side) but that’s okay. It’s still good. It’s mostly thin-bodied, but the yeast gives an ale thickness. Very nice overall, and bready. Sweet ale, with not a hint of bitterness at all.

Dark, clear reddish brown, solid beige head, good lacing. A lot of hops in the aroma, toasted malts and caramel, hints of nuts. Flavour is chocolate, nuts, caramel with a solid hop finish. Flavour leaves a bit to be desired, it seems a bit thin.

Bottle from Peckhams. Brown colour, off-white head. Aroma has toasted malts, caramel. Flavour has toasted malts, caramel, nuts, bread. A bit sticky and sweet finish. Not really my style.

Sampled at the 8th Annual Music City Brewer’s Festival. Dark red, whitish head. Aroma is sweet, toasty, nutty. Taste is toasted malt, nuts, chocolate, caramel.