Foothills India Brown Ale

Brewed by Foothills Brewing
Style: Brown Ale
Winston-Salem, North Carolina USA

Serve in Dimpled mug

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Draught. Dark, brown, with ruby tinges. Mediuim tan head, very thick, nice lacing. Aroma is spicy and hoppy, and a roasty malt aroma too. Flavor is similar, with a good bit ot chocolate and a very nice hoppy finish. Excellent beer.

Really great beer. This was a hybrid of a nut brown ale with the hoppiness of a good IPA.

Originally reviewed: 1/27/09. Had this on tap at the pub itself. Came out a dark brownish red, with about a quarter inch head on it. This disappeared to nothing but an outer ring. Though there was some decent lacing along glass edge. Smelled sweet and caramel-esque. Faint hops in there as well. This is a nice crisp, bold, hoppy Brown Ale! Wow! I’m glad I tried this one. It’s hoppy and slightly bitter, but not too much that I’d mistake it for an IPA. Just enough to keep me sipping. Definitely some malty sweetness in there as well, as this is very well-balanced. Some butterscotch flavors pull through just a bit. Man, this is good. Too bad it’s only around for a little while.

UPDATED: JUN 11, 2007 Pours a deep dark chocolate color; almost a cola look to it with ruby highlights along the edge of the bottom. Fluffy almond head exhibits some staying power. Wet loose lace slides and glides inside the glass. Aromas of some Dutch process cocoa powder float upwards to saturate the nostrils. Earthy hoppiness; you can smell the soil the rhizomes were planted in. An ample spiciness in the air as well. Flavors offer a roasty feel; heavily kilned malts result in a rather porter-esque (or a lighter stout) roastiness. Very nice. Nut character appears with some almond and hazelnut. A bitter earthiness finishes the taste. Plenty of hops abound in this India Pale, er, Brown Ale. Average mouthfeel. Feels a tad thin and reserved. The dark color and earthy attributes trick you into thinking this might have a hefty body. Drinkable and enjoyable. An earthy dose of bitter awaits you. (Previously reviewed as "Foothills Festive" on 1/5/06.)

Darught at the brewpub. Clear brown color with bubbly tan head that laced the glass. Flowery hop nose that is not quite as intense as the Kind Ale IPA. There is also a subtle caramel aroma. The flowery hops come out again in the flavor along with dried cherries and raisins. Very complex, tasty beer.

Growler courtesy of Degarth. Thanks for bringing this back from your trip. Pours dirt clear brown with fluffy light brown head. In the aroma I get mild pine hops, roasty malts, a bit of malt astringency and a hint of toffee. The taste is nice and malty mixed with pine hop bitterness but not in an Arrogant Bastard Ale type way. Approaching the finish the hops fade some giving way to rich roasty malts. Yum. The after taste carries even more roastiness and growing pine hop bitterness.

Poured from my home tap, the color is a rich reddish chestnut brown with a thick, fluffy beige head that leaves a crazy amount of lacing. The aroma is sweet and somewhat floral, with a caramel character that is expected. The flavor is richer than expected for the style, however, with a sweet, bready, caramel/toffee malt backbone that is contrasted by a subtle nuttiness and a present but restrained herbal, peppery hop character. Medium-bodied by well-carbonated, this one goes down smooth, especially considering the moderately elevated alcohol level. Overall, this is another well-made beer from Foothills.

With my Goat Cheese burger at Coleman Public House in Mt Pleasant. This is a terrific brown. Toffee is the star of the show for me. Little chocolate notes but the beer finishes like a champ. Dry dry dry finish. ---Rated via Beer Buddy for iPhone

Dark brown with a froathy light brown head. Pretty hoppy beer much like an IPA, but with more roasty undertones like a stout. Still a lot of citrus. Pretty good brew.

UPDATED: MAY 25, 2008 With earthy raisiny notes in the nose, this brown has a very pleasing sweetness that never loses control. Well balanced and thoroughly pleasing this is one of Foothills top 3 in my book (alongside their Porter and Stout).