Brown Ales

BROWN IS THE LONELIEST COLOR

If one is trying to sell a house or a car, perhaps, it's unlikely the real estate agent or car salesman would describe it as brown. Instead it would be chocolate or burnt umber or chestnut. Maybe russet, smokey topaz, taupe or perhaps even kobicha. But brown? Probably not. Yet if one wanted to describe where one lived they'd likely say something like "'It's the brown house third down from the corner." To say "It's the kobicha house" might "muddy" the descriptive waters. Red is a sexy color, Amber somehow exotic and Dark (as in dark beers) denotes an air of mystery. But Brown - meh. In truth brown is a warm often rich color with a myriad of tones and hues. And so it is with Brown Ales, which are first cousins to Red Ales, Amber Ales and those Dark beers like Stouts and Porters. In color they can span the spectrum from a near black to reddish to amber. Traditionally Brown Ales, a British staple for years, are more malt-heavy than hoppy with taste that can be bready, yeasty, biscuit-like with undertones of toffee, caramel, coffee and sometimes chocolate. However, with the explosion of craft breweries here in the states Brown Ales, like all other styles of beer, have been tweaked. Or not. The result being that you can find very traditional Brit Beer style Browns out there or Brown Ales with a little more hop to their step, so to speak.
This month the BOTB Guys grabbed some Brown Ales and a thesaurus (because, how many times can you just say the color was brown?) and went to work.

THE BROWN NOTE

AGAINST THE GRAIN BREWERY

THE BEER FACTS: BREWERY: Against the Grain Brewery, Louisville, KY; ABV: 5%; IBUs: 20.0; MALTS: British malts and oats, with specialty malts; HOPS: Traditional British hops, Cascade.

WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: "The brown ale to end all brown ales. Enjoy it, because there is no longer any reason to drink another. You've reached the pinnacle. A healthy blend of traditional British malts give this popular style a semi-sweet, biscuity, slightly roasted flavor. Oats thicken the mouthfeel, and a handful or specialty malts add complex chocolate, toffee, and caramel notes. The hops are mostly traditional, earthy British hops, but we cocked it up a bit with some Cascade late in the boil just to show those snooty Brits that we don't approve of that Constitutional Monarchy crap."

COLOR: Brown

POUR: Decent Head

AROMA: Nutty, bready

BODY: A bit beyond Medium

TASTE: Tends toward sweet with lots of notes of Malt, bread, nut, coffee, chocolate, toffee and caramel.

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS: Between "I Could Drink This" and "Can't Get Enough!"

COMMENTS: "Clean at the end (wiped?); Like a thinner porter; I like this - nice beer; Once I get passed the label, I like it; I really like it - no shit!; I've seen this on the shelf and actively avoided it because of the label - really turned me off. I mean, I like the humor used by craft brewers - but this is a bit too juvenile and in-your-face  Not exactly subtle or clever . The beer itself is really good, though; It's rich, full flavored; A case of 'Can't judge a book by its cover' sort of thing I guess."

HAZELNUT BROWN NECTAR

ROGUE ALES

THE BEER FACTS: BREWER: Rogue Ales, Newport, OR; ABV: 5.6%; IBUs: 33; MALTS: 2-Row, Munich, C15, C75, C120, Kiln Coffee, Brown and Rogue Farms Dare and Risk Malts; HOPS: Rogue Farms Revolution and Independent Hops; YEAST: Pacman Yeast; BONUS INGREDIENTS: Hazelnut extract, Free Range Coastal Water."

WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: "From the hazelnut capital of the United States, this nutty twist on a European brown ale was originally crafted by Rogue Brewmaster John Maier's good friend and avid home-brewer, Chris Studach. Hazelnut Brown Nectar offers a hazelnut aroma with rich nutty flavor and a smooth malty finish."

COLOR: Dark Amber

POUR: A bit better than Decent Head

AROMA: Bready, Yeasty, Nutty

BODY: Medium

TASTE: Sweet, malty, nutty with hint of vanilla

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS: Between "I Could Drink This" and "Can't Get Enough!"

COMMENTS: "Sweet!; Like a creamy brown ale; Very drinkable; Fall-leaf-raking ale; Rogue makes some good beers, and this is one of them; It's a little different from your typical brown ale; I taste some vanilla in there - took me a minute to identify the taste; Yeah, it's that vanilla that kind of gives it the sweetness, I think; And hazelnut nutty taste of course, which sets it apart."

BEST BROWN ALE

BELLS BREWERY

THE BEER FACTS: BREWER: Bell's Brewery, Constock, MI; ABV: 5.8%; HOPS: American

WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: "A smooth, toasty brown ale, Best Brown is a mainstay in our fall lineup. With hints of caramel and cocoa, the malt body has the depth to stand up to cool weather, but does not come across as heavy. This balancing act is aided by the generous use of American hops."

COLOR: Mahogany

POUR: Decent Head

AROMA: Not a strong aroma, bit of bread, perhaps.

BODY: Medium

TASTE: Tending toward the sweet with notes of brown sugar, caramel and a slight whisper of  chocolate

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS: Between "I Could Drink This" and "Can't Get Enough!"

COMMENTS: "Less of a mouthfeel than the others - a little thin; No particular taste is overpowering in this, subtle; I could actually drink more of these than some of the others simply because it is a pretty easy-drinking beer; Nice blend of flavors; It's a nice solid ale."

OLD BROWN DOG

SMUTTYNOSE BREWING CO.

THE BEER FACTS: BREWER: Smuttynose Brewing, Hampton, NH; STYLE: Brown Ale; ABV: 6.5%; IBUs: 29.5; MALT: North American 2-Row, Munich 10L, C-120, Chocolate; HOPS: Bittering: Cascade and Galena, Flavoring: Willamette; YEAST: American Ale

WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: "Old Brown Dog has been cited as a classic example of the 'American Brown Ale' style of beer. Compared to a typical English Brown Ale, Old Brown Dog is fuller-bodied and more strongly hopped."

COLOR: Ruby Brown

POUR: Decent Head

AROMA: Malty

BODY: A bit less than Medium

TASTE: Tends toward the sweet end of the spectrum with strong malt taste as well as toffee, bit of nut and caramel.

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS: Between "I Could Drink This" and "Can't Get Enough!"

COMMENTS: "Most mellow yet; Soothing and mild come to mind; Sweet all the way through, and finishes that way; A bit thin, but quite tasty; It's got some hoppiness to it; Kind of silky smooth feel to it; Another nice, easy-drinker."

BOFFO BROWN ALE

DARK HORSE BREWING

THE BEER FACTS: BREWER: Dark Horse Brewing Co., Marshall, MI; STYLE: Brown Ale; ABV: 7%; IBU: 26

WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: "Boffo Brown Ale is a favorite to many of us here at the brewery. Like most of our beers, it's robust full body and soft mouth feel is pushing the envelope of what an American Brown Ale is to most people. Flavors begin with malt, caramel, toffee, and finish with a nutty, mild earthiness. Boffo is extremely versatile and can be paired with hearty food and sips of bourbon or mild cheeses and sunny days."

COLOR: Between Brown and Mahogany

POUR: Decent Head

AROMA: Caramel

BODY: Between Medium and Full

TASTE: Malty, Caramel, toffee with a bitter tinge, burnt chocolate

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS: Near "Can't Get Enough!"

COMMENTS: "Borders on being a really nice Stout; Delicious!: There's like a burnt chocolate thing going on there - and I mean that in a good way - maybe dark chocolate; Bitter on the end; Smooth in the middle; Maybe a bit of coffee in there as well; Nice bit of hoppiness gives it the bitter bite that is a real nice counterpoint to the sweetness."

INDIAN BROWN DARK IPA

DOGFISH HEAD BREWING

THE BEER FACTS: BREWER: Dogfish Head Brewing Co., Milton, DE; ABV: 7.2%; IBUs: 50

WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: "Forget about the car companies, this is the original hybrid. A cross between a Scotch Ale, an India Pale Ale and an American Brown, Indian Brown is well-hopped and malty at the same time (it's magical!). The beer has characteristics of each style that inspired it: the color of an American Brown, the caramel notes of a Scotch Ale, and the hopping regimen of an India Pale Ale. We dry-hop the Indian Brown in a similar fashion to our 60 Minute IPA and  90 Minute IPA. This beer is brewed with Aromatic barley and organic brown sugar."

COLOR: Chocolate

POUR: Decent Head

AROMA: Caramel, maple

BODY: Somewhat more than Medium

TASTE: Malt, Bread, Nutty, Caramel, Brown Sugar, Molassas, touch of Dark Chocolate

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS: Just shy of "Can't Get Enough!"

COMMENTS: "A little zestier - you can tell it's an IPA; Malt forward, kind of reminds me of Wookie Jack; Dogfish Head - it's great!; One of my favorite Dogfish Head beers; Really good beer"

WYNONA'S BIG BROWN ALE

VOODOO BREWERY

THE BEER FACTS: BREWER: Voodoo Brewery, Meadville, PA; STYLE: Brown Ale; ABV: 7.3%; MALT: Brown Malt, Marris Otter; HOPS: Simcoe, Amarillo, Northern Brewer.

WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: "A robust dark brown ale brewed with generous amounts of brown malt and Marris Otter and hopped with Simcoe, Amarillo, and Northern Brewer to enhance the flavor and aroma for your enjoyment."

COLOR: Dark Brown

POUR: Decent Head with nice light brown lacing

AROMA: Sweet malt

BODY: A bit beyond Medium

TASTE: Nicely complex beer with the taste of malt, nut, chocolate and yeast (bready), bit of coffee and molasses

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS: Close to "Can't Get Enough!"

COMMENTS: "Nice smooth body; Right alcohol level for hop heads; Clean finish; What's not to like?; Real nice roasty malt taste in there, maybe a bit of vanilla, all those good Brown Ale flavors."

OUR RANKING

This month was another one in which we really didn't have a bad beer. All of them came in above average if we consider "I Could Drink This" as average - which we do. The "I Could Drink This" rating means it's a beer we would enjoyed and would be glad to see on a menu in a restaurant or at a sports bar but it might not be a beer we would actively seek out. Anything above that - and all of these beers were - is a beer we consider to be a better than average craft beer. The interesting thing here was that, despite all of these beers being Brown Ales, they didn't all taste exactly alike - an issue we have found in the past with certain styles particularly Oktoberfest brews. While all of the Browns we reviewed shared certain taste profiles of malt and nut, each one seemed to tweak those flavors along with coffee, chocolate, toffee, caramel, molasses and others to create a uniqueness while staying true to the Brown Ale traditions. Here's what we thought:

1. Dogfish Head Indian Dark Brown Ale - This one eked out a win over Wynona and Boffo both of which were up near the "Can't Get Enough!" level. A real nice full-bodied beer that just bursts with flavor. Nice, complex which appeals to both malt lovers and hopheads.

2. 3. - Wynona's Big Brown Ale and Boffo Brown Ale pretty much tied for second. 
            -Wynona we found to be a really smooth beer with a nice combination of Malt, Nut and chocolate.
            - Boffo was darn near of really tasty Stout with a great finish and a hint of bitter dark chocolate to compliment the Malt.

4. Hazelnut Brown Nectar - We really liked this beer from Rogue Brewing. Very drinkable with a nice hint of vanilla along with the nutty maltiness.

5. 6. 7. - Another log jam here as all three scored the same - roughly a 4 out of 5 or right in the middle between "I Could Drink This" and "Can't Get Enough!" So alphabetically by Brewery:

      - Against the Grain The Brown Note - Stepping away from all the puns generated by the label design, we found this to be like a thinner Porter. Very tasty with all the requisite Brown Ale notes - Malt, Bread, Nut, Coffee. Really good beer.

     - Bell's Best Brown - A little thin compared to the others but still a nice beer with a pleasant taste of brown sugar in there.

     - Smuttynose Brewing Old Brown Dog Ale - We found this very mellow, soothing and sweet all the way through with a nice toffee taste in there.

Next Month: New New York State beers. Until then.

Slante,
The BOTB Guys

  

A Pack of Porters

AN IPA WITH NO IBUs?

Been seeing a lot on this trend lately and for me it's a bit of a head-scratcher. As I'm sure you know if you've followed us at all, we (that's both the royal 'we' and the inclusive 'we' meaning all of the BOTB Guys) are big fans of IPAs. While we certainly enjoy and appreciate other beer styles as well (note this month's foray into Porters and next month's Ambers) IPAs and hoppy Pale Ales are our go-to beers. After a lifetime of boring mega-brew American lagers the introduction of Pale Ales and then IPAs was like Dorothy stepping out of her black and white world into one of technicolor. The taste-buds sang with joy. The intense citrus, pine and floral flavors imparted by the hops were just glorious, but wonderful bitterness that accompanied these flavors just amped up the intensity. For us, the bitterness is part and parcel of what makes an IPA a great beer. Now a number of brewers are experimenting with IPAs that have the hop flavors without the bitterness. To me it's almost like saying: "We're going to make a Sour beer only we're going to make it so that it's not, you know, sour." I like my IPAs with solid IBUs. Without the bitter bite is it really an IPA? Not having had the opportunity to have tried a zero IBU IPA, I reserve judgement. But I remain skeptical. 

WE TAKE THE BLACK

Night gathers, and now my watch begins.

It shall not end until my death. I shall take no wife, hold no lands, father no children.

I shall wear no crowns and win no glory.

I shall live and die at my post.

I am the sword in the darkness

I am the watcher on the walls.

I am the fire that burns against the cold, the light that brings the dawn, the horn that wakes the sleepers, the shield that guard the realms of men.

I pledge my life and honor to the Night's Watch, for this night and for all nights to come.

Thus is the pledge recited by those who "take the black" in Game of Thrones. To join the Night's Watch and become one of the Watchers on the Wall means a life bereft of carnal pleasures. But at least they have beer. We at BOTB won't forego earthly pleasures (we're not dead yet!) but we will delve into darkness this month as we check out some tasty Porters from traditional to New World interpretations. 

BLACK DUCK PORTER

GREENPORT HARBOR BREWING COMPANY

THE BEER FACTS: BREWER: Greenport Harbor Brewing Company, Greenport, NY;  STYLE: Porter; ABV: 4.7%;

WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: "A black ale that puts the flavor of the malt front and center. It has a mild hop character that balances strong notes of cocoa and hints of coffee. A full bodied roasty treat that finished dry."

COLOR: Walnut

POUR: Decent porter head, a dark ecru color, long lasting with good lacing.

AROMA: Coffee with cream

BODY: Fairly full-bodied

TASTE: Coffee with hints of chocolate - kind of mocha flavor

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS: Between "I Could Drink This!" and "Can't Get Enough!"

COMMENTS: "Very tasty; Smooth; Not as creamy as some; Really? I thought it was quite creamy; A little more carbonated than many; Could drink more than a couple of these; Really nice, smooth Porter."

VANILLA PORTER

BRECKENRIDGE BREWERY

THE BEER FACTS: BREWER: Breckenridge Brewery, Littleton, Colorado; STYLE: Vanilla Porter; ABVs: 5.4%; IBUs: 16

WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: "Deep in the jungles of Papua New Guinea and Madagascar grows the perfect ingredient for an extraordinary Porter brewed in Colorado. Breckenridge Brewery's Vanilla Porter. An ale that has all the chocolate and roasted nut flavor of a classic Porter, with an enigmatic surprise thrown in for good measure."

COLOR: Mahogany

POUR: Decent Head

AROMA: Not a real strong aroma, hint of vanilla

BODY: Full

TASTE: Initially pretty sweet, with coffee/mocha notes to start followed by vanilla

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS: Between "I Could Drink This!" and "Can't Get Enough!:

COMMENTS: "Coffee/mocha at the front - vanilla at the end; Creamy, somewhat thicker than the Black Duck; Not as carbonated, gives it a richer feel; Bitter in the back; Vanilla is not overpowering, which is a good thing. I've had a few vanilla porters that are just too much vanilla so it ends up with a kind of sicky-sweet taste. This is nicely subtle."

ROBUST PORTER

BELL'S BREWERY

THE BEER FACTS: BREWER: Bell's Brewery, Comstock, MI; STYLE: Porter; ABV: 5.6%

WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: "Our award winning Porter bridges the gap between malty brown ales and heavily roasted stouts. Notes of chocolate, coffee and roasted barleey are offset with just a slight hop bitterness. Enjoy any time of the year."

COLOR: Black - inky and opaque

POUR: Near "Guinness Class" head - thick head with an attitude

AROMA: Dark chocolate

BODY: Full

TASTE: Sweet dark chocolate, malty, borderline burnt roasted barley

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS: Near "Can't Get Enough!"

COMMENTS: "Right at my limit for burnt taste; A bit carbonated; Chocolate cherry taste at the end, giving it a sweetness; Decent; Wouldn't expect less from Bell's."

PAYCHECK PORTER

ALEWERKS BREWING COMPANY

THE BEER FACTS: BREWER: Alewerks Brewing Company; STYLE: Porter; ABV: 5.6%

WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: "This particular beer is known as Paycheck Porter. It's a Robust Porter, boldly American, and big in all the right places. We brew this beer for, and with, rough hands and hearty appetites. Look for notes of roasted coffee and toasted cocoa."

COLOR: Black Walnut

POUR: Decent Head

AROMA: Malty

BODY: Between Medium and Full

TASTE: Sweet malty with hints of cocoa, dark chocolate and bit of sweet cloves.

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS: I Could Drink This

COMMENTS: "Tastes like a Sugar Daddy but with chocolate (maybe Black Cow?); Sweet on the front  - pleasant aftertaste; Too sweet for me; British vibe with the clove taste; I couldn't drink a lot of it; I could drink this, but I wouldn't actively seek it out."

COCONUT HIWA PORTER

MAUI BREWING COMPANY

THE BEER FACTS: BREWER: Maui Brewing Company, Kihei, Maui, HI; STYLE: Porter; ABV: 6.0%; IBUs: 30

WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: "A robust dark ale with hand-toasted coconut and hints of mocha."

COLOR: Opaque black

POUR: Between "Decent" and "Guinness Class" head

AROMA: Coconut

BODY: Near Full

TASTE: Sweet with strong hints of chocolate and coconut

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS: Between "I Could Drink This" and "Can't Get Enough!"

COMMENTS:"Coconut taste is not overpowering, but it is there: Mounds Bar - coconut and chocolate; I'm not a big fan of coconut (or fruit) in my beer - I would leave this one on the shelf; Head dissipates all too quickly; I like the vanilla better, but I like this second best so far; Too light and watery; Not as creamy as I was hoping for; Not bad, though."

GENERAL PULASKI'S PORTER

GRINDSTONE FARM BREWERY

THE BEER FACTS: BREWER: Grindstone Farm Brewery, Pulaski, NY; STYLE: Porter; ABV: 7%

WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: "We liked the idea of taking a Porter and hopping it up a bit. It's a bit of a bitter take on the traditional Porter.

COLOR: Black walnut with a ruby glint

POUR: Decent Head

AROMA: Somewhat neutral, not a strong aroma

BODY: Near full

TASTE: Malty with hints of chocolate but with more hop presence. Less sweet than the others.

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS: Near "Can't Get Enough!"

COMMENTS: "Smooth, creamy; Hoppy at the end; Unusually bitter for a Porter; I like it - a nice twist on Porters which can be a bit too sweet at times; Good beer, it's one where you could enjoy more than one because it's not so sweet."

GEORGE WASHINGTON'S TAVERN PORTER

YARDS BREWING COMPANY

THE BEER FACTS: BREWER: Yard's Brewing Company; STYLE: Porter; ABV: 7.0%; IBUs: 40; MALTS: Crystal and Chocolate malts; ADDITIONS: Molasses

WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: "LIQUID COURAGE. Detailed in a letter from the General to his officers during the war, Washington's recipe employed molasses to aid fermentation and give rich caramel notes to this robust, roasty ale. The recipe reflected his admiration for Philadelphia-style porters, especially those brewed by Robert Hare (whose original brewery stood just blocks from wherre ours is now). Our Tavern Porter, inspired by Washington's, is dark, smooth and complex with just a hint of dried fruit in the finish."

COLOR: Black

POUR: Decent Head

AROMA: Toast - biscuit

BODY: Full

TASTE: Hints of molasses, maybe licorice, dark fruits, roasted malts with a little chocolate

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS: Close to "Can't Get Enough!:


COMMENTS: "Enough malt presence to support the alcohol; Nice beer; Very tasty; Nice - a little sweet, but not cloyingly so; The molasses gives it a kind of interesting depth; Easy drinking because it's not overly sweet; Nicely balanced beer, very enjoyable."

TUPPENCE

STILLWATER ARTISNAL ALES COMPANY

THE BEER FACTS: BREWER: Stillwater Artisnal Ales at Crazy Mountain Brewing Company, Denver, CO; ABV: 7%

WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: "Old World Porter Fermented with Brett. Playing off the English bent of our Baltimore brothers Oliver Ales, this Old World Porter brings a little bit of the Stillwater funk to the party. Drink it and don't feed the vultures."

COLOR: Near black

POUR: A bit more than Decent

AROMA: Yeasty

BODY: Fairly full bodied

TASTE:Somewhat sour, bit of roastiness, malt dominates, yeast

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS: Leave it on the shelf

COMMENTS: "It would take a real pirate to drink this; Cross between Dr. Pepper, Coca Cola and a Porter; Not a fan; Not one I'd go after; It has a taste almost like a sour; Got that barnyard funky, musty thing going I just don't care for; I think it's the Brett - I just can't seem to develop a taste for beers that rely on it; The 'yeast' of your problems."

THE BOTTOM LINE

Since all the beers were Porters this month we could in fact compare apples to apples. In fact we even put it to a vote, each of us rating the beers 1 - 8 with 1 being our favorite. Ergo, as in golf, low score wins. Here's the results:

THE WINNER: Yards Brewing George Washinton's Tavern Porter. We found this beer to be a perfectly balance Porter - not too sweet but with all you would expect from a good Porter. (16 pts)

2. Grindstone Brewing's General Pulaski's Porter. A very close second, we liked this for many of the same reasons - a nice hop presence making it not too sweet and a pleasing maltiness as well. Very rich and creamy Porter. (17 pts)

3. Breckenridge Vanilla Porter. A very tasty Porter with just the right amount of vanilla to give it a little different twist. Smooth mocha followed by vanilla. (21 pts)

4. Bell's Robust Porter. Delicious dark chocolate notes with hint of cherry and roasted malt. (23 pts) 

5. Greenport Harbor's Black Duck Porter. Tasty, smooth and creamy though a bit more carbonated than many Porters. Low ABV makes it a good sessionable Porter. (24 pts)

6. Maui Brewing Coconut Hiwa Porter. No consensus on this one. Coconut was not overpowering, but those who didn't like that taste in beer didn't care for it while others found it an interesting change-up (30 pts)

7. Alewerks Paycheck Porter. While no one actively disliked this beer, most felt it was a bit too sweet - okay for an occasional sipper, but not one we'd seek out. (37 pts)

8. Stillwater's Tuppence Porter. This was the only one with consensus. We all gave it an 8. No one particularly cared for the Brett yeast. Still love ya' Stillwater - just not this beer.

Next month: Ambers

Sláinte,

The BOTB Guys