Indian Brown Ale - Dogfish Head Brewery

JuliusCaesar

New Hampshire

3.75/5  rDev -9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

A: Dark brown with red hues. 1 inch head. decent lacing

S: Nutty, caramel, and malts

T: Follows the nose and very sweet. I really liked the first few sips but by the end it became cloying. Slightly bittier finish

M: Medium body. A little sticky

Overall: Disappointed in this beer. Based on the ratings, I thought I'd enjoy it but the hops on the finish didn't do enough to even out the flavors.

Serving type: on-tap

03-21-2013 02:38:36 | More by JuliusCaesar

Chadhowie

California

5/5  rDev +21.4%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

The Indian Brown is a class above most all Browns out there. The look and feel were on point and the aftertaste delivered better than any Brown I've ever had. You have got to try this beer especially if you like Browns but have not fully committed to craft beer.

Serving type: on-tap

01-17-2013 22:07:24 | More by Chadhowie

Durge

Connecticut

4.35/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Another one enjoyed at the Fairfax brewpub in Virginia this old friend is a dark brown black color with a modest off-white cover and minor lacing. The olfactory senses charcoal, whisky malt and mild juniper hops. Unique and plenty intriguing. The flavor brings out more juniper and malt again with a slight change to the bourbon side of whisky. I get raisins and molasses with some firepit meat. Some herbal/citrus hop jumps into the picture as your tastebuds adjust to the array of flavors, caramel malt rises nicely throughout. This brew is medium bodied with modest carbonation and a rich, smooth feel. A definite pleaser.

Serving type: on-tap

09-12-2012 16:05:09 | More by Durge

Chaney

District of Columbia

4.15/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

This is review is one from the Alehouse over in Falls Church.

I drink this one all the time, but have never reviewed it.

Served in a pint glass.

A: Poured a dark, dark, chocolate dipped cherry red color, with a nice 1/2 finger mocha head that retained itself throughout the session.

S: Man, this smelled almost like a stout but not quite. I think the brown sugar bill did that idea in. Also, there is a very unique "citrus" component to this beer that I always get buried underneath, particularly on the nose.

T: Lots of cocoa and candy-coated booze filled the palate with yummy goodness. Some brown sugar was presents, but I didn't get as much during this session as I have with this one in the past.

M: I always get a bitter late aftertaste that is very coffee-like, with a slight bit of booze burning that hits the palate just right. The lacing is moderate.

O: I've yet to come across a single brewery that does American Browns like Dogfish Head.

Serving type: on-tap

09-10-2012 02:43:47 | More by Chaney

Beer_HOPper

3.9/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at 38 degrees, I was looking forward to this as I am a fan of American brown ales.

Appearance: dark chocolate root beer with 1 finger of head and sticky light brown lace.

Smell: nutty, cocoa, malts, was hard a little hard to detect.

Taste and Feel: thin-medium body, syrupy and smooth, caramel, well balanced, wet finish, mild carbonation, lightly bitter, good coffee aftertaste, did not detect alcohol.

Overall: A good American brown ale. However, I was mildly disappointed. Had 2 other beers afterwards that were better, Tropical Thunder - Bootlegger's Brewery and Lava - Ölvisholt Brugghús

Serving type: on-tap

09-02-2012 02:04:00 | More by Beer_HOPper

CraftVA

Virginia

4.45/5  rDev +8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A – A deep, rich brown color with a modest head that fades to a ring around the glass after a few minutes.

S – A delicious malty scent with hints of hoppy and sweet caramel

T – Caramel and malt dominate the flavor up front, with a coffee and bit of chocolate on the finish. The hops also are present in the taste.

M – Decent level of carbonation and a smooth mouthfeel. This beer is very drinkable.

O – One of my favorites from Dogfish, its my go-to beer when I’m at the Dogfish Head Ale Houses in Virginia. It never fails to disappoint.

Serving type: on-tap

02-20-2012 23:59:33 | More by CraftVA

jayhawk73

Maryland

4.38/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a dark brown color with a thin cocoa head. Decent lacing on my pint glass. Nose is spices, malt, cedar, and cinnamon. Taste is amazing for the style. Same profile as the nose, but a ton of flavor! Definitely one of the best brown ales I've had. Feel is medium, with spices and excellent carbonation. Overall, a winner from DFH... Cheers.

Serving type: on-tap

01-27-2012 18:15:38 | More by jayhawk73

00trayn

Virginia

4.53/5  rDev +10%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Had it on tap at the DFH Alehouse in Fairfax, VA

A - Dark brown with a slight reddish tint, pours with a moderate head that fades with good lacing.

S - A delicious nutty, chocolate-y smell comes through. It even has a hint of coffee to it.

T - A roasted delicious flavor with chocolate and coffee, with a strong caramel flavor as well. A perfectly made brown ale.

M - Medium bodied and smooth. Every sip is delicious and refreshing.

O - My favorite brown ale, potentially. It's my go-to beer when I go to the Alehouse. I always have at least one.

Serving type: on-tap

01-18-2012 02:25:58 | More by 00trayn

DrinkSlurm

Connecticut

3.9/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap poured into pint glass. Deep brown color, with single finger of head.
Malty aroma, slightly sweet caramel.
Same flavor...sweet malty caramel, with a bit of hops and bitter finish. Nice balance, with great overall flavor and drinkability. Its smooth but packs a punch!
Really nice offering, especially on tap.

Serving type: on-tap

12-31-2011 04:23:59 | More by DrinkSlurm

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

First had: ?

Not really sure when or where I first had this, but being a staple of the area, I've had it several times in bottles and on tap.

Pours dark brown, rusty around the edges, with a tan head of varying size. Roasty aroma with touches of chocolate and caramel; some earthy hops come through as well. Taste follows the smell, imbued with flavors of caramel, malt, chocolate, a little bit of coffee bitterness, brown sugar, mild notes of dark fruits and earthy hops. Pretty nice. Medium-bodied and a bit chewy, and quite nice overall, and I'm not big on brown ales.

Serving type: on-tap

12-19-2011 13:58:36 | More by Rifugium

SideOrder

Rhode Island

4.95/5  rDev +20.1%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Sam Calagione, owner of DFH Brewery, called this beer the "unsung hero" of the DFH lineup. At a brewery widely known for its justly-celebrated IPAs, this is the beer most often chosen by the DFH staff when it comes time for them to grab their monthly free cases.

This beer has something for everyone, without sinking to the lowest common denominator in any category. Very accessible, and like SN Pale Ale a great beer with which to introduce your BMC-swilling friends to craft beers. I've got it in my kegerator at the moment and have yet to offer it to anyone that, upon drinking it, hasn't uttered some version of "Holy crap!"

A: A beautiful dark brown, almost black with ruby highlights. A finger of tan head subsides to a lacy covering that sticks to the glass and follows the beer all the way to the bottom.

S: Lots of freshly roasted coffee, hops, dark fruit and toffee. Wonderful, probably the greatest strength of this beer. I'm not sure whether to drink it or just keep smelling it.

T: Follows the nose to a T, but even more so.

M: Pretty crisp for a brown ale, in a good way. Coats the mouth nicely and sticks around for a bit without being obnoxious.

O: Amazingly well-rounded; definately my desert island beer. As arguably the king of the American Browns, this is New England autumn in a glass, while being enjoyable year-round. Are there more earth-shakingly complex beers out there? Of course, but one wouldn't want to drink a big-ass quad or bourbon barrel-ed double stout every day, much less more than one or two in a sitting. This, on the other hand, is very drinkable (although its 7.2% ABV warrants a bit of caution) and, again, has something for nearly everyone.

Serving type: on-tap

12-03-2011 18:41:38 | More by SideOrder

brown2cu

Ohio

3.65/5  rDev -11.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Not crazy for this beer on tap. Everything about it seems to have been muted. Especially the taste and the smell. The bitterness is more pronounced here which is good if you are a big IPA fan, however, the initial attraction I had for this beer is that it had something for everyone. This is not the case, atleast,for me with my experience of it on tap.

Serving type: on-tap

11-03-2011 03:38:28 | More by brown2cu

Radome

Spain

4.38/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Tasted on tap at DFH Alehouse in Falls Church, VA.

A - Deep brown but very clear and lets light through. Red highlights. Tan head fades but keeps a ring around the glass. Some lacing.

S - Nutty malt dominates, but some American hops add complexity.

T - Rich chocolate and coffee notes on top of nutty malt. Molasses. Some hops flavor, but muted. The focus is on malt and specialty malt over hops, but the malt has many complex layers.

M - Smooth and creamy with medium body. Some lingering sweetness like chocolate milk. Alcohol well-hidden.

D - Drinks like a session beer but with oh-so-much flavor. Wow, that's drinkable! I don't remember being this impressed with the bottled version, but it is truly outstanding on tap.

Serving type: on-tap

10-11-2011 21:00:58 | More by Radome

Retail1LO

Pennsylvania

4.13/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

For all the DFH beers I've had, it's hard to believe this is the first time I've had this. Poured on draft with a minimal head. Very dark brown. This could almost pass as a stout. It's remniscent of one in every way. Mouthfeel, a nice bourbon profile, vanilla... This is real smooth. An easy drinker. The alcohol is well hidden until the last moment. I definitely will return to this.

Serving type: on-tap

08-15-2011 23:52:44 | More by Retail1LO

bbeerman

Massachusetts

4.18/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A..Very nice dark brown. Somewhat looked like a stout but without the strong head retention.

S..Smelled more or less like a brown ale to me. Not bad at all, but not an extraordinary scent.

T..Excellent taste. Complex with strong roasted chocolate or coffee flavors; lots of malt (yummy) which at times seemed to outshine the hints of hops present in the background.

M..Very good and easy to drink. A little lighter-bodied than I had hoped for, but not so light it really impacted the experience. A slight adjustment to make this a stronger medium-bodied beer and I would give it a perfect five in this category.

O..Great beer and easy to drink for one that is 7%+ ABV. I had three on tap and felt like I could have easily had another couple, though they were filling once I walked away from the bar. Definitely something to experience and enjoy more than once.

Serving type: on-tap

05-23-2011 13:15:35 | More by bbeerman

zaphodchak

Virginia

4.03/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pint glass with a small head, but not my pour (being on draft at a bar), plenty of lacing on the sides of the glass, and gorgeous garnet body.

Nose is caramel, some hop and molasses, and faint fruit.

Taste is brown sugar, some hops to balance it out, and some roasty malt/coffee. Malt aftertaste with faint hops.

Mouthfeel is super creamy, very pleasant. Wonder what this would be like in bottles.

Overall a nice brown if a bit strong tasting. It's sweet but also bitter; not super 'drinkable', but excellent for someone looking for a brown with plenty of flavor.

Serving type: on-tap

05-10-2011 03:34:40 | More by zaphodchak

FanofHefe

Illinois

4.38/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Served on-tap in a pint glass. Deep brown body with a slight red hue. Small tan head that laces nicely.

The aroma begins with a roasted malt smell and finishes with brown sugar. In between I get a touch of toffee and chocolate.

Very interesting mix of flavors for an Indian Brown and they are very well blended. Roasted malt, molasses, slighlty bitter hops, chocolate, coffee, caramel. Complex and very tasty.

Thin to medium mouthfeel and fairly high carbonation. A very good brew that is the best brown ale I've had. Hard to categorize this one except to say it's very good.

Serving type: on-tap

03-21-2011 23:53:13 | More by FanofHefe

alexkeil

New York

4.22/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Tried this one at the Yard House near Boston, MA. Dark brown color and nutty, coffee like flavors. Too much alcohol to have very many of these or to get all that often but some great sweet flavors are achieved with the alcohol content. I would like to have this one with a lower alcohol content because I would like to have more of them in one sitting, but the warmth is just too much.

Serving type: on-tap

03-21-2011 01:15:31 | More by alexkeil

PicoPapa

Connecticut

3.98/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at the brewpub. Pours a dark mahogany brown with ruby hues. Thin layer of head. Aroma is of caramel and slightly boozey. A bit of a coffee smell also. Flavor is mostly of coffee and caramel. Warming alcohol aftertaste. This beer certainly has Scotch Ale qualities to it. Overall this is a pretty good beer. Tastes like a Wee Heavy and a Stout had a baby. Worth grabbing again.

Serving type: on-tap

03-14-2011 21:57:55 | More by PicoPapa

JunkYardJake

Pennsylvania

4.15/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

On-tap at Annie Bailey's in Lancaster.
This is a a very interesting brew. More IPA than anything, but still has some of the good flavors of a brown ale. Lots of hop aroma and flavor up front. Floral, earthy, and piney. Brown sugar, toffee, caramel and roasted grains make up the malt profile. Very nice smelling brew and quite delicious. I only had one but I imagine drinking a few of these would not be toilsome. Highly recomended.

Serving type: on-tap

02-28-2011 16:26:42 | More by JunkYardJake

MrMcGibblets

Illinois

3.85/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: dark brown/mahogany w/reddish highlights, light tan head diminishes to decent lacing.
S: nuts, dark bread, molasses, cocoa, vague spice, some herbal hops. a little bit like dr. pepper.
t: medium sweet, dark caramelly/toffeeish malts balanced out by a prominent hop bitterness and a light roastiness.
m: seemed a touch thin for this abv, would also have liked a bit more frothiness.
d: lots going on here but the relatively high abv is a little limiting.

Serving type: on-tap

02-28-2011 01:27:27 | More by MrMcGibblets

ryantretiak

Connecticut

4/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had on tap on 2/18/11

A: Pours a very dark brown with a restrained tan colored head.

S: A lot of roasted malt up front with a faint hint of hops in the background.

T: Just like the nose, there's a big taste of roasted malt right off the bat, which is soon followed by the bitterness of the hops. There's a faint sweetness from the brown sugar as well. All of the flavors meld together beautifully. The alcohol is pretty well hidden in this one.

M: Decent amount of carbonation, but very smooth overall.

D: I could easily put a few of these back with no problem. With an ABV of 7.2%, it will creep up on you quickly though. All in all, a very well done beer by a great brewery.

Serving type: on-tap

02-20-2011 20:47:53 | More by ryantretiak

philbe311

Pennsylvania

4.03/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

One of my favorite go to everyday craft offerings... Have had 100+ bottles, but this is my first time trying on tap...

A - A fingers worthy of creamy inviting light to medium tan colored head... Impressive retention... A deep rich medium brown color... A slight cranberry colored hue... Some slight carbonation can be seen within... A bit of lacing clings to the glass as the session proceeds...

S - More mild than from the bottle... Roasted malts... Caramel... Faint coffee... Earthy hops... Perhaps some fruity notes... A hint of nuttines...

T - Brown sugar... Caramel... Assertive earthy hops... Raisins... Some cocoa notes...

M - Medium bodied... Sturdy... Rich... Moderately creamy... Balanced carbonation...

D - An awesome hybrid of a brown ale, indian pale ale, and scotch ale that remains one of my favorite brews... I could drink this year round with ease... I slightly prefer the bottled version once the hops fade a bit, but this is still quite solid on tap...

Serving type: on-tap

02-17-2011 02:08:16 | More by philbe311

brewmudgeon

Wisconsin

3.53/5  rDev -14.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

indian brown

a 4 clear dark brown with burgandy highlights. very short head leaves a ring and some lace.

s 3-3.5 smells like a freakin porter.

t 3-3.5 tart and sweet take turns. the tartness is almost citrus-like. all the while roast hangs around. tangy, roasty finish. seems to lack complexity despite there being a number of elements going on--I guess it's because each element itself is so simple and they don't interact in particularly interesting ways.

m 3.5 not nearly as full-bodied as i remembered. a full body is actually one of the main things i recall. but this is more med.

d 3-3.5 something has changed. ah well. hopefully the palo will make things right.
on a positive note, drinkability seems to be improving as it warms. has taken about 25 min for the first half to go down--may have to update in another 25 min...

Serving type: on-tap

02-13-2011 02:13:16 | More by brewmudgeon

CuriousMonk

Virginia

3.5/5  rDev -15%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On tap at DFH poured into pint glass. Dark brown and hazy. Small white head. Nuts and roastedness in aroma. Medium bodied palate with medium carbonation. Roastedeness, nuts, chocolate, hops, bitterness and sweetness in taste. Malty and bitter aftertaste. Nice beer but a bit far away from brown ale.

Serving type: on-tap

02-02-2011 16:17:22 | More by CuriousMonk