Indian Brown Ale - Dogfish Head Brewery

PenguinBeerFan

Ohio

4.72/5  rDev +14.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Poured from 12 oz bottle into Samuel Smith pint glass.

Definetely on the dark side of brown ales, mahogany-like when held to the light. This beer just looks beautiful. Nice 1/2 inch of tan head that thinned out after a few sips but never went away completely.

Smell is smokey and sweet with some faint hop bitterness.

Taste is exceptional. For me this beer sets the bar for brown ales. Tastes like smokey molasses with hoppy bitterness in the finish, more than most in this style, but definetely not a huge part of the beers character. Fantastic mouthfeel, nice and syrupy without being too sweet. Where's the 7.2%? Masked completely by the taste.

Far and away my favorite brown, though I've yet to get my hands on the Rouge Brown Nectar. Highly recommended. A good beer to give to your macro drinking friends or the most demanding connoisseur.

Serving type: bottle

11-18-2005 22:27:54 | More by PenguinBeerFan

JasonCoop

Massachusetts

4.72/5  rDev +14.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

pours a dark brown with hints of ruby and black. very dark, nice off-white, beige head. looks excellent.

smells like brown sugar and maltiness. smells awesome. hops are there, but dominated by brown sugary sweet caramel malt smell. great.

taste - how to sum it up? sweet and malty up front. brown sugar, caramel and almost chocolatey like taste. everything i want in a good brown ale. sweet, malty and awesome. almost a stout like quality to it, but not quite. finishes fairly hoppy, but sweet malts dominate throughout as they should. nicely balanced and just awesome. very impressed.

mouthfeel is nice and full, very creamy and pleasant. just great. drinkability is pretty good. fairly high abv is nicely masked. i am blown away by this brown ale. don't drink them too often, but after trying this one maybe i will. a nice full malty ale.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2006 04:37:44 | More by JasonCoop

Zorro

California

4.72/5  rDev +14.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Sampled through dnrobert24 and 2MBBIF.

Pours a clear dark brown ale with a nice light brown head. Nice red highlights to this one when held up to the light.

Sweet and fruity smelling ale with a good amount of chocolate aroma. Pleasant toasted grain scents along with caramelized sugars. Some aromas of figs and fainter coffee smell. Quite nutty in aroma this is one ale that is not one dimensional or basic.

Taste is sweet and fruity at the start with a wonderful toasted grain flavor to start. Chocolate and coffee and smoky flavors kick in next and they compliment the other flavors nicely. Nuttiness shows up after a bit and is similar to toasted wheat berries in flavor. Bitterness is very subdued here for the style and that is a good thing, the dark roasted malts bring a fair amount of it that doesn't need a lot of hops. Damn tasty beer here.

Mouthfeel is very good.

What we have here is a really great beer that I have avoided for a long time just because I don't like badly executed versions of the style. A super drinkable beer that you must try even if you don't normally care that much for Brown Ales. The only thing that excludes this from being a session ale is the alcohol hit it provides. This is the only Brown Ale that I really LOVE. Very very close to perfect.

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2006 03:18:49 | More by Zorro

mcarroll10177

Massachusetts

4.72/5  rDev +14.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

on tap at the Moan and Dove

A- dark brown with a quickly disapating white head, tons of lacing on the glass

S- some malts with some nut flavored undertones. a nice clean smell

T- wow, there is some nice complexity to this beer in the from of some earthy nut flavors and a nice hop profile. Yet this beer is very very clean and crisp and very refreshing

M- balanced with just the right carbination

D- a beer I could easily drink all night long. Complex yet smooth, flavorful and refreshing. I also had no idea that this beer has 7.20% ABV. Where is it. the alcohol is completly hidden. I had no idea untill I lookt at its stats here that it was anywhere near that. A true triumph of a beer.

Serving type: on-tap

08-28-2006 02:08:25 | More by mcarroll10177

TeamSeabass

Florida

4.72/5  rDev +14.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Dark brown, barely transparent with nice thick toffee head. Leaves some strong lacing.

Smells of strong malted barley with a nice caramelized smell. Good level of hops to match the maltiness. Its very appealing.

The caramel malt & hops are combined so well in this brew. The flavor is strong but in a very good way. The alcohol is there but its very acceptable. Delicious.

It has a good body to go along with the flavors. Carbonation is right on.

I really like this beer. It reminds me a lot of Scottish style ale, which I am a big fan of.

I think it takes a lot to make a very flavorful beer be good all around and this beer does it for me.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2008 23:38:54 | More by TeamSeabass

abstractpablo

Nevada

4.72/5  rDev +14.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I was excited to find this beer available in my local Whole Foods. I'd seen several ads in BA.

A: Deep brown with very little head.

S: I get a whole lot of Tootsie Roll in the aroma.

T: Mainly an acidic sweetness. A hint of vanilla and coffee with some brown sugar. There's an earth tone finish that helps balance out the sweetness.

M: Slightly viscous, but overall very smooth

D: This is a great Brown Ale. Highly recommended. It doesn't get overly sweet as you continue to drink as other Brown Ales.

Serving type: bottle

06-01-2009 02:58:56 | More by abstractpablo

bonsreeb85

Colorado

4.72/5  rDev +14.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

A - black w/ large tan head and crazy nice lacing

S - very sweet. caramel toffee and roasted malts. smells like maple syrup. w/ notes of coffee, and a bit of hops as it warms

T - insanely rich. very sweet and malty taste. but a balancing hop bitterness is not to be overlooked. along with the earlier metioned aromas, i also taste brown sugar, raisins, chocolate and a lingering coffee flavor. very complex this one. delic-i-o-so!

MF - low- medium carbonation gives this one and even bigger fuller body. really heavey, but it tastes so good, it goes down easy.

D - this is definately not a session beer, too rich and high in abv. but i could have 2 or 3 with ease.

side note ...Best brown i've ever had!

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2009 18:46:43 | More by bonsreeb85

bwhite105

Massachusetts

4.72/5  rDev +14.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Beautiful dark red almost black. Cream color head with a red tint.
S: coffee, molasses, dark chocolate
T: Rich and complex. Roasted malts, coffee, bitter chocolate, toffee and a hint of raisin on the front end. On the back, the beer is exceptionally hopped for a crisp, refreshing finish. Although the beer is 7.2% alcohol, there is not a dominating alcohol aftertaste.
M: Wonderfully smooth. The perfect amount of carbonation.

This is an amazing and unique beer. One of my favorite American craft beers. A masterpiece!

Serving type: bottle

06-26-2009 03:01:30 | More by bwhite105

DaBrewsNIU

Illinois

4.72/5  rDev +14.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: Great graphics on bottle, I love how Dogfish Head displays their product! Great head on the initial "down the middle" pour which dissipates after a minute or so (in an imperial glass). Dark brown or burned carmel color with moderate carbonation.

Smell:The aromatics are strong, yet sweet. Reminiscent of a traditional scotch ale. The malt is noticeable at first with some hops but, the alcohol smell lingers faintly. Not bad at all

Taste: Spicy, malty, sweet with mild hop notes. This is very challenging to analyze because of it's complexity. It is sweet up front with a mild alcohol flavor which slowly fades to a dark chocolate then hop finish.

Mouthfeel: I love the mouthfeel! It's thick and creamy but not super filling. The creaminess allows for the drinker to pick up all of the flavors.

Drinkability: Surprisingly drinkable despite it's high ABV. I could see myself enjoying a 6 pack through the course of an evening, however, be careful! They are so drinkable that they sneak up on you. OVERALL WONDERFUL BEER!

Serving type: bottle

10-17-2009 01:54:43 | More by DaBrewsNIU

jhammel01

New Jersey

4.72/5  rDev +14.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Pours almost pitch black with almost no light making its way through at all with an offwhite, caramel colored head. Nice and fluffy....Stays around for a bit and laces all the way down. What a fresh looking beer!

The beer smells of roasted malt barley with a bit of alcohol. I pick up on a bit of caramel and maybe honey as well.

Tangy crisp hops push through in the taste along with more tastes from the smell...Honey, Caramel, roasted malt...The malty sweetness is the back bone of this one. Beer tastes a little sugary too. A bit of coffee as well. Very, very nice

Very well carbonated on the medium bodied side of things.

Awesome beer

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2010 01:42:53 | More by jhammel01

ExtraStout

Massachusetts

4.72/5  rDev +14.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

This brew gets a perfect score from me. It was a guest beer on tap at Willibrew. All I can say is AWESOME!! So much more tasty than your average Brown. Much more like a Stout in appearance, smell, taste, etc. Had that Stout chocolate and coffee taste and nose, with a bit more hoppiness than you find in a Stout. GREAT COMBO!!

Update: I've since tried this brew in a 12oz. bottle, poured into a pilsner glass, and I was a bit less impressed with it but it was still very good.

Serving type: on-tap

08-08-2010 18:44:01 | More by ExtraStout

tmcelvain

Minnesota

4.72/5  rDev +14.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

L: dark, dark brown with a tight little head.
S: sweet barley.
T: Excellent play between the sweet caramel sugars and barley, with a crisp hop body. Oaty finish.
M: quite smooth on the cheeks.
D: very high. I wish theCPJ had sent more of these my way.

This one left me wanting more - in a good way. One of my current favorite Brown's.

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2010 17:54:07 | More by tmcelvain

Jinholic

Arizona

4.72/5  rDev +14.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Got a bottle tonight poured into pint glass.

Appearance is a dark brown with a bit of red.

Smell is mostly Caramel with hops and malts(was somewhat mild till it warmed a bit).

Taste is great Caramel up front with hops and coffee in the middle while still finishing clean, great after taste as well.

Mouthfeel is smooth all the way I could drink it all day.

Drinkability is nice again I could down this back to back you can't even tell it's 7.2 abv till it starts to warm up due to it going down as smooth as it does 1 up for Dogfish Head on an awesome brew can't wait till next month for seasonals to start.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2011 05:32:11 | More by Jinholic

TOOSE

Massachusetts

4.72/5  rDev +14.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I love this beer!! I don't review many beers, but this one I had to share. Beautiful dark brown color, nice lacing around my glass. The smell is just a wonderful array of molasses, brown sugar, unsweetened chocolate and a bit of coffee. The taste is amazing...very smooth, a little sweet, chocolaty, roasted malts, perfectly balanced...just great!! This is by far my favorite brown ale and at over 7%, very big and very impressive.

Serving type: bottle

07-28-2011 01:46:46 | More by TOOSE

NightINgale

Quebec (Canada)

4.72/5  rDev +14.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I've had this on tap before, but this was my first bottle of Indian Brown...

A - Rich brown body, with a nice fluffy caramel head. Lots of lacing and pretty good head retention, as it never completely dissipated on me. Looks stunning for a brown ale.

S - I was pleasantly surprised with the amount of hoppiness in the aroma. Citrus, a little pine, as well as a rich roasted malt profile (with hints of dark chocolate, caramel, bread) and a bit of dark fruits.

T - De-li-cious. The "well hopped" part really shines in this beer. I felt a pretty strong earthy hop punch at the first sip, then the roasted malts treated me to some sweet, slightly bitter, even burnt flavours. Hints of chocolate and caramel were present at all times. The finish is slightly dry and bitter, both from the hops and the roasted malts. Lingering chocolate and caramelised sugar notes. So much for a brown ale...

M - Medium body to it. Just enough carbonation to make it smooth yet not flat. The alcohol is not really present, as far as taste goes, but then it gives you a nice warming sensation, which I didn't mind at all. Very pleasant and soft on the palate.

O - I've yet to find a better American Brown ale. I loved it on tap, and now I'm loving it from the bottle equally as much!

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2011 01:20:09 | More by NightINgale

smellody

Pennsylvania

4.7/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Enjoyed his Dogfish brew at The World of Beer in Westchase in Tampa, FL where they had it on draft. Served in a Dogfish small pint glass, it was dark in color with a cream colored head. Smelled of molasses and coffee. Has a smooth mouthfeel and is very drinkable (as a matter of fact after I tried it, it is all I drank the rest of the evening.) I found it to have a very complex taste, hints of chocolate, raisins, and typical brown ale flavors. All around, a great beer.

Serving type: on-tap

01-06-2008 02:01:13 | More by smellody

zoolzoo

Connecticut

4.7/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

A: Pours dark brown, almost black. Light mocha head.

S: Earthy hops, burnt caramel, roasted malt, some smoke

T/D: This is where Indian Brown shines, its unique and just plain enjoyable. Dark roasted malt and a little dark fruit, coupled with the bitter, earthy hops from the nose. Chocolate and a touch of coffee are notable. ABV is only apparent in the form of a pleasant warming. Tons of flavor yet refreshing and quaffable, well crafted. Love it!

M: Thick and full, just big enough to add character but not affect drinkability.

This is one of my favorite beers overall. It gives you so much more than you expect from it. Cheers to DFH for making a full flavored beverage that is balanced and refreshing enough to chug.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2010 21:33:54 | More by zoolzoo

wmtxbb

Illinois

4.7/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 5

A: Dark amber with a head that Dissipates quickly.

S: Has a fantastic caramelized malt smell, maybe a tad burnt, with a hint of sweet coffee.

T: The first thing to hit my mouth is the hop flavor, then darker malts and coffee that ends with a bitterness from the hops.

M: Not as much of a mouthfeel as I'm accustomed to from most beers from Dogfish head but fits the overall presentation of the beer.

Interesting flavor profile that demands respect. Combination of brown ale with the level of hops of an IPA makes this beer interesting enough to sip on and crisp enough to make it a session beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-23-2010 01:55:22 | More by wmtxbb

SouljaSaia17

Massachusetts

4.7/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This is my 2nd Dogfish Head from my Mix A Six!

A: This beer pours a hazel nut dark color with a 1 inch caramel colored, cream head!

S: Smell is of strong coffee and ,caramel aroma up front, followed by roasted malts, walnuts, and a hint of toffee and dark chocolate.

T: Flavorful mix of dark chocolate and coffeel to start. Followed by some caramel, roasted malts and some dark fruit. A slightly dry, nutty flavor is present on the back end!

M: This beer is very smooth and creamy on the taste buds, has some mild carbonation. The flavors well mask the alcohol content in this one.

O: Another great brew by Dogfish Head, quite possibly the best beer I have had from them and the best Brown Ale I have had overall. A definite must buy!

Serving type: bottle

07-25-2012 03:29:15 | More by SouljaSaia17

ALESwhatCURESya

Wisconsin

4.68/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Pours out a molasses brown color with a an orange-red hue. Very clear beer even though it is quite dark. The head was thin, but seemed very appropriate for this beer.

The smell was full of caramel and dark fruit. There was a small dose of dog smell that I couldn't get out of my head.

The taste and mouthfeel was awesome. A sweetness from the malt makes you feel like you are having desert. The rich brown sugar and syrupy body is wonderfully balanced with the heavy raison taste. The smoothness of this beer is extremely impressive and the semi-high abv is hidden well but hits like a bulldozer.

This beer is lethally smooth and easy to drink. This has easily become one of my favorite new discoveries.

Great Brew!

Serving type: bottle

08-15-2005 22:58:43 | More by ALESwhatCURESya

terrabyte

Wisconsin

4.68/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a completely black, opaque color, with a nice light tan head. Lacing is completely observable all the way to the end.

Smells like a nice nutty brown roasted chocolate, with a hint of coffee. I don't know why I think I can smell the color brown, but that's what I'm sensing.

Tastes wonderful. Has a strong front taste of nut, caramel and coffee. Very thick. Slightly creamy, but not as much chocolate as I thought I smelled, thankfully. The aftertaste lasts forever, which is good since it's delicious. If this was labeled a stout, I wouldn't have known the difference.

This is everything I look for in a beer. Dark. Thick taste. Complex. Easy to drink. High ABV.

Serving type: bottle

10-11-2006 01:50:02 | More by terrabyte

cheers2beers

Texas

4.68/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: This beer pours a dark reddish brown tint. The off-white head stacked up a good two inches tall with a medium pour. Nice amount of laceing can also be found.

Smell: The aromas are very nice! Wafts of a sweet bready malts, with some floral notes, hoppy goodness to go around for all. Even a hint of cherry licorice can be detected.

Taste: Wow! This may be, the best brown ale I have ever had. This doesnt even taste like a brown ale. Tastes more like a blend of IPA, a sweet amber, and a porter all rolled into one. This beer has the perfect amount of hops, not too bitter,but just enough to let you know they are there. Some caramel malts,almost chocolately, with some bread notes. The cherries are still present but only in the aftertaste. Just enough alcohol to make this just right.

Mouthfeel: Goes down very easily. Sweet upfront with a slight bittering chocolate hops in the middle, and in the finish you can find the alcoholic cherry aftertaste. Thin side of thick bodied with a medium amount of carbonation.

Drinkability: I am very impressed with this brew. My new favorite brown ale for sure. This is truely a damn good beer, a must try!


Cheers2beers

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2006 23:21:07 | More by cheers2beers

Patrick999

Florida

4.68/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Let me first say that I really like this beer. This is the unsung workhorse of the DFH lineup....not as well known as 60/90 minute or Raison D'Etre, and not as sexy as 120 min or the rest of the big beers. It doesn't scream out at you on the shelves, but it gets the job done every time. Not just another ho-hum brown ale. This baby is jam-packed with flavor.

Looks great....opaque like a porter or even a stout. Fluffy head sticks around the whole time, nice lacing.

Smell is roasted coffee with hints of chocolate and caramel, and....what's that, some earthy-smelling hops in there too. Love those Goldings.

Taste finishes with coffee and vaguely sticky-sweet toffee and caramel, but before you get there, there's a surprising degree of earthy hop bitterness. Awesome.

Well carbonated and sticky, but doesn't really cross into the realm of being too sticky. Pleasant aftertaste lingers for a long time with this one.

Drinkability...this beer is deceptive. This makes you *think* you want to session it. It tastes great. Goes down easy. However, this ale is far more substantial than you think it is. You can become pretty full, if you try to pound these. Also, the 7.2% ABV is up there, for a brown ale....it'll catch up with you in a hurry. Not *really* a session beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2007 18:06:58 | More by Patrick999

rgrholmes168

Texas

4.68/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

A- A nice head on the beer. Poured great with outstanding carbonation. The color is a nice black.

S- The smell is great. I can smell the hops and a cjocolate coming from the beer.

T- The first instance this beer hit the taste buds, it may have become my favorite. A great dark taste to the beer. I cannot have been more happy. You can taste the caramelized sugar in the beer. It is great.

M- Perfect. For a dark beer it feels nice and light on the tongue. It is a good complex beer.

D- I could sit and drink plenty of these.

This may have become my favorite beer after just one.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2008 01:11:28 | More by rgrholmes168

happygnome

Minnesota

4.68/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

a: pours a very dark brown color that is barely transparent produces about a half inch of head that dissapears fast leaving a good amount of lacing carbonation is barely visible
s: strong scents of roasted grains cocoa, coffee, this is more like a porter or a stout
t: strong flavors of a coffee and cocoa, very reminiscent of a porter or stout except that fact that there is a little more hop bitterness to it
m: medium bodied beer with a good amount of carbonation

overall, i really enjoyed this brew, a fantastic creation

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2008 18:45:01 | More by happygnome