Indian Brown Ale - Dogfish Head Brewery

vfgccp

New York

4.36/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

A - Deep, cranberry ruby body. Fine, light khaki head with great retention and ok lace.

S - Big nose. Huge roast grain note. Dark late, hazelnut, brown sugar.

T - Hazelnut, soft roast grains, burnt brown sugar, toffee, cola.

M - Light, drinkable frame. Nice carbonation. Great smoothness.

O - Huge flavor with great balance.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2013 04:44:20 | More by vfgccp

JMScowcroft

Vermont

4.39/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Dogfish Head - Indian Brown Ale - 12fl oz bottle

Look - Pours dark brown (surprised?) with red visible when held up to the light. Moderate, bubbly head with incredible lacing. Heavily carbonated, rushes to the top.

Smell - Malts present, hops subtle. Caramel is at the party.

Taste - Sweet burnt caramelized sugar with a malt middle and a subtle hop finish, very nice.

Mouthfeel - Smooth as can be, drinkable for sure. Over time, malt sticks to the palette.

Overall - Generally not my style of brew, but this one stands apart. Gotta love Dogfish Head.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2013 13:54:39 | More by JMScowcroft

mnrider

Connecticut

3.68/5  rDev -10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz. brown bottle. Has bottled on date.

A: Pours dark brown with one finger of nice tan head. Good retention and lacing.

S: Roasted coffee, chocolate, dark fruits and light hops. Very pleasant.

T/M: Roasted malts, plenty of hop bitterness. Chocolate, fruit sweetness and a
little nut flavor. A little funky. Medium bodied and smooth with plenty of
carbonation. Has an offensive aftertaste which I can't get past.

O: A pretty interesting flavorful brown ale. The taste has an overall weirdness to it
which I can not get over. To hoppy for a brown ale. Although the beer is well balanced
and has enough going for it to make it noteworthy. My least favorite brew so far from
the Dogfish Head Brewery.

Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2013 00:52:31 | More by mnrider

edificio5

1.83/5  rDev -55.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 1 | feel: 1 | overall: 2

This beer had the appearance of a brown ale. I have been experimenting with trying different brown ales. I came across this beer. I decided to buy a six pack. When I looked at the beer and poured it, it was clearly a nice brown and heavy beer. I was hoping that i found another good beer however when i took my first sip it was just so bitter. I was hoping for something in the vein of Brooklyn Brown or Newcastle or even a Nut Brown type of ale but it wasn't. To be fair the packaging did say it was hoppy. If you are into the bitter taste then i think you may like it however if you are into a brown ale beer like Newcastle then this isn't for you

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2013 01:15:54 | More by edificio5

MisSigsFan

California

4.61/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Absolutely one of my favorite beers. Pours dark brown with a thick off white head. Coffee, chocolate, and hints of caramel are instantly noticeable in smell. Nice, creamy head with very good lacing. This beer is just such a joy to drink. So smooth and creamy. DFH call this a "hybrid" of an IPA and a Brown Ale, but I think this comes closer to a stout than anything else. Coffee is at the forefront while chocolate and caramel notes follow and a malty aftertaste which I love. Hops, although contributing little to the bitterness, are also present in the taste, like those of an IPA (hence why they call it INDIAN Brown Ale. At 7.2% ABV, this beer is so surprisingly easy to drink. It drinks almost like a session ale since the flavors mask the alcohol so well. If you see this at a restaurant, bar, or store, buy it. Don't think twice.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2013 00:38:29 | More by MisSigsFan

dar482

New York

4.59/5  rDev +11.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.75

It comes in a deep, deep brown with a little head.

The aroma is of sweet malt, caramel, brown sugar.

It starts off with a bit of herbal earthiness. The flavor has this swirl of malt and brown sugar that just spins slighty on your tongue. There a slight kick of hop in the middle. A very smooth beer where the balance of malt and hops is really good.

Because it isn’t a stout, it almost a watered down black coffee taste to it. The roast notes can be powerful at times. It really is quite complex.

The body is light medium and it has a slighty dry finish that does not linger.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2013 05:36:55 | More by dar482

thegodfather1076

Ohio

4.14/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Presentation: Typical DFH label with the DFH logo, a small description of the beer, ABV info, and a small bit of brewery info. Love the copper look of the cap. Also has a bottled on date(12/5/12).

Appearance: I poured this from its 12oz bottle into a 16oz English pint. Pours out a deep dark rootbeer brown with a 2 finger mocha foam head of a medium but airy density. Head retention was excellent at 4min 20sec. Lacing was also excellent.

Smell/Aroma: Smells of roasted dark chocolate malts with slight sweet caramel hints and a slight hop bitterness. Hints of dark fruits can also be detected.

Flavor/Taste: Tastes of roasted dark chocolate malts with a bit of nuttiness and hop bitterness on the front end. Dark fruits and a bit of caramel come through in the middle before closing roasty and malty. Very complex with the flavor profiles blending together seamlessly.

MouthFeel/Drinkability: Medium bodied and silky smooth feel with an above average amount of carbonation. Extremely Drinkable.

Overall/Comments: An excellent Brown Ale that is complex on the palette. Has a unique flavor that is very interesting and blends together very well. Classified as an American Brown Ale at 7.2% ABV. Consumed 2-8-13. 4/5

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2013 10:21:49 | More by thegodfather1076

lsiberian

Texas

3.98/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.25

A- This Beer presents a nice dark color with a brown tinted head that is excellent.

S- This Beer produces a nice light aroma of malt and hops that is very subtle. The smell just isn't strong enough for me to enjoy.

T- The taste starts with a nice lighter malt flavor with medium level hops finishing. It's a nice hops flavor and the malt is pleasing. This beer has excellent bitter level.

M- In the mouth the beer refreshes the tastes buds and fizzes the the mouth. It has a smooth finish and drink really well.

O- This beer is a simple malt and hops brew that refreshes and pleases the mouth. I find the simplicity refreshing and certainly worthy of a taste especially if you love hops.

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2013 22:59:36 | More by lsiberian

pkalix

California

4.43/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

very nice dark, dark brown pour with a little bit of the standard medium-sized bubbles on top.
smells like a brown ale with distinct subtle hop aroma. smells also a little sweet....
tastes like the standard 'brown ale' but with a twist. the caramelized sugar adds that different dimension and the 'liberal' hops also twist it up a bit. some chocolate, some toffee.
smooth feel to the brew, with an almost 'stout-like' earthy taste. it's a very good product, one i could put down in succession for a few. after a few minutes of no sips (and watching the Lakers get their butts kicked against Charlotte) i still have a very pleasant sweet residual on my palate. i like that!

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2013 00:42:04 | More by pkalix

greenmountain13

4.14/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

Wow, really love this beer. Great malty aroma/flavor and balanced by a nice amount of hops. Brewed with brown sugar, adds a nice subtle taste thats adds a lot of character to this brew. Planning a trip down to Delaware this summer, looking forward to it!

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2013 21:02:53 | More by greenmountain13

JPlo

Maryland

4.35/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.25

Appearance: Dark chocolaty brown. Hazy clarity with a diminishing head with medium lacing.

Smell: Dark Chocolaty with Caramelly aroma. Can smell some hop there too

Taste: Malt is Caramelly, sweet chocolaty and a little toasty. Hop bitterness is also very prominent to balance the malt sweetness.

Mouthfeel: Excellent. Velvety smooth, light carbonation with avg-long finish. The most perfect mouthfeel for the style I've ever had.

Overall: Great sweet malt that's very well balanced by hop bitterness. and an amazing mouthfeel.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2013 16:38:19 | More by JPlo

patpbr

Ohio

4.13/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours brown and a nice foamy head that stays strong. Malt, Caramel, coffee and sweet. Taste like the smell but more intense. Malt. Roast, Chocolate, Nutty and sugar. Hops are floral and oily. bitterness and sweetness, nice balance. Medium to high carbonation. A good brown.

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2013 03:51:08 | More by patpbr

Profchaos20

Pennsylvania

4.08/5  rDev -1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle into Nonic Pint Glass. Bottled 11/30/12, Reviewed 1/11/13.

A - Pours a dark brown with reddish hues on the sides where the light shines through. A thin light brown head that dissipates quickly.

S - Sweet caramel malts dominate with coffee, bitter sweet chocolate and molasses in there also.

T - Sweet malts, caramel, burnt sugar, hops, finishes with coffee notes and a little bitter.

M - Medium Body, medium carbonation, pretty smooth overall.

O - A very tasty brown. I enjoyed it more than most I've had in this style. Very complex aroma and flavor.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2013 23:53:13 | More by Profchaos20

ArrogantB

Colorado

3.25/5  rDev -21.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle. I know I've had this in the past and it certainly wasn't $11 a sixer. Good thing I only bought one bottle. Dark brown, decent head. Aroma is a sugary brown ale, malts. Flavor was more sugar, decent brown ale and oh yeah it does have a hit of hops behind it. Overall its pretty boring. I've heard this described as a brown IPA but nah.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2013 05:42:21 | More by ArrogantB

BucannonXC5

California

3.8/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Type: 12-oz. bottle
Glass: Firestone restaurant pint glass
From: Holiday Wine Cellar in Escondido, Calif., on Jan. 5, 2013
Price: $2.09
Misc.: N/A

Poured a brown color with two fingers of tan head. Average-to-below average lacing with average retention.

Smelled toasty nuts, toffee, caramel, brown sugar, light coffee notes, light chocolate notes and even some smoky fire.

Tasted pretty close to the nose. I got toast, toasty nuts, toffee, caramel, brown sugar and some smoky fire. Some light hops in there late.

Medium body. Creamy texture. Average-to-lively (above average) carbonation. Bitter finish.

A decent beer, but it kind of wore me down a bit. Some flavors that made it not as drinkable as I would have liked.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2013 07:28:26 | More by BucannonXC5

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

mpedara429

Massachusetts

4.66/5  rDev +13.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.75

A: Bottled on May 2012. Cola color with a little less than two fingers of head. Thin, but draping lacing.

S: Huge sweet grainy smell. Roasted malts and chocolate.

T: Fresh, sweet lightly toasted grain, toffee, coffee flavor on the way down.

M: Medium body with a medium low carbonation.

O: One of the most unique beers I've ever had. It's pretty complex and I've never quite had anything that tasted so much like fresh grain. It's a great mix of scotch ale and brown ale. I didn't get the hoppy kick that is claimed by Dogfish Head, but that could be because it is balanced out by the huge malt body.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2013 22:40:20 | More by mpedara429

Alextricity

Michigan

3.4/5  rDev -17.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottled 8/02/11 ... poured into a pint glass.

Yes. That long ago. Almost 17 months ago. I wish I had checked the date before buying my beer.

Appearance: Pours a dark, deep brown color with a small, tan head. The lacing's pretty good at the beginning.

Smell: Smells like you'd expect it to after it's been in a bottle for so long. Mild malt notes, but a sour, vinegar-like trunk smell is there as well. Not an overpowering smell... quite muted. I would certainly expect a fresh batch to smell a lot more pleasant.

Taste/feel: Tastes about as good as a 17 month old beer should be able to. It's drinkable, has a very nice and deep malty/coffee aftertaste. The hops seem to be almost completely gone in the taste and aroma, and it just drinks like a heavy brown ale ... almost like a porter or a stout with the super rich aftertaste. The feel's pretty decent. Low carbonation and somewhat creamy. Not bad.

Overall, hard to accurately score this one due to the sheer age of this beer. Regardless of its age, it tastes better than a lot of beers do fresh. I'd definitely try this again either on tap or out of a fresher bottle.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2012 22:10:24 | More by Alextricity

ColdWaffles

Pennsylvania

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

Poured into a Samuel Smith's tulip-pint glass from a 12oz bottle.

Appearance: Really, really dark brown color beer with a substantial tan head with solid lacing. This is a mouthwateringly good looking ale.

Smell: Picked up hops first, then a nice darker coffee scent. Some dark fruit maybe too? Hop scent dissipated some time after the pour and gave way to what was almost fruit cake-y. All good.

Taste: Took my first sip cold and it wasn't excellent. Relatively sweet with a hops and alcohol aftertaste. I've had this on draft before and its been better, so I'm letting it sit for a few.

Taste Pt II: Let it sit a few to get warmer and it's much better. Brings out molasses, more alcohol and more fruit. Lesson learned: Don't pull this from the fridge. A nice bitter-sweet, hopped up brown ale.

Mouthfeel: Decent medium body with a nice carbonation level. Fits the taste well.

A great, great beer. Would certainly buy again, and again and again.

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2012 23:48:56 | More by ColdWaffles

nUgZ

North Carolina

4.05/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

12 ounce bottle poured into a pint glass.

A: Pours a dark brown color with a half finger head and some lacing.

S: Dark chocolate and roasted malt aromas abound. A little coffee as well. Slight caramel sweetness in the end. Nice and inviting smell.

T: Very much like the nose, there are roasted malts, dark chocolate, some hops, coffee, and a slight nutty flavor. It's pretty complex and quite tasty.

M: Medium bodied with nice carbonation. Easy to drink.

O: This is my first time having this beer, and it's very tasty. It's complex enough to be enjoyed by a beer snob, but drinkable enough to be enjoyed my a wide range of people. Well done.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2012 00:58:10 | More by nUgZ

flayedandskinned

California

4.28/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Bottled on 9/26/12
Poured into a standard tulip glass.

Appearance: Pours a deep, dark, reddish brown with a light khaki head that stands about a finger and half tall. Great head retention with plenty of lacing.

Aroma: Rich coffee, toffee and burnt sugar, a whisper of leafy green hops underneath. Smells wonderful albeit somewhat simple.

Taste: Similar to the nose; burnt sugar, toffee, rich chocolate like malts, light coffee notes and a very faint citrus-y hop presence. Some definite malt complexity to decipher. Great taste and very original. Dry finish with a lingering hop bitterness.

Mouthfeel: Incredibly drinkable! Medium bodied with moderate to high carbonation. Refreshes the palate.

Overall: I first had this beer on tap in July and I haven't looked back since. Definitely one of my favorite beers. Refreshing and really easy drinking, yet complex enough to really sit back and savor. Highly, highly recommended.

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2012 08:06:04 | More by flayedandskinned

JakesCrew

3.25/5  rDev -21.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Dark to medium brown, almost absent lacing
Smell: Faint espresso and dark chocolate.
Taste: Dark chocolate, carob, stale coffee.
Mouthfeel: Smooth but watery
Overall: Not a huge brown ale fan. This is probably a decent representation of the style. Much better than the dreaded 20 inch brown. One dissenting Corono-drinker among our crew thought this BIPA was excellent.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2012 00:24:32 | More by JakesCrew

Bowdoinbeerboy

Maine

4.43/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 12 oz bottle

A- Very little head here, there is some lacing around the edges with widely dispersed foam covering the top. The beer is nearly opaque, nearly as dark as some porters, but with distinct deep (and I do mean deep) mahogany coloring.

S- This smells eerily similar to delicious raison bread that my grandmother used to make. Quite a hit of dark, fruity sweetness in there, very minimal hop aroma.

T- First thing that comes to mind is sweet molasses with some candied fruit in the background. Alcohol is very well balanced and hidden fairly well. A very lucious and not at all dry finish. Not cloyingly sweet, but there are definitely some residual sugars in there adding to the sweetness. More bitterness on the back end.

M - This beer really covers the entire palate, one of the chunkiest, fullest mouthfeels out there.

O- This beer is amazing. Very strong flavors, great aroma, pretty in a glass, and affordable at 9.99 a sixer. Definitely a beer I will be revisiting in the future.

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2012 16:38:45 | More by Bowdoinbeerboy

doubledteague

Texas

4/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from bottle into frosty pint glass.

A- Deep mahogany reddish brown color, very thin tan head that dissipates quickly leaving very little lacing.

S- Smells Wonderful, smells of caramel, and toasted malts, little alcohol, and slightly earthy.

T- Tastes bout like it smells, hit with the toasted malts first followed by the caramel, can taste a little of the alcohol, then the earthy tastes really come through leaving a slight hint of coffee and wood. (Coming from a non-coffee drinker the coffee flavoring is not too overpowering.)

M- Dry, light to medium carbonation, medium bodied, the late aftertaste is of metal, kind of like sucking on a penny.

O- Good beer. I had the first drink while the glass and beer were still cold. for the better richer flavor allow the beer to warm just a tad. After that I drank it rather quickly due to the odd metallic aftertaste. By no means was the aftertaste enough to turn me off this beer. Would definitely enjoy this beer again. And a very nice cold weather beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2012 18:25:58 | More by doubledteague

AmitC

Indiana

4.08/5  rDev -1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Another Dogfish head beer.

Poured into snifter from a 12 oz bottle as usual.

Brown color while pouring and very dark brown and opaque inside the glass. Ruby hues in the light. Tan colored less than a finger thick head that very quickly disappears into a thin surrounding ring. Not much lacing.

Aroma: Caramel of course. Sweet toasty malts. A comparatively moderate aroma strength wise. Hop if present as is said are very suppressed.

Taste: Typical brown ale taste with flavors of toasted malts and caramel. Slight hop presence. Dry finish. No sweetness is observed in the taste. Neither too much of hops to suggest any bitterness.

Mouth feel : A +ve point here. Very smooth with no astringency whatsoever. Moderate carbonation. Medium feel.

Style Rate: 4.25
Personal Rate: 4

A good easy drinking ale that could have used more bitterness as advertised.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2012 22:41:18 | More by AmitC