Brownstone - Sixpoint Brewery

Amalak

New York

3.4/5  rDev -13%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75

Much better off tap.

I had this on cask at Stout, right next to MSG in NYC. Very brown with a slight nut scent to it. It was opaque and left a good lace.

To be honest, this was one of the least flavorful cask beers I've had. It had a nut and malt taste to it. Semi creamy but lacks any real kick to it. It left a sour aftertaste.

Serving type: on-tap

02-24-2009 02:22:45 | More by Amalak

Nascartailgatefa

New York

4.1/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On tap from Rattle and Hum NY. Poured a dark brownish red. good head retention, minor lacing. Faint smell of malt. smooth tasting, somewhat malty with a nice strong finish. no bitterness at all. a fairly drinkable beer, certainly a nice alternative to the macro brewed irish reds.

Serving type: on-tap

02-13-2009 22:56:49 | More by Nascartailgatefa

JoeBloe

New York

4.03/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

pours a good looking pint of beer - nice rich, clear ruby brown color - good head retention and lacing down a pint glass - faint aroma and pretty tasty - mildly bold without being brash -
goes nice with a good pub burger - i could drink a few of these on a lunch hour

Serving type: on-tap

01-30-2009 14:35:05 | More by JoeBloe

Nickls

District of Columbia

4.13/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

(From notes)

A - Deep coppery brown; hints of orange around the edges. Thinnish off-white head. Great spiderweb lacing.

S - Sweetish maltiness, with light fresh yeasty bread/biscuity aromas.

T - Great maltiness for the style, with bittersweet chocolate and just a touch of hop bitterness in the finish

M - Thinner MF, but within what would be expected for the style. Not at all watery, and muted carbonation

D - Hugely drinkable, and has made a fine session brew for me on many occasions. Great flavors, but very well balanced really makes this a high score for me.

Overall, this is a fine take on what can be a blander style from other breweries. Maintained a great deal of complexity for the style, and that really makes it stand out. Recommended.

Serving type: on-tap

01-11-2009 23:41:14 | More by Nickls

IBUnit63

Massachusetts

4.15/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On-tap at Sunset Grill in Allston...

Deep chestnut/mahogany body. Single-finger head is rather ephemeral actually.

Nose predominantly of toffee and a little bit of dried fruits. I'm guessing dates at this point.

Clean-tasting with a good husky dark malt backbone. Hop character is slightly floral - maybe a little pininess in there as well.

Palate feel for this one is quite enjoyable - typically comforting for a brown session ale - nothing breaking out to disrupt balance.

I could enjoy a few of these in a session - strong effort indeed.

Serving type: on-tap

12-31-2008 11:16:26 | More by IBUnit63

TheycallmeTim

New York

4.13/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a growler into an American pint glass.

A--Deep, rich almost black brown with hints of ruby and garnet toward the bottom. Unless you hold this up to bright light, where you can clearly tell its brown, it looks nearly black, like a porter. Head is a miniscule half-finger off-white that has decent retention but doesn't lace. Given the hop presence in this beer I'm kind of surprised at the head.

S--First-rate. There's a sweetish sourdough loaf thing going with some toffee notes on top of it and even some flowers on top of all of that. Toward the back of the nose you get a coffee bite. Really nice aroma, super inviting.

T--Different from the nose in that the roasty malts really come through with both biscuity, toasted grain flavors and dark chocolate and coffee notes. Hops don't dominate, but cleanse, as they round out the profile and clearly make themselves known at the end of a taste. The bitter coffee mixed with the fresh floral hops at the back when you're done sipping works wonderfully, I think. Super mellow brown with a kick of chocolate malt and hops.

M&D--Mouthfeel is a little too slick and watery for me, but the carbonation is lively, which is a must for me with brown ales because when they're flat they're just too cloying. Ton of flavor packed into this sucker for 5.7%--not every American brewer can do this.

Is it an action-packed porter, or a rich, chocolatey goodness brown? Sixpoint's brewed up another platypus, and while sometimes their style-slicing creativity can result in their creations blurring together (Otis tastes a lot like Diesel to me, and the Apollo Wheat isn't /that/ much different than Sweet Action), this time the ingenuity works.

Serving type: growler

12-15-2008 22:14:56 | More by TheycallmeTim

Patrick

Massachusetts

4.33/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: A dark brown pour with a ruby tint around the edges. Some tan foam sits on top, but doesn't leave much lacing.

S: Lots of earthy hops, some chocolate and coffee are present as well. A very mild and pleasant smell.

T: Lots of roasted chocolate flavor, coffee, mild earthy hop flavor, quite bitter for a brown ale.

M: Well carbonated, crisp, dry, nice and bitter.

D: Awesome brown ale, very sessionable.

Serving type: on-tap

10-23-2008 02:19:56 | More by Patrick

TeddyBG

Massachusetts

3.93/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Served in a pint glass at Armsby Abbey in Worcester, MA.

A: Dark brown with thick, fluffy head that settles to a 1/4". Great lacing.

S: nutty malts with some citrus hops.

T: Good malt up front with strong hop bitterness.

M: Thick with the just the right amount of carbonation.

D: Good ABV for a session. Perhaps a bit too much hop bite. May limit you to just a few. First experience with Sixpoint. Very interesting twist on a brown.

Serving type: on-tap

09-16-2008 20:24:43 | More by TeddyBG

Brianmerrilyn

New York

3.75/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Enjoyed this at Great Jones Cafe for a Six Points tasting. This was my second choice and the first non Scottish(Newcastle)/English(Samuel Smith) brown I've had in many a moon.

A: Poured into pint glass to show off an ice team brown. The head was little less than a finger head, khaki in color. Retention was minor and almost no lacing. I would have expected a wee bit more but perhaps a 5.7%ABV is high for some folk.

S: The nose was difficult to determine at first and I had to bury my nose in the pint to get anything beyond some biscuits and malt.

T: First taste to my mouth was biscuits and grain. As you move through the pint, the malts become more noticeable. Not sure what type of candy created the sweetness but I reckon they are the dark chocolates and or caramel. The hops are mild and don't overpower the malts or biscuits but keep all in an even keel.

M: Quite light with a crisp finish due to the hops and retention. Of course smooth as is the case with this style. I agree with a previous poster about the oily nature but did not detract by any means.

D-Was a good session beer. I would like to try in a bottle after reading a few reviews and being better than on tap which is news to me. An easy brew to put down.

Serving type: on-tap

09-10-2008 15:13:30 | More by Brianmerrilyn

AChamberlain

Texas

4.13/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

On cask at the House of Brews on the West 46th. Served at correct temperature. Brownish red color and thin offwhite head. Sweet and raisn aromas. Flavors were hoppy and sweet malts. Smooth and silky. Ultra drinkable, the perfect session. One of the better Sixpoint ales.

Serving type: cask

04-04-2008 02:42:57 | More by AChamberlain

Mudpuppet

Massachusetts

3.9/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A- Poured on tap at a bar in Williamsburg, NY. Poured into a pint glass. Pours a mahogany brown with a think white head.

S- Not a strong nose but you get some malty sweet notes. I wouldn't expect an overpowering nose on a brown ale though.

T- Nice American brown ale. I keep tasting iced tea in the American brown ales I am drinking. This isn't as overpowering as others I have had though. It actually is a very refreshing beer.

M- Nice carbonation in this brew. This is a nice medium thickness beer.

D- Very refreshing brown ale. I could definitely drink a bunch of this. I am very impressed with the Sixpoint offerings I have had.

Serving type: on-tap

04-02-2008 02:37:30 | More by Mudpuppet

oberon

North Carolina

3.95/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap at Cole's in B-lo,came poured into a standard pint glass a rich clear mahogany brown with a thinner soapy-like head.Mild roastiness and a smattering of cocoa in the nose,mildly sweet flavors up front a little caramel and chocolate malt mixing with some good earthy tones in the finish with a bit of woodiness.A solild brown a real quaffer seems lower than its ABV.

Serving type: on-tap

03-23-2008 20:23:40 | More by oberon

WesWes

New York

4.33/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The beer pours a brown color with a thick frothy offwhite head that slowly fades to lacing. The aroma is great. It has a nice roasted, crystal, and bisquit malt scent that's dry and toastey with just a bit of malt sweetness. The taste is great as well. It has a complex malt bill that produces a wonderful roasted character with just a hint of sweetness in the finish. It has a bread-like presence as well. It goes down very easily and finishes light/thin. The mouthfeel is good. It is a medium bodied beer with adequate carbonation. This is a tremendous brown ale. It's light, yet complex. What a good drinking brown.

Serving type: growler

03-08-2008 02:04:27 | More by WesWes

Lupe

New York

4.2/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Slightly cloudy and dark brown in color with a small tan head. Decent head retention and sporadic lacing.

Fairly restrained aroma that is biscuity with caramel, nut, and light chocolate roast malt.

Nice malty flavor - slightly sweet with caramel, toasted bread, mild coffee, nuts, and a touch of chocolate nibs. Nuttiness gets more pronounced, which along with the roasted malts and mild hops does a great job of balancing the sweetness. Finishes a little bitter with a quickly fading aftertaste.

Medium bodied, smooth and a little chewy. Very satisfying and drinkable. Brown Ales are not my thing, but this was a very tasty and sessionable one.

Serving type: cask

03-01-2008 16:43:34 | More by Lupe

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

4.35/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a dark brown. Nice off white head. Nose is nice and deep with a sweet tone. Flavor is deep, robust, and at just the right levels. You know you're drinking a brown ale with this one. If I were blind and tasted it, I would know exactly what it was. Nice lasting caramel aftertaste. Feel is smooth on liquid with a great bubble on the tongue. It kind of stays with you and nibbles on your mouth long after you are done (the bubble that is).Extremely drinkable. Another great brew from Sixpoint and a beautiful take on the style.

Serving type: on-tap

12-31-2007 08:57:56 | More by RblWthACoz

bonbright7

Florida

4.43/5  rDev +13.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

My growler of Brownstone Ale was a perfect ice breaker at a pre-Christmas dinner last night as I poured all the adults from Nova Scotia, Vancouver and North Carolina a taste of one of Brooklyn's best. It's interesting malty aroma invited comments and first tasters remarked how smooth it went with the cheese platters we had out. A second round finished off the growler, but the unquestionable drinkability brought everyone to tell me what they wanted for Christmas in the form of growlers and half barrels.

Serving type: growler

12-24-2007 16:20:59 | More by bonbright7

oldirtycaffrey

Virginia

3.68/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Tried the Brownstone while at a very nice place in NYC called The Half Pint (76 West 3rd Street, near Bleecker). It pours a dark brown with a foamy tan head. Some lacing on the glass. Smell was strong in hops and just a *tad* amount of roasted chocolate. Chocolate did not come out in the taste so much, but it's roasty hoppiness was very nice. A robust brown ale.

Serving type: on-tap

11-04-2007 14:43:37 | More by oldirtycaffrey

shaebs99

New York

4.33/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Had this on cask a while back at Bobbique and just discovered my notes on it.
Cloudy dark brown with large tan head. Retention and lacing were quite good.
The aroma is mostly biscuity with caramel and slight chocolate malts.
Taste is slightly sweet with tastes of caramel and bread with a bitter finish.
A quality brown ale that I was very happy to find a cask of at Bobbique. Very drinkable. I wouldn't want to limit myself to one beer while here, but I could easily do so with this beer. Looking forward to finding it on-tap elsewhere.

Serving type: cask

08-24-2007 17:56:58 | More by shaebs99

sleazo

New York

4.22/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On tap, Black Rabbit

A-pours a very dark brown almost porter like. Creamy rich head tops it.

S-mild odor. Slight roated malt

T-dark choclate covered raisins with an underlying bitterness very full roasted flavour. With hints of coffee as well. Slightly sweet but with good balance. The complexities continue as it warms.

M-Medium body with a slightly above avg carbonatoon for style

D-This is just a great brown ale. I get this whenever I see it on tap. Highly recommended for brown ale fans.

Serving type: on-tap

08-17-2007 05:35:36 | More by sleazo

tempest

Pennsylvania

3.95/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On-tap at the Hop Devil in NYC.

Ah, this reminds me of Surly Brewing's Bender, though a step behind. That's no knock at this beer. A borderline porter, this beer featured a rich, dry cocoa flavor with a slight roasted edge. Nice and dark like a porter too, but this is a case where style doesn't matter. This is just a tasty beer.

Serving type: on-tap

08-02-2007 01:50:27 | More by tempest

Gavage

New Jersey

4.33/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: clear brown with a nice 2" thick fluffy head. Medium lacing.

Smell: malt and caramel sweetness is easily detectable.

Taste: nice big malt base, caramel, hint of chocolate, along with a touch of nuttiness, brown sugar, and earthiness. Bitterness is mild. Solid and hearty brown ale here.

Mouthfeel: lightly crisp at the start and smooth at the finish. Very short aftertaste. Medium bodied beer.

Drinkability: great session beer. Easy to drink and leaves you satisifed unlike many other brown ales. Try this if you see it.

Serving type: cask

07-20-2007 14:07:39 | More by Gavage

auntfloyd

New York

4/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served from a growler filled at Bierkraft here in Brooklyn into a US pint glass.

Pours a dark mahogany/reddish-brown with scant head. The smell is very bready and biscuity, with caramel and malt notes. The flavor is similar - slightly sweet with caramel flavor, with hints of fresh bread and a smooth bitter finish. The moouthfeel is fairly light, and drinkability is high.

This is an interesting brown ale, definitely something new, at least for me. The flavor is far less sweet than many brown ales (Dogfish Head or Avery), but also has a sort of bakery quality that I don't remember having before. It seemed a bit more "British" to me than most American Brown Ales. Good overall.

Serving type: growler

12-13-2006 00:38:50 | More by auntfloyd

lehows

New York

4.22/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had this on tap at Fraunce's Tavern. It pours wonderfully with a gargantuan off-white head that quickly settled down to a nice thin lace. The smell was bready but I got a lot coffee and caramel notes in there too. One of my friends was nursing it but I found it highly drinkable and tasty. I had quite a few. This is another great brew from the guys at Sixpoint.

Serving type: on-tap

11-29-2006 14:23:28 | More by lehows

bultrey

New York

4.83/5  rDev +23.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Now, I might be a little biased about this beer, since I lugged a full keg from NYC to upstate NY in a rental car for my wedding, just so the guests could get a taste of Brooklyn.
But there's a reason the beer gal and I decided to serve this at our wedding: it's utterly delicious.
We were fortunate to serve beer that had been kegged just three days prior, and I can say from experience that this is a beer best drunk extremely fresh. I have had it when it's been lingering a bit, and it loses it fast. But oh, a fresh pint of this stuff ...
First off, this is the most beautiful chestnut brown color, which looked amazing in the glassware in many of our guests' hands in our candid wedding photos. It retains a perfect fluffy eggshell-colored head that does eventually recede, but leaves behind some nice sticky lacing. Brownstone smells like singed brown sugar, as in freshly baked cookies. What a nutty, molasses-tinged rush of flavor in that first sip, all at once creamy and rich and caramel-y, with a firm mouthfeel, just enough of a twangy hop kiss to remind you that this is Sixpoint, and a lingering roasty bitterness that urges you to have another sip.
Some of my new in-laws live in Michigan and are serious beer afficionados, lovers of Kalamazoo and Kuehnenn's, and proclaimed that I am their new favorite in law because of my taste in beer; meanwhile, several guests made a point to find us during the night and thank us for sharing this beer because they loved it so much, despite not being really "big beer drinkers." Yeah, it's that good. The best brown ale I've ever had.

Serving type: on-tap

11-17-2006 05:18:57 | More by bultrey

BBM

New York

3.75/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Had this beer on cask. It poured a medium, cloudy brown with a big tan head, with nice retention and lacing. The smell was reserved; There was a certain bread-like quality to it. But it wasn't overly pronounced.

This is a pretty solid brown ale. The taste is buscuity and caramel malts with bitterness coming through near the finish. Not as sweet as some other browns. Mouthfeel was full and chewy. It was a very filling beer for me, so I don't know that I would call it sessionable, but it's still quite drinkable. Overall a reccomended brown ale from Sixpoint.

Serving type: cask

11-02-2006 18:34:43 | More by BBM