Bear Republic / Fat Head's / Stone TBA - Stone Brewing Co.

TubaManJack

Illinois

3.48/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

I'll start off by saying this beer is interesting. If you consult the back label you'll notice that it started out its life as an out of the box home brew that isn't a brown ale and that completely makes sense.

Appearance:
Deep rich body lasting tan head and a stream of carbonation. Alright it's looking good.

Smell:
Holy brown sugar and molasses. There is some bittering hops on the nose and a bit of dried fig. Overall it's not quite balanceds and leaning a lot ot the sweet side.

Taste and Mouthfeel
It's pretty thick and sweet for me. A lot of the nose comes through in the taste but at least there is malt for the beer to stand on. There isn't any real hops outside of the bitter pepper.

Overall I want impressed. I know this beer was ment to be a fun crazy combo and an adventure but I didnt arrive at the same destination.

Serving type: bottle

06-19-2012 01:05:56 | More by TubaManJack

farrago

New Jersey

3.58/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Big, third of the glass worth, head of nothing but huge delicate bubbles which pop and dissolve at an extremely rapid rate, virtually nothing left within seconds, the lacing is slight and with minimal stickiness. Cloudy brown liquid with a red cast, turns to a bright yellow around the rims, active bubbles if widely spread and without beads, looks like dirty catch basin water. The nose evenly split between pine, orange citrus, grass, flowers and then that molasses to honey and coffee, the peach and apricot fruit comes down in the middle, while the scents last long they come off as on the sluggish side. Medium-bodied and heavy, the carbonation lacking and it tends to press down into the palate without much movement, some scrubbing sensations. The malt, cocoa, coffee and molasses lead the way here, as it progresses the hoppy citrus and pine and meadow grasses pick up. Steady enough peach, yellow apple, apricot, pear fruit, there if undistinguished. Touch of Brazil nuts and glazed sandwich rolls. Its density makes biggest impression, not really that much flavor complexity. Nothing to entice you beyond the first bottle.

Serving type: bottle

06-18-2012 20:53:02 | More by farrago

tobelerone

New Jersey

4.08/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle purchased at Top Hops on the lower east side.

Murky orange-brown body, one finger of foamy tan head that settles slowly. Lots of creamy lacing clings to the glass. Nose is striking with immediate and vividly tropical fruit notes; pineapple, orange, mango. Very appealing. Following is a lightly toast malt note. In the tasting the two elements are well blended and both seem very clearly defined. This is a hop forward beer, and a top notch one in my book, but there's still a substantial toasted bread maltiness and a bit of caramel and brown sugar sweetness as well. Moderate to low bitterness, especially in light of the hoppiness of this beer.

Medium bodied with medium to slightly high carbonation; there's a crispness and cleaness about the mouthfeel that helps make this highly drinkable. I thought this was a really well done brew and was the 2nd consecutive collaboration beer by Stone (the other being More Brown Than Black) that showed a really artful touch with the hops in not only execution but in selection and combination.

Serving type: bottle

06-16-2012 01:49:58 | More by tobelerone

RonfromJersey

New Jersey

3/5  rDev -20.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

$4.99 single purchased in Warwik, NY.

Medium brown body, with amber highlights. Billowing light beige head. Attractive stretchy lacing.

Cocoa aroma. Very light.

Taste is mostly cocoa. Earthy hops. Good bite.

Medium mouthfeel with good carbonation.

Overall, a solid but not spectacular brown ale. My expectations from this collaboration were probably too high.

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2012 04:12:01 | More by RonfromJersey

tdm168

North Carolina

4.03/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - pours a dark brown/amber with a thick, dense, tall, off white/brown head that has great retention

S - caramel, floral hop aroma

T - sweet caramel, sugar, faint citrus, faint floral hops, big bold piny hops, brown sugar stickiness lingers on your lips

M - medium bodied, smooth, well carbonated

This is a decently hopped IPA but it's a rather insignificantly malted brown ale. It lies somewhere in the middle. I would prefer a bigger, richer malt character considering it's brewed with molasses and brown sugar. It has some body and stickiness, but lacks substance. Good hop character though. It's worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2012 00:52:29 | More by tdm168

DavidST

Texas

3.63/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a tulip glass. This pours a dark brown color with a massive tight bubbled tan head, which has a very long retention and leaves a lacing. The smells are somewhat sweet, perhaps brown sugar, pine, citrus. The feel is medium. The taste is pretty good, hops, with a little brown sugar and nuts.

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2012 02:25:33 | More by DavidST

WesM63

Ohio

4.6/5  rDev +21.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

12oz bottle poured into a tulip

A: Pours a dark murky brown with a huge 3-4finger head. Pour might of been a bit aggressive. Excellent retention and lacing.

S: Smells of pine/resin, brown sugar, molasses and possibly other spices i can't identify.

T: Close to the nose. Hops (pine/resin) on the tongue followed by brown sugar/molasses and other spices.

M: Medium to full body, low carbonation.

O: This collab is a extremely interesting combination. I thoroughly enjoy it and the more I drink the more I like it. Excellent!

Serving type: bottle

06-11-2012 02:55:19 | More by WesM63

mkotsayfan

California

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

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a pint glass. Pours a deep dark amber/brown color with a favorable amount of slightly off-white head. The aroma has some malts, hops, with perhaps a hint of brown sugar. The taste has some hops, citrus, and earthy malts, along with some slight molasses notes. The mouthfeel is medium-bodied with good carbonation. This drinks very easily for a 7% beer and although more bitter than most brown ales, I don't mind the bitterness.

Overall, a solid brown ale from BR, Stone, and Fat Head's. If it were at a slightly cheaper price point and available in sixers, I would get one every once in awhile.

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2012 23:21:42 | More by mkotsayfan

gtermi

Texas

3.65/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours a dark brown, almost black, body with a super thick head that slowly fades and leaves a lot of lace on the glass.

S: A lot of hops on the nose that mix well with the sweet malt.

T: This beer is all over the place to me in flavor.... At first I get a strong hop flavor that turns into a cigar taste that later turns into a sweet malty flavor. Weirdly it also has a strang bacon flavor that really lingers.

M: The beer goes down with easy and really doesnt have that much carbonation. There is a tiny bit of crispness on the tip of the tongue and a nice amount on the back.

O: This is a very weird beer... It has a lot of stuff that is positive about this beer and a lot that I really dont care about... I was hoping there would be a stronger hop flavor and there really wasnt.

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2012 07:11:58 | More by gtermi

oberon

North Carolina

4.03/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a standard pint a somewhat murky deep orange infused russt brown with a great looking sticky light beige head that never settles,a 1/2 inch frothy mass stays to the duration.Juicy citric hop aromas really stick out,mild brown sugar is there but beneath the hops.I thought this would be sweeter with it's brown sugar and molasses elements to it but the sharp citric hops win out with mild molasses and brown sugar sweetness in the finish.This is a hop driven brown and I think it's pretty damn good,job well done by the trifecta of brewers.

Serving type: bottle

06-06-2012 20:13:18 | More by oberon

Docer

Washington

4.13/5  rDev +9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: (4.5)

- Nice dark cloudy brown with a huge fluffy light mocha head bubbling all about. Lace, bubbles, and contours all over. Settles to a fluffy light mess about the cloudy brown and glowing brew.

Smell: (4.0)

- Smells clean, malty, earthy, lightly sweet, balanced, molasses, bread, grassy hop, citrus fruit, pineapple, brown sugar. It's all there, and smelling damn good.

Taste: (4.0)

- Smooth grain, licorice, spice, clove, meaty caramel, and earthy malts hit with a superb balance. Light grassy bitter hops, finishing with some pine, earth, and citrus fruit. Esters are light, and more spice, mint, and clove hit the palate. Almost a spearmint.

Mouth Feel: (4.0)

- Solid medium body with great carbonation and a cloying chewy feel. Super dry at the finish from the hops and other ingredients. Really teases the palate. Nice solid feel.

Overall: (4.5)

- This beer seems to have a lot that is untold. I get a lot of mint, clove, and other spice that represents. Overall it is solid, very well balanced, and is one-of-a-kind. Impressed. This is what the art of craft beer is all about.

Serving type: bottle

06-06-2012 02:46:01 | More by Docer

Daniellobo

District of Columbia

3.9/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A nicely hopped take on a brown ale.

Presentation: 12 oz brown capped bottle. Screen-printed label in bronze and white where the typography takes the identity, noting collaboration, year 2012, and offers an elaborate narrative on the back about collaboration, intent, ingredients. Shows 7.1% Alc. by Vol. Served in a tulip glass.

A - Hazy amber brown pour, rich creamy head, good retention, surface memory and good touches of lacing.

S - Soft nose with malty notes, nutty dash before a nice salute of hops with resin and grass…

T - And the taste very much follows in line. Softly roasted notes, nutty edge, which slides under a final note of resinous hops… Nothing much more than that but it is a nice structure.

M - Medium to medium/full body with medium-low carbonation, works rather well… Nice final lingering sense.

O - Stimulating offering, initially malty with an emerging hoppy accent.

Notes: Good brew, again I´m not sure I grasp all the sense of these three side collaborations but if the result is this quality brews so be it. This one almost feels like a flip of the coin on the More Black than Black IPA, more malty touches and less resin but still very pleasing.

Serving type: bottle

05-27-2012 13:20:03 | More by Daniellobo

azdback

Arizona

3.5/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a Sam Adams Boston Lager glass. Light brown in color with tons of tiny carbonation bubbles. Head is less than one finger and light tan in color and creamy in appearance.

Smell is to me a bit in the spicy side or peppery. Lots of malts and maybe some rye. It is just the slightest bit sweet in the nose.

Taste is a bit spicy like the nose. There is a bit of a boozy taste but not in a burning alcohol way just in the taste. I am getting just the slightest bit of brown sugar way late but ever so slight.

Mouth is smooth and the carbonation is light. Body is medium and the finish is average and dry.

Overall I don't think this is Stone's best collaboration but not a bad brew. I think this one was a bit better when it was fresh I just didn't get around to reviewing it. A must if you get the chance though.

Serving type: bottle

05-27-2012 06:52:34 | More by azdback

Reagan1984

Massachusetts

3.9/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The head is rather aggressive and has excellent retention. The beer is a slightly hazy dull brown color. Thick clumps of lace….

Smells like lemon pledge.. My god totally lemon peel. A touch of alcohol at the end.

Wow, the flavor is so different than the aroma led on. I was a bit scared, but this is really good. Interesting balance with a rounded malt backbone start..almost chocolatey..then a whollop of pine hops. The two really work together. Maybe…maybe I can sense molasses.. but I’m not sure I’d say that w/o seeing the label. I really enjoy this. There is still this lemon peel quality to the finish.

Rounded, soft mouth feel. Still medium+ bodied.

A strange and interesting brew. I like it.

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2012 21:38:38 | More by Reagan1984

ehammond1

California

3.38/5  rDev -10.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

Bottle (2012)

The Bruery Provisions
Orange, CA

Very dark brown throughout with dark ruby edges and a very big brown head that erupts upward and over the edge of the glass. This is certainly very highly carbonated, especially for a brown ale. The head lasts for a substantial time and leaves messy, lined lacing down the glass.

Hoppy and bready aroma. There's lots of floral hop character--Citra? There's also good amounts of bread and earthy caramel as well. This is the best part of this beer.

The hops don't shine through in the flavor as much I was hoping for. This is a bready, earthy, moderately bitter brown ale, and little else.

Medium bodied and very highly carbonated. The carbonation seems prickly and extremely active. The mouthfeel brings this beer down a notch or two.

A decent enough, simple brown with way too much carbonation, especially for the style.

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2012 16:47:07 | More by ehammond1

drabmuh

Maryland

4/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served in a Stone glass. Beer is brown and a little hazy, with a nice off white head of small and medium bubbles. Some retention, some lacing. Looks OK.

Aroma is a little sweet, some hoppiness. Sort of smells like hop candy.

Beer is medium to light in body and really sweet with this sort of Columbus and cascade hoppiness. Interesting but not wonderful. I don't think I'd have it again but I did enjoy it.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2012 15:19:24 | More by drabmuh

Beejay

Virginia

3.7/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: Dark amber brown in color, with an explosive, soft, tan head.

S: Very hoppy aroma. Resinous pine and grapefruit, followed by an earthy aroma and a caramel/syrup thing.

T: Hoppy, with some good dark grain notes. A touch of caramel and coffee, with the molasses coming in at the finish. Definitely get the American hops out of this one. There is almost a woody thing in here as well that I like.

M: Medium in body, the carbonation is really nice and I feel like it lightens it up a bit. There is a lingering bitterness that last for a while.

O: Overall this is quite an interesting beer. I like the mouthfeel a lot, but I almost think the hops are little much for me.. I would like to taste a little more of the malt, and the brown sugar/molasses character, but I think a lot of that is being taken over by the hops. Still a very nice beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2012 23:53:45 | More by Beejay

rudzud

Massachusetts

3.3/5  rDev -12.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Picked up a bottle of this at Julio's. Poured into a Duvel tulip.

A - Pours a crystal clear garnet (left ALOT of floaters in the bottle). Atop this was a nice two finger light foamy creamy off white head that slumps to leave a nice one finger blanket and good lacing.

S - Yeah, this is a hopped up brown ale all right. Light brown sugar and molasses on this but those and the malt sweetness are relatively easily overpowered by the nice pine notes.

T - Hmm. Doesn't really drink like a brown ale. Much more like an IPA with this strong pine hop presence, especially on the finish. There are some light malty molasses sweetness but there's also unfortunately some rather evident and obvious alcohol notes. Meh

M - Mouthfeel isn't bad. Its too bitter for a brown ale though.

O - Overall this was somewhat of a mess for me. Good appearance, nose wasn't bad, but flavour and mouthfeel is an absolute mess. Way too bitter and boozy for a brown ale. Possibly my least favourite stone collab.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2012 02:05:55 | More by rudzud

jaasen64

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz single bottle from Stone Collaboration.

A- Pours a fairly opaque slightly reddish dark brown, about 2 fingers of foamy beige head with good retention, decent amount of carbonation bubbles, about average for a brown ale.

S- Hops, some brown sugar, a little bit of molasses, caramel, malts, on the sweet side, about average aroma strength.

T- Definitely hoppy for a brown ale, even slightly more then some IPAs, but not nearly as hoppy as a lot of the better DIPAs. A little bit of brown sugar, tiny bit of molasses, some caramel, malts, and a bit of booze in the background. Lightly sweet aftertaste.

M- Medium bodied, smooth, virtually no alcohol burn. Average carbonation. Very slightly creamy.

O- This was definitely an interesting beer that I enjoyed trying. Just like the label says this beer was definitely generously hopped for a brown ale. I liked the hoppiness of this beer however I'm not sure if it balanced the best with the sweet molasses/caramel taste of the beer. It was definitely a little bit different, while the beer was easy to drink I felt like the two tastes clashed a little bit, other then that I thought this beer was very good and I wouldn't mind trying it again. If it were sold in 4-packs or 6-packs I would definitely consider picking some up. For $3.90/bottle, it's definitely a decent deal and I would recommend picking up a bottle to try it.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2012 23:29:50 | More by jaasen64

HalfFull

California

3.15/5  rDev -16.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured into a large wine glass from the ubiquitous Stone Collab. style bottle. Pours brown, dark brown, and with clear ruby highlights. Nice cap of off white foam sits atop the pour and drops off some random lace. Clarity fades a bit on the second pour.

Piney hops on the nose, some chocolate and some citrus. Dry with a touch of yeast and a touch of alcohol as well. Nice and hoppy but oddly out of balance in a sense. 'Brown' notes are largely buried in the closet of pine alcohol.

Flavor is moderate with a good level of spice and a light hop bitterness. Finish is a bit chalky and dry with components of chocolate and muddled brown sugar. Sugar notes do allow for a longer finish than expected yet nothing extraordinary.

Decent feel and delivery, this beer started off strong but faded in the backstretch. Aroma fades to monochrome after some exposure. Feel is ok but a bit slim and lacking structure. Overall a Brown Ale in color only and a bit out of balance though not really in a bad way. Bottom Line, a bit too amorphous. Needs direction or perhaps is just heading in a different direction than I.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2012 07:43:27 | More by HalfFull

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

3.58/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

This one was a recent gift from a friend, so do not hold me at fault if I am not aligned with the bottle's instructions - "Drink Fresh Do Not Age".

From the bottle: "Nothing says Christmas [see what I was alluding to?] like hanging out with friends and brewing up something special. Thanks to Matt Cole from Fat Heads and Richard (Ricardo) Norgrove from Bear Republic for braving pre-holiday travel to come to Stone the week before the Christmas holiday and brew this "sort of" old-school American (or Texas) brown ale. The recipe we came up with has a host of specialty malts, molasses, brown sugar, Columbus, Bravo, Brewers' Gold, and for the first time ever at Stone, Cascade hops! We're hoping our brew brings back fond memories of some of the earliest classic craft brews. Enjoy your trip down memory lane! [undersigned] Mitch Steel Brewmaster Stone Brewing Co. January 2011 [I hope that date is a typo].

I went with a soft pour as there was some sediment readily visible in the bottom of the bottle and I still netted a finger of light-tan head with moderate retention. Color was more like a red/amber than a brown, but still with NE-quality clarity. Nose smelled like the interior of a pine forest and my heart began to race. Mouthfeel was on the thin side and the onslaught of the pine hops on my tongue was immediate! Once things settled in, I tasted a sweetness unlike anything that I had ever gotten from malted barley. It may have been the molasses or the brown sugar or both, but it was different. The finish began the same way - big with hops, but mellowing into a unique sweetness. My knock on this is the same as with the Cascadian/Black IPAs - don't comingle sweetness with my hops! This was more of a novelty than a must-have for me.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2012 01:09:44 | More by woodychandler

bigfnjoe

Pennsylvania

3.83/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Poured from a bottle into a Victory tulip

A- pours dark brown with a two finger tan head. Very puffy. Looks really nice!

S- nice piney hop aroma with a little bit of nuttiness as well. Interesting

T- getting a lot of citrus and pine hops allthroughout, but I'm getting absolutely no brown ale characteristics...no nuttiness, no roast, nothing like that. Essentially, just an IPA

M- medium bodied, well carbonated

O- I'm docking points here because while its labeled as a brown ale, I get nothing that reminds me of a brown ale in this outside of the nose. It's a major disappointment.

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2012 01:12:53 | More by bigfnjoe

Goblinmunkey7

Massachusetts

3.9/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Light khaki head. Creamy and tight. Drops to a thin cap. Beer is a light brown, almost like coffee watered down. Minimal lacing. Head retention is high once it settles down.

Smell: Chocolate malts and pine. Deep sweetness mixes with a touch of dark bread crust and some citrus elements. Orange and grapefruit zest. Milk chocolate and touches of caramel sweetness. Big citrusy notes with that touch of Stone pine. Roasted malts add a nice depth.

Taste: Hoppier than the nose would indicate. Nice push of pine needles and orange zest. Lingering juicy grapefruit. Malts are nicely roasted and pull milk chocolate and faint touches of coffee out of the back. A touch of tobacco leaf as well. Faintly minty. Some sweetness rounds out the back. Nicely balanced.

Mouthfeel: Creamy with a medium body that feels full at times due to the creamy nature. Smooth with a moderate carbonation.

Overall: You can tell Stone had their hand in this. A nice fusion of the breweries represented. Well done and worth drinking a few times at the very least.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2012 23:51:19 | More by Goblinmunkey7

t420o

California

4.05/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Stone/bear/fat heads collabo

A-pour yields a 1-1/2 finger tan head resting on a chestnut colored body. Good retention and lacing. 4

S- brown sugar, mollases, chocolate malt, and the cascade hops are very present and balancing. Smells great 4.5

T/ wow the taste is really interesting. The brown sugar, mollases, malt, and tobacco flavors are balanced well with the cascade hops. It melds into a taste that is very hard to describe. Its earthy and I think it would be amazing with a cigar. Very unique and very tasty 4

M- carbonation is a bit prickily good other than that 3.5

O- I really like this beer. The unique flavor is going to have me buying a few more of these. 4

A- 

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2012 02:23:35 | More by t420o

Thorpe429

Illinois

3.38/5  rDev -10.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Bottle from Rick's in Alexandria. Served in a Stone goblet. Pours dark brown with a single-finger tan head. A bit of spotty lacing and a cap as it goes down. The nose has a bit of pine and earthy hops with a bit of spice. Flavor is similar with brown malt and a touch of sweetness. Medium body and moderate bitterness. Pretty good, but not something that I would seek out again.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2012 12:46:01 | More by Thorpe429