Bad Penny Brown Ale - Big Boss Brewing

Axnjxn

North Carolina

3.54/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

on tap at sams for 2 bucks.

pours a dark brown with not much of a head. smells like...not much honestly. taste is better than it smells, good malt characteristic. typical English brown flavors, nothing big. enjoyable for what it is though. medium bodied with low carbonation.

overall nothing special, but its enjoyable. not bad.

Serving type: on-tap

06-18-2013 20:28:32 | More by Axnjxn

larryinnc

Oregon

1.99/5  rDev -45.2%
look: 3.25 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 1.75

The seasonal beers are actually decent, but I cannot tolerate the year round brews from Big Boss. I really really tried to like their beers - but ever since first going there when it opened, I immediately noticed a horrible aftertaste. Maybe a bad batch? Tried a 2nd, and 3rd, and the other of the year round varieties - even from the bottle over the past few years. Nope - that's the way it's brewed. As others have commented, there is an off aftertaste and suspect something wrong with the brewing process (sanitization?). However, I do know a couple people that do like and even love their year round beers - so to each their own.

Anyway, it's worth a visit to check out the brewery if you've never had their beers, but IMHO, there's too many other good breweries in NC that I would try first.

Serving type: on-tap

06-03-2013 02:22:50 | More by larryinnc

jrstamp

Connecticut

2.16/5  rDev -40.5%
look: 3.25 | smell: 1.75 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.25

A: Dark brown. Very low carbonation, not to style.

S: Huge unappealing esters, not sure what to call them, but very unappealing. Feels like it was fermented way to warm. Almost don't want to taste this.

T: Tastes better than it smells, but it is still pretty bad. Very muted malt flavors. Definitely get a cardboard taste.

M: Medium

O: Not a fan of this at all. I think there is a process problem, maybe a very high fermentation temp to get that nose.

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2013 01:07:55 | More by jrstamp

dpodratsky3

Georgia

4.21/5  rDev +16%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

12 oz bottle poured into pint glass

A: Slightly opaque deep chestnut color, not much light gets through, ruby around the edges, head is very small and light, reduces to a thin spotty film

S: Distinct sweet toffee aroma, very sweet caramel malt aroma, but its pleasant

T: Has a big bold malt flavor, very full and deep feeling, has some caramel toffee flavor but also has lighter toasted malt flavor, hints of a deeper roast are barely perceptible, clean spicy, floral hops help cut some of the malt but after a while it does finish a bit sweet, otherwise I would grade this higher

M: Medium dryness, medium-high carb, medium-full body, all help keep the sweetness down since the hops are a little low

O: Delicious, nothing earth-shattering and not going to win a hype contest, but just a good all around beer to sit down and relax with

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2013 02:32:11 | More by dpodratsky3

dbrauneis

New Jersey

3.53/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Pours a slightly opaque but clear dark brownish amber in color with some significant garnet red highlights and a light to moderate amount of visible carbonation. The beer has a finger tall creamy light tan head that slowly reduces to a thin film covering the majority of the surface of the beer with a medium thick ring at the edges of the glass. Light to moderate amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Overall the aroma for this beer is quite light with some very light notes of caramel malts and just a hint of nuttiness.

T: Upfront there is a moderate amount of malts - some caramel and some chocolate malts and just a touch of sweetness. There is a light amount of nuttiness to the brew. Light amounts of bitterness towards the finish but it does not linger.

M: Light to medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation. Smooth.

O: Pretty easy to drink and enjoyable but not really anything special - I would have appreciated a little more aroma to the beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2013 21:35:27 | More by dbrauneis

Durge

Connecticut

3.5/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Another brew found at Margaux's restaurant in raleigh, NC this one shows a dark brown mahogany color, nearly opaque. The head is a modest off-white cover with respectable lacing. The aroma brings pretty standard roasted malt with a touch of burnt wood ash. Mild but pleasant enough. The first mouthful delivers a somewhat diluted brown bread, malt-charcoal medley. Well blended but kind of watery without being unlikeable. There is a bit of tart swampy hop going on here, sort of cider like maybe, but the roasted malt charcoal lead the way on flavor. As I get used to this I pick up some honey sweetness and leafy edges. This brown ale is medium-light bodied with subtle, tingly carbonation and somewhat aqueous feel. Not bad at all, a little weak for my tastes but drinkable and worth a try.

Serving type: on-tap

12-07-2012 06:51:55 | More by Durge

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.45/5  rDev -5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

This poured out as a nice looking deep brown color with a cream colored head on top. The retention and lacing were moderate, but nothing too exciting. The smell of the beer gives of some nice roasted malt aromas with a hint of hops on the nose as well. There is a touch of chocolate and nuts on the nose also. The taste of the beer is toasted, it's got a decent dry bitterness to it in the finish also. There are subtle elements of coffee and chocolate in the aftertaste. The mouthfeel of the beer is pretty standard, nothing too crazy going on. Overall it's a good drinkable beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-06-2012 21:00:23 | More by Knapp85

FMSmith

Virginia

3.58/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Had at taproom and in bottle, on tap is better but then I always say that.

Definitely worth a try if you are a brown ale kinda person. Not too hoppy which I like, and best when served colder than most brown ales I think.

A little more bite than say Newcastle but still a good craft beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2012 04:37:52 | More by FMSmith

BeerFMAndy

Wisconsin

3.35/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12 oz bottle poured into a nonic.
5.2% ABV, Bottled on notch space empty.

Thanks to Onenote81 for another local!

A - Deep chestnut brown in color Bad Penny is, despite her dark color, clear. A fizzy, loose afro of light khaki head deflates after mere moments, leaving the glass blank; not a trace of lacing.

S - Bad Penny has a very low aroma right from the get-go, softly introducing minor chocolate and coffee aromatics into the air. Light earthy cardboard notes suggest some oxidation, perhaps, but nothing aggressive or unwelcome.

T - Subtle nutty undertones emerge around the faint bittersweet chocolate and thin coffee notes for a low but tasty flavor. Hops are all but forgotten in Bad Penny seemingly leaving the roasted qualities to balance out the sweetness.

M - Smooth and drinkable but highly carbonated, it doesn't quite remind me of an English brown in this regard. The finish lingers on the tongue with faint presence.

O - Bad Penny isn't outstanding by any stretch of the word, but damn if it isn't sessionable and smooth! This beer is, unlike the label, a rather plain Jane which will definitely satisfy in the autumn months.

Serving type: bottle

07-25-2012 00:27:21 | More by BeerFMAndy

soulfly1492

Pennsylvania

3.55/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Aroma: Bold, raw worty malt. Chocolate, brown and crystal. Some floral hop notes. Overall very sweet.

Appearance: Dark brown. Holding up to a bright light shows a dark ruby color. High clarity. Some bubbles rising. Small light brown head, decent retention and moderate lacing.

Taste: No surprises, raw worty malt. Lots of bready toasty brown malt, mild cocoa, the bitterness shows up in the aftertaste and is mostly floral hops and mildly bitter malt, maybe Munich.

Mouthfeel: Light to medium body. Mild carbonation. The finish is very dry. Chalky.

Overall: I like worty, so it's ok by me, but certainly not the classic example of a brown ale. Nice balance. Easy to drink, and savory enough to enjoy one or more.

Serving type: bottle

06-25-2012 00:11:15 | More by soulfly1492

buschbeer

Ohio

3.78/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle
Served in a pint glass

A - It pours a ruddy brown with an inch of beige head that quickly disappears.

S - I get some cocoa, some nutty aromas, and chocolate.

T - The cocoa and nutty flavors combine really nicely. There is some bitter chocolate on the finish.

M - Moderate to thin

O - I was surprised at how flavorful this beer was. I came in expecting boring, and I got a pretty good beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2012 23:27:00 | More by buschbeer

JayQue

Virginia

3.23/5  rDev -11%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A so-so brown ale. Purchased on a recent trip to Asheville NC. Pours a dark brown color with a lot of ruby highlights when held to a light. Almost no head and minimal lacing.

Smell is faint roasted malt and a little chocolate.

Taste is fairly good. Roasted malt, a hint of chocolate. Pretty simple.

Mouthfeel is a hair too thin but it is crisp and refreshing.

Overall a pretty average brown ale.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2012 17:55:17 | More by JayQue

badbilly30

3.5/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours clear, bold brown-cola color; very thin off-white head. Some cocoa and toffee in the aroma; one-dimensional malts. Medium mouthfeel: slightly watery at the edges; cocoa, caramel, toasted malts; a light, inoffensive brown ale; some roasted character coming through mid-palate. Medium finish showing cocoa and roasted malts and breadiness.

Serving type: on-tap

03-25-2012 21:19:21 | More by badbilly30

Cyberkedi

Georgia

3.48/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours a dark, semi-transparent chocolaty brown with a fairly thick, if not too persistent, light tan head. Malty aroma has tones of molasses and caramel and a sweet hint plus a touch of hops. Flavor has malty and molasses notes plus hints of caramel, hops and honey. Smooth texture has above-average body and a little fizz. Bad penny? Not too shabby!

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2012 02:54:16 | More by Cyberkedi

thagr81us

South Carolina

3.75/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served from tap into a sampler tumbler. Poured a reddish brown with a half finger off-white head that subsided to a minimal amount slowly. Maintained decent lacing throughout the glass. The aroma was comprised of sweet malt, nutty, and powdered chocolate. The flavor was of sweet malt, powdered chocolate, dark chocolate, and nutty. It had a light feel on the palate with medium carbonation. Overall this was a fairly good brew. I really liked the chocolate aspect to this one that came across in both the flavor AND aroma. The aroma was quite pleasant on this one, but the flavor just fell a little short. A solid brew that I would drink again and if you haven't I suggest you do.

Serving type: on-tap

01-22-2012 23:47:29 | More by thagr81us

unknownlamer

North Carolina

4.28/5  rDev +17.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Fresh bottle, served in a snifter.

Pours a very dark brown, almost opaque, but clear upon further inspection with a bright light. Very small head, fades immediately to the usual ring of foam around the edges. Doesn't leave anything behind on the glass.

Smells like chocolate, roasted coffee. No hop aroma that I can discern.

Taste is initially a tad bit alcoholic with a strong roasty flavor (no surprises here given the aroma). Smooths out after a few sips. Near the end of the swallow the sweetness comes through and a lightly roasty/sweet flavor lingers for a while after swallowing.

Body is fairly thick for a brown ale. Silky smooth!

Bolder than most other brown ales I've had without taking on the qualities of a porter or stout.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2012 01:47:06 | More by unknownlamer

TheDinger

South Carolina

3.9/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a bottle into a pilsner glass. My last beer of 2011! A little disappointing with the pour- Very small off white/tan head that faded quick and left no traces. Smell was very underwhelming, some nutty malts and a small bit of chocolate. Taste is where this picked up a bit. Something about the coffee/chocolate stout characteristics mixed with the nutty/carmel brown hit the spot on this one. A pretty complex taste which made it hard to sit down. Not too schooled on the EBA's and perhaps that is where the stout qualities come in, but this was very smooth and full flavored. Feel was decent with a good bit of carbonation and stout like silk. Overall- An interesting beer that tastes better than it looks and smells. Complex and rich- I will be hitting another one soon-

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2012 18:13:07 | More by TheDinger

Amalak

New York

3.6/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

It's dark, almost black in color, with very little head and lacing. There's a nutty, but mild, scent to it. Has the look of being a bit flat.

There's a solid chocolate undertone to it with a nutty overall taste. Definitely a stout. The taste is mild, but there's something refreshing about it. It has a carbonated, tingly feel. There's a zestyness there that some stouts lack. It's good, if not forgettable.

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2011 00:13:33 | More by Amalak

Huhzubendah

District of Columbia

3.43/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

The beer is reddish brown with a thin beige cap. The aroma is pretty weak, offering subtle hints of bready malts, biscuits, fruit. Light bodied, with moderately low carbonation. A decent beer, but generally unexciting. Some toffee and caramel notes. Probably won't have this one again.

Serving type: bottle

11-18-2011 00:55:24 | More by Huhzubendah

Luigi

North Carolina

3.48/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours our about a half finger head but retains well with decent lacing. Dark brown with amber highlights in color.

The aroma has hints caramel, bittersweet chocolate, and leafy hop. Nothing over powering.

The flavor pretty much emulates the aroma with some hints of toasted malt and toffee. No problem on my side.

The body is medium to full with a mildly hopped finish. Very easy to drink.

Over all this is a great example of a local brewery doing a great job, and it may change until they feel the brew is right. But, right now big boss is doing just fine.

Serving type: bottle

10-27-2011 07:19:40 | More by Luigi

ccrida

Oregon

3/5  rDev -17.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Dark brown with a thin off-white collar that leaves very light lace.

Smell is light, sweet, brown sugar, directly opens as it warms.

Taste is light roasted malts, iced coffee and molasses / over caramelized sugar. A hint of diacetyl, the butter gives it a sugar cookie note.

Mouthfeel is crisp, medium bodied. Seems a little heavy.

Drinkability is ok, it's a pretty full flavored brown ale, a bit heavy for my taste in the style, especially when the ABV doesn't really match.

Serving type: bottle

09-27-2011 02:51:39 | More by ccrida

goatsgo2hell

North Carolina

4.4/5  rDev +21.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bad Penny's one of my go-to favorites. The beer pours dark chocolate brown with very little head, and has a malty aroma that smells like chocolate with a slightly nutty undertone. The taste yields the same, and it proves to be a very malty beer -- which is exactly what I like in my browns. All in all, a great beer to try on tap or from the bottle. It's my favorite of the Big Boss offerings.

Serving type: on-tap

09-12-2011 04:14:56 | More by goatsgo2hell

DeltaGolfSierra

Tennessee

3.6/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 2 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Kudos to Big Boss Brewing for marking the bottled date. A vigorous poor from the bottle straight down the middle of the glass yielded a pitiful half-finger wide head atop a dark brown liquid. The large bubbles that composed the head faded within a minute and left no lacing. Not a very appealing start. The smell was an improvement over the appearance, with a pleasant combination of caramel, nuts, and citrus. The taste is well-balanced between malt and hops - I'm picking up some chocolate, nuts, and some fruity earthiness. Hops are noticeable but not overpowering. A good tasting beer - just close your eyes when drinking.

Serving type: bottle

08-22-2011 12:46:16 | More by DeltaGolfSierra

tdm168

North Carolina

3.25/5  rDev -10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

On tap at the brewery's tasting room

Pours a pure brown with no head. Smells of caramel and faint roast malt. Taste is caramel and sweet malt. Thin, a little watered down, and very little carbonation.

Not bad, but could use a little more body in my opinion.

Serving type: on-tap

07-22-2011 12:15:08 | More by tdm168

smakawhat

Maryland

3.23/5  rDev -11%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from the bottle into a nonic pint glass. Bottled April 2011 I think, so off we go!

Out of the bottle this head can't form at all. Never gets bigger than an off light brown one finger head. I'll admit it sits for a bit but that's it. Color is a classic dark walnut brown for the body, leaving a simple small but solid puck but no lacing while drinking. Other than that slightly better than average.

Malt roast of mild chocolate. Simple, muted, there... but a kind of strange malt bent. Hard to describe, it's just a tad off putting.

Taste is weak sauce. Extremely wet bodied, like very watered down coffee without a sense of coffee strangely. Malt presence lacking and unknown. Virtually no chocolate taste coming from the nose as thought to be expected.

Overall a drinkable beverage you could do a lot worse. This isn't even a particular favorite style of mine, but I would have many others over this thing "in this style" by a country mile.

Serving type: bottle

07-07-2011 03:36:45 | More by smakawhat