Diamond Knot Brown Ale - Diamond Knot Brewery

Halcyondays

California

3.83/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

22 oz. bottle,

A: Pours brown with a medium creamy off-white head, great retention, good lace.

S: Lots of bready brown malt, biscuity crystal malt, sulfur, hard water.

T: Leading with the brown malt, caramel, lots of hard water, earthy grassy hops. Very mineral driven.

M: Medium-bodied, crisp, frothy big carbonation at times. Moderate hoppy aftertaste.

O: A solid northwest brown ale. A good beer and the price is right. Definitely worth a pick-up.

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2012 03:58:21 | More by Halcyondays

pkalix

California

4.23/5  rDev +19.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

BA says 5.6%; the bottle says 6%.
beautiful brown color, minimal head; no lacing down the sides to speak of.
smell has an interesting, pleasing, nutty kind of smell other than which i cannot identify but really like. but sweet, nutty malt, for sure.
the taste carries on with the smell. it feels as if it's missing some substance, some heaviness to round out the taste and because of that there appears to be some novice quality to it and undeserved bitterness. but it's a good brew and i love the way it looks in the glass. i like the taste and could handle a few more of these.

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2012 23:45:14 | More by pkalix

mactrail

California

3.4/5  rDev -4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Golden brown in the glass. Plenty of foam, but rather coarse carbonation. Spritzy on the tongue. Faint grain aroma.

Fairly malty with a pleasing sweet tang. A touch of sharpness for balance. Thin and watery body, but flavorful with roasted malt. A touch of toasted nuts and a whiff of hops. Some bitter aftertaste. Plain but rather tasty.

A pleasant quaff with the mellow maltiness that makes this style worth while. From the 22 oz bottle.

Serving type: bottle

08-25-2012 04:57:09 | More by mactrail

billshmeinke

California

2.7/5  rDev -23.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Poured into a nonic glass.

Dark brown and quite hazy. Two fingers of off white head.

Smells of fruity esters, some toffee, and malt.

Tastes of dark fruits, really sweet, a bit bready and malty. Too much in the way of esters for what I want in a brown ale. hitn of earthy hops on the back end.

Pretty crappy overall. Not gonna revisit.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2012 18:04:41 | More by billshmeinke

BeerLover99

New Jersey

3.8/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: rust deep brown body, tan head, impressive lacing

S: roasted nuts, toffee, caramel

T: nutty, malt, toffee, light bready malt, sweet caramel semi-dry finish

M: med/heavy, smooth, slight creamy/chewy mouth

O: Very nice, looking forward to trying more
of Diamond Knots offerings.

QUITE NICE, WORTH TRYING!

Serving type: bottle

10-04-2011 17:15:30 | More by BeerLover99

SolipsismalCat

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a pint glass.

Appearance: Medium-dark, clear brown with lots of bubbles. Two finger, off-white, frothy head that diminished after a minute or two. Virtually no lacing.

Smell: Toasted, nutty, and caramel aromas.

Taste: Light sweetness, moderately acidic, and moderately bitter. Not too bitter. The finish was about average and matched the initial flavor. Toasted and nutty.

Mouthfeel: Light to medium body that was dry and creamy. Soft carbonation and a bit astringent.

Overall: A nice American brown ale, but not one of my favorites. I was a bit disappointed in the head.

Serving type: bottle

08-04-2011 23:26:47 | More by SolipsismalCat

KajII

North Carolina

2.8/5  rDev -20.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

[Best served in a Dimpled Mug]

Poured a clear medium brown with a small fizzy off-white head that dissipated rapidly after the pour and had poor lacing. The aroma was of light toasted caramel malts, a light resin hop and a sweet doughy yeast with a slight hint of coffee. It tasted very mild with a slight sweetness and a hint of caramel at first then became slightly bitter with a strong coffee flavor and had a slight hoppy presence at the finish. Mouthfeel was light to medium in body and watery in texture with a soft carbonation. Overall I would say this brew is just OK, definitely nothing special.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2011 14:05:58 | More by KajII

cjgator3

Florida

3.18/5  rDev -10.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

22oz bottle

A- Pours a clear dark brownish color with an off-white head.

S- The aroma is toasted malts, sweet caramel, faint hints of chocolate and molasses and an ever so slight hint of hops

T- The taste is sweet up front with toasted malt and caramel sweetness. The finish has a moderate amount of bitterness from the hops with some alcohol as well.

M- The mouthfeel is light bodied with a good amount of carbonation.

O- Overall, this is a decent brown but nothing special. It is one of those beers that I wouldn't purchase again but also wouldn't turn down if offered to me.

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2011 02:59:22 | More by cjgator3

trevorjn06

Washington

3.98/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a rich brown/copper color with ruby highlights and a this, tight head that recedes to a layer on the surface.

The aroma hits me as I open the bottle, toasted malts, caramel/toffee, light roastiness and hints of nuttiness and fruitiness. Smells delicious.

Taste is toasted, very light roastiness, bready malt, light caramels and a balancing hop bitterness. The finish leaves toasted malt flavors along with hop bitterness and is fairly dry.

Mouthfeel is medium with medium carbonation.

Overall this is a nice, malty beer that is satisfying to drink, though a tad bit thin for my tastes. I would drink this again.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2011 04:25:20 | More by trevorjn06

skyc

Oregon

2.73/5  rDev -22.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

A - Dark brown, high clarity. medium tan head that falls quickly but doesn't disappear.

S - Sweet, caramel, molasses. Almost a slight tobacco odor.

T - Sweet, malty flavor. Medium bitterness that lingers, with faint citric and resiny aroma. Clear caramel malt backbone but not overpowering or cloying. Finishes sweet and slightly fruity.

M - Medium carbonation. Slightly syrupy but with a slight mineral bite. Mildly warming.

D - Had no trouble finishing one, but a little sweet to drink continuously. Slightly deceiving with respect to alcohol content.

Sub-par brown, in my opinion. There's no complexity in this beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2011 04:35:28 | More by skyc

mtwentz

Washington

2.93/5  rDev -17.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

someone today told me that this was the closest thing to Mac & Jack's amber, found in a bottle...
Head is just off-white and fades to a ring of the same off-white with a translucent continent floating in the middle.
the smell is a rich, doughy, medium-weight yeast. smells like a sweet malt.
taste IS sweet malt, darker amber.
Browns usually seem to fall a little flatter with me, but this one has a sweetness that takes it up to an enjoyability.
too sweet for my taste though

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2011 05:55:15 | More by mtwentz

Cyberkedi

Georgia

3.15/5  rDev -11%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours a luscious, transparent coppery brown with a light tan head that doesn't stick around too long, although it does leave some good lacing. Aroma is malty with hints of caramel and brown sugar, not strong but still inviting. Malty flavor has some subtle spicy and woody tones, but is on the wan side so a point off there. Texture is fairly smooth and just a little tingly. Not a great ale, but worthy of a try. This is more of a party beer, or an accompaniment for a meal, than a stand-alone brewski.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2010 02:40:19 | More by Cyberkedi

PorterLambic

Florida

3.4/5  rDev -4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a clear medium brown with orange throughout. Good sized tan head with so-so retention. Drops to a film in a minute. Nice lace left behind.
Smell is malt with wood and apple.
Taste is roasted malt with slight green apple and wood notes and a touch of an almost vinegary tartness. Metallic? Coffee, too.
Medium body with an effervescence on the light side of medium. Metallic/vinegar/tart aftertaste with malt slightly roasted. A solid competitor with the likes of Newcastle.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2010 22:08:03 | More by PorterLambic

Seanibus

California

2.7/5  rDev -23.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

A thin, astringent brew that turned me off at first, but grew on me gradually (though failed to win me over completely).

Pours a fairly heavy brown with a disappointing head that falls away to mediocre lacing. The aroma is bitter, almost burned, with a cardboardy edge and a strange bittersweet after-effect. The flavor is over-roasted coffee or burned gingerbread, with some cardboard, and a sour sting on the finish, which is dry and harsh. The mouthfeel is negligible.

Sounds like an F in my book, right? Believe it or not, it grew on me. It's not a great beer by any means - in fact, I will be sure to avoid it in the future - but as I progressed through the 22 oz bottle, I began to understand it a little. I think the brewer was aiming for an overroasted, Starbucks-y effect. And I could see some people enjoying the effect in the same way that a harsh taste like vinegar or bitter tea can actually be pleasurable (I enjoy both). I don't think this will be a popular or widely-loved beer, but it is far from the failure my initial impression suggested.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2010 23:45:32 | More by Seanibus

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

3.25/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

22 ounce bottle - $4.99 at Total Wine & More in Kennesaw, Georgia.

Appearance: Pours a hazed, relatively dark brown body with a modestly-sized, suds, off-white head.

Smell: Notes of spicy-scented dried herbs and a slim helping of slices of apricot overlayed with scents of toasted grains and roasted nuts.

Taste: Roasty, toasty, charred nut maltiness, but not particularly complex. Very small, lightly sweet hint of brown sugar along with a tangy apricot fruitiness on the front end. Hops providing an earthy black pepper-like spiciness and backing of dried herbs and a noted bitterness. Drying, spicy, earthy finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Medium carbonation.

Drinkability: Simple and reasonably satisfactory as far as brown ales go, though, by no means a home run for me, as there is a whole host of browns I'd reach for over this.

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2010 20:48:06 | More by ChainGangGuy

oberon

North Carolina

3.73/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a imperial pint glass a meium russet brown with a well defined thinner off white head,aromas were on the sweeter side with buttered toffee,and caramel really standing out.A tad fizzy in the mouth but its body feel is up to par,flavors are caramel malt based with some molasses-like flavors to go along with the sweeter theme,light roast in the finish.A nice brown ale definitely on the sweeter side wich surprised me a little.

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2010 22:05:50 | More by oberon

froghop

Washington

3.3/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

pours a clear brown with a very thin white head.

smell of brown sugar, some spice, malt, and a touch of caramel.

taste is a little tangy, brown sugar, spice, pepper, and malt, ends tangy on the tongue and just a touch of bitterness.

overall a pretty good brown.

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2010 23:05:07 | More by froghop

barleywinefiend

Washington

4.33/5  rDev +22.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured a light brownish color with some reddish and tan hues, good carbonation and a small white head. Nose is caramel, toffee, nuts, molasses. Taste is very nice immediately with a presence of toffee, molasses, maple and nuts.Feels very nice, booze barely detectable, easy to drink, nuts and toasted notes, herbal as well. Very drinkable.

Serving type: on-tap

03-28-2010 14:33:08 | More by barleywinefiend

wknight167

California

3.75/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Apearance - Pours a murky mohagany with a one finger white head that fades quickly.

Nose- Nutty caramel malt with a touch of herbal hops and toasted malt

Palate- A surprising roast character is present along with a nutty chocolate/ caramel note. also toasted malt

Mouthfeel- Both the carbonation and the mouthfeel are slightly lower than medium, but crisp.

Drinkability- No problem putting down the whole bomber, and I have another...

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2010 10:03:58 | More by wknight167

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4/5  rDev +13%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

One of many bottles broken out with dinner last night, this seemed to be a hit with the in laws. Poured into pint glasses, this one was consumed on 12/25/2009.

The pour was about what I would have expected from the style. Nice brown color, with some light peaking through on the sides and the bottom of the glass. A smallish head of white creeping up and fading out in a minute or so leaving a broken crown of lace on the sides and the bottom of the glass. Nice rich aroma, coffee and caramel with a nice light hint of an herbal quality mixing together quite nicely. Smooth even profile, first sips have a roasted, almost nutty flavor to them as they backup across the tongue. Light bready malts, hints of chocolate now coming through and a nice smooth, creamy finish that leaves almost a butterscotch like taste as it fades out. Medium body, with a healthy level of carbonation to it but not overdone by any means.

Overall pretty damn solid I have to admit. Nothing really crazy but a nice and very sessionable brown ale. I would have no issue with putting this one down anytime.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2009 05:49:28 | More by mikesgroove

RedDiamond

Oregon

3.58/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Usually I enjoy greater overall drinkability with draught beers but DK's bottled version of this ale may shine a little brighter. The draught begins with a graceful film of white head on a clear, brown-auburn body with ample suds. Neither the flavor nor smell of this ale show strong contours, but their ambiguity is at least clean and approachable with no detractions. Just casually balanced brown malts and a workable body.

Serving type: on-tap

12-02-2009 05:40:19 | More by RedDiamond

berley31

New Brunswick (Canada)

3.58/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: Poured with a small, off-white head. Body is dark brown and mostly clear... a very slight amount of haze is present.

S: Malts come through as a roasted (or event burnt) coffee smell, and some hints of chocolate as well.

T: Kind of your basic brown flavors... roasted malt and coffee, but they're both pretty light and not really jumping out to set themselves apart from the rest of the pack. Still, very decent.

M: Medium-bodied and creamy, with soft-to-average carbonation.

D: Very easy to drink, but I was expecting a little more. Worth trying at least once, but there's a lot of better browns to try.

Serving type: bottle

10-29-2009 19:33:08 | More by berley31

wonderbread23

New York

3.48/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Had on tap at their bar in Mukilteo.

Appearance: 1 finger creamy white head which quickly retreats leaving some decent lacing.

Smell: Sweet malt and toffee up front rounded out with a bit of raisin and fruitiness. Also a bit of alcohol. There seemed to be a lot of depth in the aroma, but it is definitely very subtle.

Taste: Pretty good balance of sweet maltiness and bittering hops. Not a lot of hop flavor (normal for style).

Mouthfeel: Pretty decent. Maybe not as round as I would like for the style.

Drinkability: While nothing really 'wowed' me with this beer, it had the type of balance that makes it a very easy drinker. Would have again.

Serving type: on-tap

10-04-2009 23:47:47 | More by wonderbread23

flagmantho

Washington

3.48/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Poured from a 22oz bomber bottle into a pint glass. My bottle indicates 6.0% ABV rather than the 5.6% stated above.

Appearance: a nice medium brown/caramel color. Small but appetizing foamy head with relatively little lacing.

Smell: very distinct malt/grain aroma with notes of caramel.

Taste: quite malty with not a lot of distinct hop flavor, though there is some bitterness present. It's a nice flavor but not one with a lot of character.

Mouthfeel: body is medium, relatively lightly carbonated. It works well with the flavors.

Drinkability: I think this one is a bit overly malty in its flavor profile for me to want to drink a lot of these.

Serving type: bottle

07-25-2009 15:53:33 | More by flagmantho

costellojerry

Washington

3.75/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

A- A dark, espresso brown with low carbonation.

S- Malty, dark chocolate, with a slight roasted nuttiness.

T- Lots of malt at first followed by a roasted, chocolaty ,slight bitter finish.

Overall I really enjoyed this beer. I got a lot of those chocolate, caramel, coffee type flavors from it. Although not to familiar with brown ales, I surly would recommend this fine ale.

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2009 22:28:38 | More by costellojerry