Brown Ale - Davidson Brothers Restaurant & Brewery

OWSLEY069

Pennsylvania

1.95/5  rDev -46.3%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 1.5

Pours a clean copper color with a light tan head. In the aroma, s a faint sweet chocolate roast. In the taste, a faint and thin taste of a sweet chocolate roast. A small bite and a medium bodied mouthfeel, with a dry chocolate in the aftertaste. Does not not look brown, focused on chocolate, however faint and watery, eh!

Serving type: bottle

08-23-2012 18:36:00 | More by OWSLEY069

SickGnar

Pennsylvania

3.73/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Light to medium brown and ambery, dark-orange when held to light. Clear with a storm of bubbles rising briskly to the fair-size, light-tan head. Good retention and okay lace.

S: Mostly nutty with bits of roast, caramel, & malty sweetness. Also a slight minerally edge. Just a soft touch of diacetyl. Some light esters & a soft leafy hop background note. And interesting, inviting, and reasonably expressive nose.

T: Quite a bit sweeter than the nose with a fair bit more caramel (just a touch buttery) & fruity esters (apples, pears, and a hint of light plums). Nice malts – nutty, softly roasty, with a bit of toasty grain to provide the base. Floral and leafy hops come through in the end and stay in the finish along with a lingering sweetness.

M: Just a hair over medium body with carbonation about even. Seems a touch bigger than the abv would imply. Stays quite sweet and a bit sticky for a smaller beer.

D: Quite nice. More Southern Brown in style than Northern. Less bitter, less nutty & roasty, more estery, sweeter, and with a lower abv. Well crafted with an interesting mix of flavors and aromas that work well together. Perhaps not the usual brown. But it is super drinkable and I like it.

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2011 17:51:53 | More by SickGnar

merc7186

New York

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

I had this beer poured on draft from the Davison Brothers Brewpub in Glen Falls NY.

The beer pours decently with a nice reddish brown hue to it that passes through some light, has an off white head that dissapates fairly quickly and very little lacing on the glass. The beer smells decent with a very bready, nutty tone to it, mild malty and caramle undertone on the back end. The taste is decent with a solid bready, caramel blend with a mildly nutty finish to it. The mouthfeel is average as it the beer is adequately carbonated and it leaves you with a somewhat sweet caramel mouth. Overall, not a bad brown ale, follows the style okay but the flavors are somewhat milder than expected.

Serving type: on-tap

10-24-2011 23:34:36 | More by merc7186

Kendo

New York

3.95/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

"There's too much salami in this sandwich and not enough cheese."

- Gary Davidson, circa 1988 (paraphrasing "Not Now John" by Pink Floyd)

A: Poured from the bottle into a Sam Smith's nonic-style pint glass. Body is clear amber-brown with a slightly reddish hue to it when backlit. Small light-beige head.

S: Nuttiness, brown bread and sweet malt - not terribly strong in the nose, but appropriate for the style.

T: Follows the nose, more or less: sweet malt (toffee, caramel) provides the bulk of the flavor. Touch of hazelnut. Finishes fairly dry and clean, with a wee bit of lingering sweetness.

M: A tad bit thin; call it light-bodied. Carbonation is a bit too active for my tastes, so I knocked it down a half-point here.

O: This is a good brown. It's going down fast and easy. A good Fall quaffer.

Note: BA review # 800.

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2011 23:51:48 | More by Kendo

smcolw

Massachusetts

3.95/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Dense two-finger head. The liquid is fully brown where light still passes. It appears to be very clear. The lace is a cross between spotty and ring.

Attractively sweet--lots of caramel. There's a light metallic aroma in the background. Nearly no hop smell.

The flavor profile matches the smell except the hop is more pronounced while the sweetness is much more muted. The body is thinner like the style suggests. It's a bit spritzier than most brown ales. I really like the British yeast used here--it gives some real authenticity to the taste.

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2011 02:14:18 | More by smcolw

airforbes1

New York

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

Lives up to the billing by pouring a brown color. Maybe some orange hues in there. The head retreats until it's just a thin layer. There's some grassiness in the smell.

As I take a sip, I get a STRONG nutty taste. Most brown ales I've tasted have had hints of nuts, but this beer almost tastes like an Italian soda with hazelnut flavoring. I'm simultaneously drinking this with a Samuel Smith's Nut Brown Ale, which ironically has much less of a nutty taste. The difference between the two beers is stark. The Davidson Brothers Brown ale goes a bit too far for me. The mouthfeel is solid -- not too heavy, not too light.

This is a beer I think I'd like a lot more if I was more of a nut person. Enjoyable, but I'll probably be selecting other brown ales out of personal preference going forward.

Serving type: bottle

08-09-2011 01:10:00 | More by airforbes1

BrewCrew2010

New York

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

A: Clear, light brown body, with a decent size head. Light lacing.

S: Mellow aroma of sweet caramel malts, brown sugar, and a hint of nuts.

T: Upfront flavor are sweet caramel & chocolate malts. Hint of nuts and slight hoppy bitterness. Nicely balanced, but a typical brown ale.

M: The same comment as I do with their other beers, tends to be slightly watery; moderate carbonation; medium body.

O: Low ABV makes this high drinkability. Flavor is good and it's not too heavy on the palate. I could definitely throw a few of these back. One of the nicer ones there at the bar.

Serving type: on-tap

04-28-2011 02:02:52 | More by BrewCrew2010

AndyAvalanche

Massachusetts

3.93/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

12 oz. twist off cap bottle poured into a Sam Adams Perfect Pint Glass. Beer is an amber/brown color. White creamy colored cap, couple finger length at first but goes away after a few minutes. It leaves a ring around the upper portion of the liquid, not much lacing. It's fairly lighter than I expected, but it shows the clarity of the beer, very clear.

Smell is pretty good. Big time malty. Tones of creamy caramel and toffee, with a hint of nuttyness. No detectable hop notes in the smell.

Taste is a slight step up. Much like the smell, it is very malty. Roasted pale caramelized malts is the dominant flavor. Good strong flavor notes of caramel, toffee, and a slight hing of unsweetened coco. Hops actually are slightly detectable in the flavor, some slight citrus zest, not strong, but noticeable as it warms up.

Mouthfeel is probably the best part. Certainly full bodied, it really doesn't mess around. It has an incredibly creamy feel to it, with a very smooth carbonation level. Very drinkable, a good session beer, glad I got to try it.

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2011 02:39:30 | More by AndyAvalanche

dedrick

New York

3.88/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a bottle into a pint glass.

I originally went out to buy Dogfish Head's Brown Ale but because of their new TV fame there is a shortage, which is shitty. I really like Davidson's IPA so I decided to try the brown ale.

A- semi-clear, light brown. It pours with a huge head and disappears relatively fast. Seems to be quite watery.
S- Nice, sweet smell. Maybe some brown sugar or molasses.
T- The taste is good but kind of one dimensional, not very complex. No bitterness, quite sweet again with some brown sugar. Overall a nice brown ale taste.
M- Very watery and thin, which isn't all bad. It couldn't hurt to make it a bit more hearty.
D- Very.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2011 22:12:08 | More by dedrick

ngeunit1

California

3.8/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pours a clear light brown color with a nice finger of white foamy head. The retention was pretty good and it leaves behind some lacing left behind.

S - The aroma is not overly powerful, but there are some nice elements of the malt and a bit of caramel sweetness present.

T - The malts hit right away with a mix of a bit of nuts and a little bit of chocolate sweetness. This stays well balanced throughout the beer and then at the end there is some nice caramel taste that lingers afterwards.

M - Medium to medium-heavy bodied, with just enough carbonation, even a bit creamy. Really nice on the tongue, feels very crisp.

D - Very drinkable beer. The whole flavor of the beer is very well balanced all the way through and makes for a very excellent beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2010 02:02:35 | More by ngeunit1

plaid75

New York

3.63/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured a light brown, amber streaked hue with a one and a half finger foamy white head. There was good retention and lacing.

The smell featured soft malts and a flowery hop.

The taste consisted of a light chocolate, a touch of smoke and a floral hop. A bit light flavorwise.

The mouthfeel was toward the lighter side of the style.

Overall an easy drinking light brown ale.

Serving type: on-tap

08-02-2010 15:26:38 | More by plaid75

thekevlarkid

Maryland

3.13/5  rDev -13.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Off tap at the brewery this beer was a clear, orange-copper color with one finger of beige head. The retention was ok as a collar and the lacing average. The aroma was barely discernable; hints of toasted malt were all I could get. The flavors were toasty and malty but light overall. I tasted toasted malt and a nice note of lingering nuts but the bitterness provided by the hops was not properly counter balanced by the malt (some sweet malt would have helped a lot, in my opinion). The body was medium/light, the carbonation light and the mouthfeel smooth. Could be easily drank with most foods but the flavors fell rather flat for a stand-alone brew.

Serving type: on-tap

06-21-2010 14:54:02 | More by thekevlarkid

eporter66

New York

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

I am so happy to have found the Davidson Brothers Restaurant & Brewery. This was my first visit, and I fell in love with their Oatmeal Stout, but was a bit disappointed in this Brown Ale. It was decent, and I will try it again as I like the style, but I wonder if something might have been a bit off with this batch.

A - Amber/Brown, not much head, little retention or lacing

S - A bit of caramel and malt from the smell, not a strong aroma from this beer

T - I have to wonder if the tap needed cleaning as there was a bit of a sour taste. As the beer warmed, some flavor came out, but it did not seem to have enough malt behind it. There was a little bite as well to the beer

M - Decent carbonation, it seemed a bit light for me since it was listed as a medium bodied beer.

D - The Brown Ale had a good drinkable quality to it, and I am going to try it again, maybe just a batch that was a bit off. As it warmed, the flavors did come out more, I have to keep temperature in mind when drinking. Second half of the glass had more flavor.

Serving type: on-tap

11-28-2008 20:00:49 | More by eporter66

scottg

Vermont

3.93/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

I had this beer in a pint glass poured at Caroline Street Bistro in Saratoga Springs, NY.

Poured a light brown/coppery color with a small white head, moderate carbonation with little to no lacing. Strong aroma of malt, caramel and toffee. Sweet maltly flavor up front which mellows out to a smooth, slightly hoppy finish that coats the mouth nicely. Goes down very easy. An solid example of an English Brown Ale.

Serving type: on-tap

04-29-2008 22:24:55 | More by scottg

sulldaddy

Connecticut

4.18/5  rDev +15.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

I sampled this beer while visiting the pub for lunch with my wife. Served in a pint glass and cold the beer exudes a clear mahogany hue with creamy off white head of less than a cm. Aroma is mild grainy malt and caramel no real hop presence anywhere. First sip revealsan average body with very fine spacious carbonation. Flavor is fairly midl with grainy malt again and some caramel as well. Very easy to drink. No hint of abv which was 4.5% ish. I do get a hint of herbal hops on the finish. A nice example of an English Brown ale.

Serving type: on-tap

03-29-2008 04:33:41 | More by sulldaddy

BeerTruth

Connecticut

3.95/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Even though Davidson Brothers is known for their IPA...I feel their Brown Ale should get just as much praise. This beer pours a dark amber body with an off-white thick head. Aromas that appear seem to be nutty and chocolate. Taste of this delicious brown are of nut and grain with a mild bitter malty hoppiness. Mouthfeel is very smooth which makes this a very drinkable ale. Definitely try this on tap at the brewpub as well as some of their amazing wings!

Serving type: on-tap

01-28-2007 22:01:04 | More by BeerTruth

Shiloh

Ontario (Canada)

4/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A very nice English Brown Ale by the Davidson Brothers...
The colour is of dark copper and the crown has an off white character and tight.
The body is a medium, crystal clear and an abundance of carbonation.
The nose is a mixture of cocoa, grass, chocolate and molasses.
The taste is fairly well balanced with the edge to the malts all the way through.
Also, this is a very smooth brew going down...my compliments.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2005 23:42:00 | More by Shiloh

jimbotrost

Michigan

2.98/5  rDev -17.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

purchased 3/04 and sampled 8/04. The pour is of a ruby to brown hue with a full creamy off white to brown head. Nose shows it's age with overly sweet malt character, is lacking the hop balance. Flavor starts out sweet and stays there. Body is light and fizzy and finishes with a mid length return to malt. This would probably be a great beer fresh, but still a good beer

Serving type: bottle

05-31-2005 20:35:30 | More by jimbotrost

mentor

Colorado

4.03/5  rDev +11%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to Francisweizen for this one. Freshness date says Nov 2003...which is worrisome because I'm reviewing this in March 2005. Pours a clear copper red/brown with a single finger tan colored head. Smells sweet malty with chocolate, nuts, and also mildly of roasted grains. Tastes nice smooth creamy. Gentle nuts and an interesting chcolate that rises up later. A malt sweet persists throughout and is a little bit wet. The rising chocolate is like dry baker's chocolate and the sweet wet & chocolate dry play well together. I'm not finding much (if any) hop bitterness, but perhaps a hint of fuggles in the flavor. Well balanced, this is a nice offering. Medium mouthfeel and a very fine cabonation on the tongue. This beer disappeared quickly because it's a really pleasant one to consume.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2005 05:33:44 | More by mentor

Suds

Pennsylvania

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

I enjoyed this brew on-tap, along with a nice steak, in restaurant in Balston Spa, NY. It’s a deep, dark, murky brown color with a respectable cream-colored head. There is little lacing, but the beer is fairly attractive none-the-less. There’s a roasted malt aroma, along with a notable yeasty, bready smell. The first tastes are sweet and nutty, with considerable flavor. Not a bad brew for a cold January night. Light to medium in body, with low carbonation. The finish is smooth and somewhat hollow. A more generous dose of bittering hops might have done some good. Overall, though, it was an enjoyable, drinkable dinner companion.

Serving type: on-tap

01-17-2005 01:46:43 | More by Suds

jdhilt

New Hampshire

3.05/5  rDev -16%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours an off-white, three-fingered head, fades slowly and leaves a good lace. Light carbonation and light-medium bodied. Deep, rich amber color. Malty nose. Starts with a light sweetness and finishes with just a hint of bitterness not quite as good as Shipyard's brown (they are the contract brewer). Was supposed to be drunk by April 04. $1.80 for a 12oz bottle from Oliver's Beverage Albany, NY.

Serving type: on-tap

12-02-2004 00:04:30 | More by jdhilt

TheLongBeachBum

California

4.05/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Presentation: 12ounce brown glass bottle. Labeled as per the BA Database avatar has a twist-off crown cap. The main label states a Best Before “nicked” Date of November 2003. No listed strength.

Appearance: Lovely thick light tan head easily forms and has excellent longevity throughout the drink. It slowly reduces in size but always offers a fantastic looking ‘creamy cap’ that lends this the classic a “just pulled from a Handpump English Brown Ale” look.

Nose: Plenty of Malts with a light balance of hops in the background. It has a fantastic deep nutty odor that is something of a cross between warming walnuts and roasted chestnuts

Taste: Malty start with some nuts and a light chocolate feel that is mildly sweet yet nutty at the same time. A lovely deep nuttiness runs through the body of this Brown, a really tasty offering. Caramel hints in the back end with a light astringent bitterness in the finish. Nothing complex, but it has a classic simplicity. This is a damn tasty Brown Ale.

Mouthfeel: Beautifully creamy, the plentiful carbonation lends a helping presence to the feel and the freshness of the Brown Ales above average but wholesome body. Has a soft feel that is malty and creamy with a nutty texture.

Drinkability: Immensely drinkable, I love Brown Ales to begin with, and this is a thoroughly enjoyable offering that is damn drinkable. Wouldn’t mind a Six-Pack of these!

Overall: Reminded me very much of a freshly tapped, slightly over-carbonated English Brown Ale from the Cask. Highly enjoyable.

A Big Thanks to Sir McCall for this one!!!

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2004 04:04:47 | More by TheLongBeachBum

HappyHourHero

Indiana

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

Smells malty, some coco and malt. Poured a light oatmeal khaki colored head that left a little lace as it faded to a thick film. The beer is dark hazelnut in color with a bit of an amber hue. Coco malt flavor dominates with a little caramel and maybe a bit of hops in there. The flavor fades fast to a pretty clean aftertaste. The body is on the light side and the mouthfeel is pretty watery. A pretty bland beer, not something I would search out.

Serving type: on-tap

03-18-2004 05:25:45 | More by HappyHourHero

Gavage

New Jersey

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

Pours a bronze color. A medium size head that produces some light lacing. The aroma is mellow as some floral and sweet tones are detectable. The flavor is simple, sweet malt balanced by some bitterness. Reminds me of Newcastle, but with a little more malt flavor.

The mouthfeel is slightly above average, as this was a very thin bodied beer but quite smooth. No lingering aftertaste. Extremely easy drinking as many of these can be quaffed if you are in the mood for a simple brown ale with decent flavor.

Serving type: on-tap

01-01-2004 19:28:29 | More by Gavage

WesWes

New York

3.98/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

The beer pours a reddish brown color with a thick off-white head. The scent is good. It has a nice balance of malts and hops. There are a few crystal malts in this one along with victory malts too add the nutty aroma and taste. The taste is good. It has a sweet malty taste which gives it the brown feel. It is creamy and smooth. The mouthfeel is fine. It is a medium bodied ale with a little too much carbonation. This is a decent brown ale; a real good drinker.

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2003 01:16:54 | More by WesWes