Autumn Ale - Breckenridge Brewery

schoolboy

Ohio

4.2/5  rDev +17%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Wow. Open and pour and be shocked at the deep, intense color. Nice. It has a thinish head, but that color is amazing.

The aroma is very complex and nice. It has all kinds of malty smells. Very nice and unique.

The taste is also malty but also with some hops taste. It is a nicely balanced taste. The finish is sweet and pleasant. Overall, this is an interesting, unique variant of the style. I like it and would buy it again if I were looking for a dark change of pace.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2013 01:06:08 | More by schoolboy

Ford

Texas

4.13/5  rDev +15%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle poured into a Sam Adams pint glass.

wow.. much darker brown than I anticipated.. looks good though.

Oh.. this is really good. Not much bitterness. It came out around the same time as most of the Oktoberfests so I wanted to compare it to some of those beers as I was drinking them at the time.

This one has some similarities, but is a bit smoother... caramel and malts are there..

Really good beer. I'd love to have this fresh off the tap.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2013 21:16:20 | More by Ford

jbertsch

Massachusetts

3.9/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a sam adams glass.
Pours a dark brown with a mahagony hue. Head is very small and dissipates quick. Wish it had more head.

Aroma is malty deliciousness. Toasty malts with obvious notes of molasses and a touch of raisin and smoked meat.

Flavor is pleasantly sweet up front with molasses but is short and dry on the finish, making it a bit quenching. Nice fall flavors including brown bread, touch of smoke and faint raisin again. Flavor is a bit thin on the finish, but it doesnt bother me.

Mouthfeel is full at first but feels thinneron the finish. Culd use more carbonation.

Overall i really like having this as opposed to other beers refered to as fall seasonals and "autumn ales". If i was to compare it to the better old ales it wouldnt score so high, but nothing about it is bad. Its just a very drinkable old ale....a bolder, satisfying "fall beer" if you will. I'll pick this up every year.

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2012 00:52:56 | More by jbertsch

gcamparone

Rhode Island

3.73/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a Samuel Adams pint glass. Purchased at Nikki's Liquors in North Providence, Rhode Island.

A- Pours a mahogany body with amber highlights. Small white head that reduces to a white ring with no lacing.

S- Heavy malt, caramel, maybe some corn. Not the best aroma.

T- Toffee and caramel sitting on a big malt backbone. Finishes smooth and sweet.

M- Low carbonation, medium body.

Overall a full bodied, well balanced autumn brew that in my opinion hit all the high points of this style. Not the most complex brew, but nonetheless enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2012 19:03:51 | More by gcamparone

ThomasMetal75

Massachusetts

3.65/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A- Looks like a brown ale with red huge all around the glass. Virtually no head whatsoever. Beige bubbles rim the top of the glass.

S- Roasted malts and brown sugar/molasses. Faint coffee notes. It's nice for something like a brown ale.

T- Molasses and malt. Only a slight spice. To my tastebbuds the beer finishes slightly sour. It is a light beer in terms of it's overall flavor profile.

M- Very easy to drink, although it is a bit too carbonated for my liking.

Overall the beer is good, but nothing that made me jump up and down with joy. It's the perfect kind of fall beer because it's not too spicy or malty. Any average beer drinker would find this somewhat enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2012 18:00:19 | More by ThomasMetal75

UnkleFester

Kansas

3.45/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle poured into a pint glass

A: Pours a nice dark brown with under a fingers worth of an off-white head has a decent lacing.

S: Sweet malts, caramel, cloves, and a hint of apple in there as well.

T: Like the nose there is Sweet malt and caramel along with coffee and a nice earthy hop bite toward the finish.

M: A medium body with a light amount of carbonation.

O: A solid fall seasonal from Breckenridge very drinkable even at 6.7% .

Serving type: bottle

10-27-2012 22:35:30 | More by UnkleFester

riversider76

New York

2.98/5  rDev -17%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Pours a dark brown with a very thin head. Not much retention, and no lacing. Aroma is brown sugar, and maple syrup. Body is thin and mildly carbonated. Taste is of sugary spice, and malts. A bit watered down. Weak version of this style. Not impressed.

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2012 00:34:59 | More by riversider76

TMoney2591

Illinois

4/5  rDev +11.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served in a Walter Payton shaker pint glass.

I actually applaud the American brewers who put out Autumn beers instead of Oktoberfests. This one pours a clear ruby-sienna topped by a finger of sandy khaki foam. The nose comprises maple syrup, brown sugar, honey, dry biscuit, and cinnamon. The taste brings in more of the same, along with some light caramel and some very light toasted rye bread. The body is a light medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a generally smooth feel. Overall, I really enjoyed this beer. It's not all that complex, really, but the simplicity is well-executed.

Serving type: bottle

10-17-2012 14:59:27 | More by TMoney2591

shand

Florida

4.13/5  rDev +15%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Autumn Ale pours out a very dark brown with a beautiful clarity. The aroma is chocolatey and malty, with a touch of spicing. On the tongue, a full and wonderful roasty flavor quickly envelops the mouth. There's some bitter chocolate and a bit of fall spicing in here too. Full-flavored while not being overwhelming, it smoothly fades out a little while after the sip. The mouthfeel is on the light side of medium and fairly smooth, and the drinkability is great. Overall, this is an excellent beer that does a great job of balancing drinkability and flavor. I wish we had seasons here in Florida, because I'd love to kick back with this on a cool Autumn night on my deck back in New Jersey.

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2012 01:03:39 | More by shand

britzdog

Ohio

3.38/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a nice dark brown with very minimal head and no lacing. Very light malt aroma.Has a very light chocolate taste with some brown sugar tossed in the mix. Has just enough carbonation without being a detraction in the mouthfeel department. A very easy drinking beer that could go down to quickly and that is it's biggest problem. It disappears before you realize it. Nothing that makes it standout from most other ales but a solid go to choice anyway.

Serving type: bottle

10-12-2012 02:07:43 | More by britzdog

claspada

New Jersey

3.95/5  rDev +10%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a very dark brown body with a small light beige frothy head that recedes to leave some light lacing.

Aromas begin with dark caramelized maltiness wrapped in notes of nutty and sweet chicory. As it warms you get a minimal earthiness in the background.

The taste begins with the same dark caramelized maltiness, cocoa and a lightly roasty mix of chicory and roasted nuttiness. There is plenty of Munich malt-derived caramel flavors and a light earthy, mild hop presence.

The mouthfeel is medium-bodied with medium to light carbonation. Finish is fairly clean with a nice mix of semi-sweet malt and lightly drying roasted maltiness

Overall this a great fall seasonal beer for me just as the weather is getting a bit chilly. It's like a mild Old Ale or a Scottish ale flavor profile and the less than 7% ABV makes it okay to have more than one without hitting the floor like many other Scottish/Old Ales. It's a nice, easy drinking malty beer that is also pleasantly light and semi-freshing.

Serving type: on-tap

10-04-2012 15:32:44 | More by claspada

horshack7

Massachusetts

3.9/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Pours a very dark brown almost black with a light beige creamy head.

Aroma: Bready caramel malts, light cinnamon with a touch of clove, apple and some pear in the middle, minor citrus notes in the back.

Taste: Cinnamon, clove, allspice, cider, apple, bready malts. A fairly smooth mouthfeel with a slight dry finish.

Notes: Solid and nicely drinkable. Cheers.

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2012 02:24:35 | More by horshack7

Zraly

Virginia

3.5/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a deep brown with a perfect two-finger head into a DFH snifter. Very sexy-looking ale and that quality was a bit unexpected: a pleasant surprise. Smells like malt and cereal.

Comes across as a hybrid of a German Lager and an American Brown ale. Predominate flavors of sweet malt, toasted bread, brown sugar, and a hint of chocolate. I detect a smokey, nutty nuance as well. Dry, earth and herb notes in the finish but the finish itself is not entirely dry (i.e., semi-dry) with lingering fruity esters. Medium-bodied with a touch of chew. Appropriate carbonation makes for easy drinking. Alcohol is a bit high for a session, but it tastes sessionable. Proceed with caution!

I'd love to try this on tap. Would be nice with pulled pork or baby back ribs. Could also be a nice offset to spicy dishes that are meat heavy: think spicy meat pizza.

Serving type: bottle

09-28-2012 21:38:57 | More by Zraly

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

3.93/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On-tap 9/5/2012 at Doherty’s East Ave Irish Pub in Pawtucket, RI, served in a US tumbler pint glass.

A: The beer is a dark brown color, with a thin off-white head that fades quickly and leaves a thin lace on the glass.

S: The aroma contains maple, caramel, roasted malts and a faint touch of hops.

T: The taste starts with sweet flavors of maple, caramel and coffee. Then a hearty roasted malt character comes in. There’s a decent hops presence that brings some balance. The after-taste is slightly sweet.

M: Smooth and a little crisp, medium body, medium carbonation, finish is slightly sticky.

O: Tasty, goes down easily, not too filling, decent kick, good representation of style, it’s a solid beer to drink for a while.

Serving type: on-tap

09-27-2012 02:21:25 | More by TheManiacalOne

kangarooAdam59

Wyoming

3.06/5  rDev -14.8%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Into a pint glass:

A: dark brown colored body that leaves a one finger off-white/tan head that leaves within thirty seconds. No carbonation is seen rising. Minimal lacing is left.

S: typical nuttiness a normal ABA has with some nutmeg and caramel tones added.

T: same flavors of the smell, nothing special, nothing bad.

M: light to medium, and slightly sharp on the tongue, sessionable.

O: I'm actually not impressed with this beer, though I'm willing to try more by Breckenridge. I probably won't seek this out again.

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2012 01:38:26 | More by kangarooAdam59

cosmicevan

New York

3.23/5  rDev -10%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

thanks to scott for tossing this one my way.

a - brew poured a watery brown with a thin bubbly beige head that was gone in a moment. lacing was spotty and streaky. swirling the glass brought things back to life.

s - nice chestnut brown sugar nutmeg malts. good sweetness. some grape and caramel.

t - flavor is not as nice as the nose promised. toasted malts with somewhat of a lagery pilsner shine. some fall seasoning in the background.

m - a bit harsh with a macro lagery vibe.

o - love me a good brown ale, and as such i can get picky on the style and this one didn't do it for me. the autumn seasoning on the tail end was a nice touch, but overall this one is a bit average for me.

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2012 01:16:40 | More by cosmicevan

metter98

New York

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

A: The beer is clear and very dark brownish amber in color and has a slight amount of visible carbonation. It poured with a thin off white head that quickly died down and left some bubbles on the surface and a thin collar around the edge of the glass.
S: There are light aromas of Munich malts in the nose. Some hints of caramel and molasses become noticeable as the beer warms up.
T: Like the smell, the taste is quite malty and has flavors of caramel and nutty malts along with a light amount of sweetness. No hop bitterness is detectable.
M: It feels light- to medium-bodied on the palate and has a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: This beer is nice and malty but still quite easy to drink with its lighter bodied; however, it tastes like it is a little one dimensional and could use a little hops.

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2012 00:18:13 | More by metter98

Megahertz

Missouri

3.9/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle into a Hoffman House chalice.

A - Very deep red-brown with a moderate off-white head that falls into a thin crown. Cloudy.

S - Caramel and light raisin, faint tea-like hop aroma.

T - Layered caramel malts with a modest plum/raisin mid and subtle american ale esters (peach, apricot). Finish is slightly sweet. Slightly warming from the alcohol as the beer rises in temperature. No major hop flavors. Bitterness is soft and balancing.

M - Medium body with light carbonation.

O - An excellent brown ale in its own right.

Serving type: bottle

09-19-2012 18:28:53 | More by Megahertz

MadScientist

New York

3.9/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: A medium brown with ruby highlights and excellent clarity. The creamy light tan head settles to a thin film and a ring after a minute.

S: The driving aromas are of a malty sweetness with hints of chocolate and caramel, a soft alcohol aroma and a light light hops aroma. Light toasted malt aromas increase as it warms. allergies are killing my nose bty; I'll reevaluate this beer in the future.

T: This tastes like caramel cover hops bitterness. The malt sweetness has a somewhat cocoa flavor and some toastiness. There isn't much hops flavor, maybe just a faint citrus, but there is enough hops bitterness to keep the balance moderately bitter. The bitterness lingers pasted the off-dry finish with a light caramel note as well.

M: medium-full bodied with moderate carbonation. A slight creaminess and a very light warmth.

O: A very drinkable brown with a firm bitterness and pleasing roast malt character.

Serving type: bottle

09-13-2012 01:53:26 | More by MadScientist

BEERMILER12

Maine

3.65/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours a nice ruby color with a tiny had that recedes quickly

S: A very prominent nuttiness along with cherry, German malts, and some earthy hops. Definitely seems more in-line with English browns than American

T: Nice roasty and toasted malts along with less of the nuttiness and cherry. Hops are earthy and very slightly spicy. Fairly mild. I'm really not getting much of the 'brown' aspect of this beer, except for the nuttiness... more like a strong English mild to me

M: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation. Smooth

O: A good beer, but I wouldn't classify it as an American Brown... English brown, English mild, or Old ale all sound better to me.... Regardless, enjoyable and fits the season nicely. Easy to drink, and free of all the spices and pumpkins that you see in a lot of the fall seasonals lately

Serving type: bottle

09-13-2012 01:15:18 | More by BEERMILER12

spinrsx

Ontario (Canada)

3.35/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz Bottle from the IGA in Potsdam NY for 2$

Appearance - Dark brown colour with a tiny size fizzy beige coloured head. I can't make out the level of carbonation and there is some faint lacing. The head lasted for around 1 minute.

Smell - Malts, chocolate, caramel, dark fruits

Taste & Mouth - There is a very low amount of carbonation and it seems almost flat. I can taste malts, caramel, and chocolate. There is also a bit of dark fruits. It ends with a chocolatey malt aftertaste.

Overall - Perhaps I had a bad bottle, but this beer was basically flat. The taste was fine but not something I expected from a fall seasonal. Not something I'd buy again.

Serving type: bottle

09-03-2012 23:44:52 | More by spinrsx

Treyliff

West Virginia

3.6/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A- pours a dark ruby brown color with a small cream colored head that dissolves quickly leaving just a ring.

S- smells like fall! Munich malts, Forrest floor, Oktoberfest like aromas.

T- Very malty, sweet, a bit of caramel, Buiscuity, some herbal notes, finishes dry.

M- medium-light body, medium carbonation, fizzy and foamy mouthfeel.

O- a solid choice for a fall brew, goes great with the opening weekend of college football!

Serving type: bottle

09-01-2012 16:04:41 | More by Treyliff

SLeffler27

New York

3.38/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours clear, dark chocolate brown with dark ruby red highlights. A modest beige head is short lived, lacking in character and leaves only a thin ring of lacing on a tulip glass.

Rich, roasted malt with sweetness entices. Dried fruit of raisins with baker’s chocolate hints at complexity, but never quite delivers.

The flavor falls flat with some roasted malt and pumpernickel, but little else. The finish is modest with some roasted bitterness.

A medium body with light carbonation and a watery texture. Alcohol is about as expected and dries the palate.

This beer goes with a roast beef sandwich. While it is enjoyable as a day-to-day beer, there is nothing special. I certainly do not recognize this as an “Old Ale”.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2012 21:10:22 | More by SLeffler27

BeerAdvocate

Massachusetts

3.68/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Review from BeerAdvocate Magazine Issue #57 (October 2011):

Perhaps clean enough to come across as a lager, but the brewer’s intention was sort of a hybrid. Looks like fall, tastes like fall as well. Brewer’s snapshot of the season works here--perfect switch-up if you’re looking for a brew without spice, gourds or oompah.

LOOK: Leather brown

SMELL: Toasted bread, treacle, dried grass, herbal hop

TASTE: Malty sweet, toasted biscuit, herbal, semidry, brown bread, dried fruit

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2012 22:24:56 | More by BeerAdvocate

Morey

Pennsylvania

3.53/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz. bottle with no freshness date. I'm assuming this is a 2011, and it should be fine, but date your bottles already!

Pours brown in color. You can see some reddish hues around the edges if you hold it up to the light. One finger of khaki colored head has settled to a thin layer after several minutes. Pretty good lacing being left on the sides of the glass though.

Very mild and mellow aroma of toasted malts and almonds. Maybe a touch of chocolate.

Good malt flavor up front which makes for a pleasant smoothness. Bitterness shows itself midway adding a little bite. A hint of chocolate towards the finish.

Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.

A pretty nice Brown overall.

Morey's Bottom Line: Even though there's plenty around, I don't drink many Breckenridge beers. Too pricy for the quality inside IMO. That being said, this is a pretty decent fall beer. I could imagine sipping on this after rakin' just like the bottle says it's good for. Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2012 00:03:33 | More by Morey