Autumn Ale - Breckenridge Brewery

scottbrew4u

Pennsylvania

3.58/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Saved some of this beer just in the cellar to see how it sat for a few months. Today is a warm day and it inspired me to try it again.
A: Pours a clear brown color with a decent one finger tan head that settles to a layer of bubbles.

S: Caramel and roasted nuttiness with some brown bread and molasses. A hint of earthy hops come through. Also a ripe plum aroma too.

T: Roasted and slightly acrid barley malt, some fresh baked brown bread, molasses and dried fruit. A hint of earthy and slightly spicy hops for balance.

M: Medium body and light to moderate carbonation are just right for a brown ale. Slightly chewy.

D: A nice beer to try for a autumn seasonal especially if you are tired of pumpkin or spices in other autumn seasonals. It goes down easy and is refreshing and interesting enough on the palate to have a few and not be bored.

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2012 20:51:55 | More by scottbrew4u

Slatetank

Pennsylvania

3.88/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I picked this up as part of a mix a six - poured chilled from the brown bottle into a willybecker.

The color is dark nutty brown with translucent clarity and thin beige cap w/ stringy lace and ultra fine bead. The smell is very bready with a roasted grainy scent and light yeast ester with gentle fruity tinge and a light stone fruit ester with mild woody notes and hint of raisin. The feel has low roast and mild yeast with slight spice and gentle yeasty tang with moderately high carbonation with medium body and semi-dry nutty feel.

The taste is lightly caramel in the front with a toasted malt and nice fruity yeast flavor with somewhat bready flavor and mild spice w/ a gentle earthy sweet dried fruit taste like cherry with a mild hint of hops which are in the background with a gentle bran cereal quality with slight dry herbal tinge in the finish. Overall this brown is a quality dark ale with plenty of drinkability and subtle dry maltiness yeast breadiness that is very pleasant. This is a beer I would get again for the fact it is well brewed clean and doesn't taste sweet even though it is malt dominated.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2011 19:47:54 | More by Slatetank

blakelive784

Colorado

2.53/5  rDev -29.5%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

12 fl oz bottle served in pilsner glass, reviewed live:

A - Pours a dark brown color with a disappointing 1 finger head of bad thickness. Retention is awful.

S - Heavy caramel, toffee and not much else. Boring and uninspired.

T - Weak toasted malt and caramel mask a bit of cream, building to a watery finish. Hey, at least I wasn't expecting much.

M - Medium bodied and smooth. works for what's there.

D - Not awful, but I'd pass on this one in the future. Bland and not exciting.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2011 01:22:33 | More by blakelive784

kojevergas

California

2.8/5  rDev -22%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

12 fl oz brown glass bottle with standard pressure cap served into an imperial pint glass in high altitude Castle Rock, Colorado. Reviewed live. Expectations are moderate.

A: Pours a 1.5 finger head of nice cream, good thickness, and pretty good retention. Colour is a solid black.

Sm: Smells vaguely of cherry. Some amber hops, caramelized/lightly toasted malt is present as well. Lots of malts. A mild strength aroma.

T: Tastes quite malty, with hints of fruit - though perhaps not cherry. The malt is on the whole well handled. I don't care horribly for the caramel. It's pretty simple all around, but pleasant. The malt is too heavy for the balance to be right. The finish is bland and off.

Mf: Smooth and wet, suiting the flavours of the body generally.

Dr: Drinkable but largely unremarkable. I might try it on draught but it's far from special. Only give it a spin if you're a huge fan of the style. Elsewise, move along.

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2011 03:14:22 | More by kojevergas

SickGnar

Pennsylvania

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

A: Dark mahogany brown and a very rubied dark amber when held to light. Smallish, just off-white head. Not quite clear, but it is hard to tell with how dark it is. Way dark for an Ofest type beer. Not very much for lace.

S: Munich malts & dark too. Lots of breadcrust, dark bread, melanoidans, a touch of sweetness, plentiful dark fruits, and a hint of darker roast. Perhaps some some light herbal hops way in the background. Clean for an ale this rich, but it works for what it appears they were going for.

T: Malt forward, much like nose, but with more sweetness. A fair bit of nutty and toasty grains round out the rich bread crust, melanodian, dark bread, Munich type malt notes. Considerable dark fruit – mostly dark plums. Dark roast hints also push through a bit more, but are mostly softended by the malt sweetness. A touch of herbal hops pushes in at the end and goes woody in the finish, but never overwhelms the linger sweetness.

M: A slight touch over medium body with carbonation pretty well matched. An okay bit of dextrins and sugars. While the roast does try to push it a bit drying it stays on the sweet side. Maybe the slightest hint of alcohol warmth.

D: IMO – they nailed the name on this one. Very much one for unwinding – an after yard work sit down and relax brew. A nice fall beer. The O’fest come on in the marketing is a bit of a stretch, but this is a good beer. Rich and robust, and big enough to carry it off without being weighty. It is a bit sweet to want more than one right away, but that is alright as the abv is starting to get up there a bit.

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2011 17:58:34 | More by SickGnar

DannyDan

Michigan

4.08/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours a dark brown hue with a thin tan head that has good retention and lacing. Get some caramel, licorice, and molasses in the aroma. the taste starts out with some dark fruits, caramel, molasses followed by some licorice, hops and a nutty taste in the back. Very tasty and yummy. A rather easy drinking beer that is rather light for a dark beer, but has a nice creamy finish that makes you want more. A rather enjoyable brown ale that has a slightly different taste than most brown ales.

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2011 03:59:22 | More by DannyDan

yesyouam

New York

4/5  rDev +11.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5

Breckenridge Autumn Ale is a dim brown ale with a light khaki head that fades to a film. It has a resiny aroma with a slight note of molasses. It's very wooden and a little roasty. It's pretty light bodied; kind of watery but the finish is kind of creamy. There is a lot of resiny malt in the taste, but it never gets sweet. Dark bread crust, medicine and maybe even licorice are in there. The aftertaste is pretty long and pretty bitter. Wow, this is like a light version of an imperial stout. What is this, a brown ale? Whatever it is, I like it.

Serving type: bottle

12-09-2011 14:30:41 | More by yesyouam

uawildcat

Arizona

3.63/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Poured from the bottle into an English pint glass. Almost no head and little lacing.

Aromas is unique. Nothing like I have smelt in a beer before. Kind of like caramel rye bread and pumpernickel mixed together.

Tastes of sweet burnt caramel malts and pumpernickel bread due to some of the yeast flavor left behind. Has hints of hazelnut throughout and a earthy hop profile typical of darker beers.

Goes down ok. A tad watery of a mouthfeel for the flavor and a slightly unpleasant prickly feel in the mouth.

Overall, a good beer to pair with foods. I had the first few of the six pack alone then realized it was better with barbecue. However, the best combo was with pumpkin pie. The cinnamon clove goodness meshes perfectly with this beer. Blew my mind. Makes me wonder if just adding some spices in the brewing process could make a killer brew.

Serving type: bottle

11-14-2011 08:43:42 | More by uawildcat

OleJohnnieAle

Minnesota

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

A - Deep brown, not cloudy just a clear dark beer.

S - Carmel malt sweetness and some dark smoky notes.

T -Dark bread notes followed up by some sweeter caramel malt. Very toasty profile, a little too toasty for me, almost burnt tasting

M - Not as thick as the color would make you think. A thin beer that goes down minus the burnt taste.

Overall - Beer was OK, too toasty for me and wasn't something that I particularly liked.

Serving type: bottle

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2011 01:28:37 | More by OleJohnnieAle

RunForYourBeer

Indiana

3.8/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

A: Dark brown with a thin white head that quickly goes away.

S: Some dark chocolate and coffee with a bit of brown sugar/caramel sweetness.

T: Coffee and dark chocolate from the smell with a hint of grassy hops and some nuttiness.

M: A bit thin.

O: Solid brown.

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2011 21:01:12 | More by RunForYourBeer

JerzDevl2000

New Jersey

3.55/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Picked this up in Totowa since this was one of the last fall beers available and I had yet to try it. I was surprised to see that this was a Brown Ale and not a Marzen or Octoberfest like so many others out there at this time of the year. While this was flat and reminded me a bit of what a plum soda would taste like, this was a decent beer for the season and more full-bodied than I expected.

This poured nice and dark with a hue and smell of molasses. The carbonation wasn't a factor here but the full-bodied nature of this beer more than made up for it. There were also notes of caramel, dark fruit, and some smoke and even though this was malty, there was just a bit of a hop kick to the taste. This wasn't sticky like some other Brown Ales that I've had and this almost reminded me of a good pumpernickel bread in terms of how filling it was!

There could have been a bit less alcohol in this but it wasn't that detectable and on a nice fall day, I could see myself having more than one in a sitting. Like the other Breckenridge beers that I've had, this isn't award-winning but instead, is highly drinkable and a good example of it's particular style. This is a welcome change from the other Fall beers that seem alike after a while!

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2011 17:43:23 | More by JerzDevl2000

seesnow3

Connecticut

3.05/5  rDev -15%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

No freshness, Bruges glass, $2.49/bottle in RI
Pour-Dark brown pour that is slightly translucent, hard to coax a head out of it, but it just fades either way, sheet of lacing that is tiny bubbles.

Nose-Caramel malts and yeasty breadiness. Hint of spice? Some dark subdued fruit, unsure what it is.

Palate-Mostly sour with a good amount of bitter as well. Very little sweetness, a little bit salty. The main note I get is coffee and roasted malt. Chocolate makes an appearance, I feel like there’s a hint of spice here but it’s hard to determine what type. Maybe black pepper? Doesn’t scream fall to me.

Body-Moderately rich and creamy, sort of heavy but not excessive, enough effervescence, not too bad, actually a bite from it. Slightly dry finish. This is not really good, but it isn’t bad either. It lacks complexity but it has decent drinkability. Definitely not a session beer but it hides its’ alcohol pretty well. Also holds the effervescence fairly well. Not a fan of it for the price point is all.

Serving type: bottle

11-02-2011 21:04:39 | More by seesnow3

StonedTrippin

Colorado

3.45/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

full bodied and delicious this dark brown ale pours a sturdy black color with almost no head. nose as dark roast coffee, candied sugars, mild alcohol, and fall leaves. quick crisp finish and a big bad body, this is perfect for the season. the lack of carbonation doesn't hurt it, as this beer gets better and better as it warms, mellowing out with a little alcohol tinge at the end. not a typical brown ale, definitely not a porter, this autumn ale is a great evening sipper. one of the better breck brews

Serving type: on-tap

11-02-2011 04:20:08 | More by StonedTrippin

ronniebruner

Arizona

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

The beer pours a deep,amber color, and settles fast with minimal foam and lace. The aroma is a bit of smoky wood and malty hops. The beer settles with just the right amount of carbonation and leaves a nice aftertaste in the mouth. Breckenridge is surely becoming one of the best American breweries.

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2011 23:08:42 | More by ronniebruner

Nerudamann

Oregon

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

Poured from a bottle into a pint glass.

Look – fairly dark when it settles, but pours a bit more of a dark brown. Very little foam, which even still dissipates quickly.

Smell – the Munich malts that the label proposes is most prevalent in the aroma. After that, there’s a general smoky type of quality to the smell.

Taste – malty in the taste as well, at least at first, but then it quickly transitions into an interestingly bitter taste, but not extremely bitter. It has a darker quality to the taste in general, kinda like what you might find in a porter. Dark, but without the depth of Mouthfeel.

Mouthfeel – speaking of that, the Mouthfeel is in itself pretty light, leaning more on the watery side, but not much more over. I usually prefer a better balance, but I think it works well for this brew.

Overall – very good and interesting brew!

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2011 17:53:01 | More by Nerudamann

ONUMello

Ohio

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

12oz bottle poured into a pint glass
A: Deep mahogany color; 1/2-finger head that quickly dissipates.
S: Nutty with roasted malts. Coffee and light hops as well.
T: Caramel, coffee, nuts, and toasted malt. Rich and tasty.
M: Medium-bodied. Round but perhaps a bit thin given how rich the palate is. Pleasant overall.
O: I enjoyed this. Rich and tasty. It's drinking very well on an October day with football on the tv.

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2011 03:01:55 | More by ONUMello

wingman14

Ohio

3.7/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours a dark brown with a nice off white head that sticks around. The smell is mostly malty with some subtle smokiness, could be some sweet notes as well. The flavor starts with the smoke, and then the malt dominates throughout. The finish is somewhat harsh on the palette, the malt and a subtle sweet sticks around through the aftertaste. The mouthfeel is a medium light, this could have a better mouthfeel, a bit thin. Overall an enjoyable beer, good flavor, a few improvements would make this one a much better beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2011 02:26:55 | More by wingman14

ocelot2500

Arizona

3.1/5  rDev -13.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Pours a rich mahogany color with a fizzy, light brown head that leaves chunks of lacing.

Smells of caramel malts and a bit of coffee.

Tastes of mostly malts with a bit of hops on the end. Notes of chocolate, brown sugar, and some graininess lead off. Touches of fruit sweetness come in along with some nuttiness. Earthy hops add at the end, but do not make much of an impression. There is a also some sourness throughout, but it reminds me of french press coffee.

Mouthfeel is medium with a slightly fizzy amount of carbonation.

Overall, nothing spectacular, but it is something non-offensive that could be used to help bridge the gap from mainstream beers.

Serving type: bottle

10-23-2011 00:28:13 | More by ocelot2500

langm12

Indiana

3.35/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

poured from a 12 ounce bottle into a pint glass.

A - Mahogany pour, bit of red on the edges. Small frothy cap with minimal lacing.

S - Caramel malts dominate the nose. little bit of coffee and grassy hops.

T - Malt dominates. Caramel, roasted nuts, hint of coffee. Hops flash quickly but fade fast.

M - Light to medium. Bit more carbonation than expecting.

O - A bit too watery and carbonated. Smell and taste is a bit muddled. Nothing remarkable about this one.

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2011 04:21:33 | More by langm12

rfgetz

New Jersey

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

Dark brown with mahogany highlights, good cap of khaki froth, little lacing. Scent is dominated by heavy, lightly sweet caramel with notes of grassy and earthy hops, light metallic off note. Taste is heavy on the malts, mostly caramel, some nutty and bready notes, hops in check as their earthiness is only present in flashes, again with a lightly metallic and earthy mud taste. Medium bodied, slightly over carbonated. Did not impress with muddled nose and flavor components.

Serving type: on-tap

10-17-2011 13:31:47 | More by rfgetz

DavidST

Texas

3.2/5  rDev -10.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a pint glass.

This pours a very dark brown, almost a black color with an okay tan head which quickly goes away. The smells are of mostly malts, not getting the hops. The feel is somewhat light and watery. The taste is okay, a little bit of the malts, some coffee and some nuts and grain, but overall its a little thin and slightly disappointing, it sure looked pretty good though.

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2011 19:35:19 | More by DavidST

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

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

Wow 6.7%? It's like a fall warmer (like a winter warmer)

A - Pours very dark with only the slightest bit of light giving it an almost root beer like quality of color. Head is very creamy with sticky lacing.

S - Mostly malt driven, can't smell any "Bavarian Hops" Notes of very sweet caramel and toasted nuts.

T - Tastes pretty good but could use a touch more hops. The flavor is malty but not incredibly sweet. The finish is the best part where the toasted nut flavors give it a great taste. Not bad.

M - Not enough to "warm the soul" but very good for a brown ale. Medium bodied.

Overall I got this expecting just another Oktoberfest but got a very smooth brown ale with toasted nut flavors. Not a bad beer at all.

Serving type: bottle

10-12-2011 04:16:30 | More by DrDemento456

JoeAmerican77

Colorado

3/5  rDev -16.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Darkest rootbeer with no light coming through and a muddy meringue on top... Light tasty malts on the nose, nothing else. The flavor is slightly sweet, with a white sugar sweetness, and a little toasted malt base. Sugar turns brown as it warms. Medium light body with some baby carbonation.
Flavor of a sessionable brown with a little bit of booze.

With almost every Breck beer I've had I just wish it was stronger, bigger. Stronger nose/more diverse flavors/more forward flavors would make these beers much more memorable. This beer fits this impression as well. Too bad.

Serving type: bottle

10-06-2011 23:58:35 | More by JoeAmerican77

Tone

Missouri

3.63/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a clear, dark brown color. 1/4 inch head of an off-white color. Decent retention and poor lacing. Smells of sweet malt, roasted malt, hops, hint of pale malt, and a slight caramel malt. Fits the style of an American Brown Ale. Mouth feel is smooth and clean, with an average carbonation level. Tastes of sweet malt, hops, hint of roasted malt, and a hint of caramel malt. Overall, a good, session-able brown.

Serving type: bottle

10-05-2011 21:39:08 | More by Tone

cbutova

Massachusetts

2.9/5  rDev -19.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

A- Ale poured into a pint glass with a very dark brown body, almost black. The head fails to even form to a finger in size. A small ring forms aroud the edges. Some spots of lace.

S- Faint aroma with an overall brown ale malty feel. Nutty, caramel and slightly roast malt notes.

T- Just feels a bit thin flavored for a brown ale. Malt lends notes of nuts, grain, roast hints and caramel. Dark fruit has a significant presence and the beer is also slightly buttery. Slight earthy hop finish. Becomes a bit "off" with medicinal fruit.

MF- Rich and silky moderately thick body with a creamy feel. Just a but warm and bitter.

Just feels a it watered down or something compared to most good Brown Ales. The flavors are there but it doesn't balance out to something I would really buy again.

Serving type: bottle

10-05-2011 00:14:28 | More by cbutova