Samuel Adams Hazel Brown - Boston Beer Company (Samuel Adams)

UnderPressure

South Carolina

4.08/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Dark brown beer. Rocky white head. Nice lacing.

I'm getting a lot of chocolate in the aroma. Very sweet. Some malt. Very chocolately.

The hazelnut must be what I'm describing as "chocolate" because the flavor is reminiscent of Nutella, which is very chocolatey.

A medium bodied dry, grainy mouthfeel. A momentary sweet finish.

This beer is really sweet. And even though it hits the spot right now, I don't think I would want to drink more than one or two of these. With that being said, I really enjoyed it.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2013 14:00:19 | More by UnderPressure

Mojo

Alabama

3.63/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

12 ounce bottle -> Sam Adams Perfect Pint Glass

This beer is beautiful. It pours a clear deep mahogany with a one finger tan head. A thick retention ring remains with a little bit of lacing. Smell is nuts and biscuit. Taste is very malt forward with some toffee and caramel. Finish is slightly coffee, but is overpowered by the malt. Mouthfeel is okay, but unremarkable. Pretty nice beer. Not great, but not bad either.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2013 04:04:31 | More by Mojo

Jadjunk

Georgia

3.79/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75

"This flavorful dark brown ale has a distinct hazelnut aroma and taste. Slightly sweet caramel and toffee malt notes accentuate the pleasant roasted hazelnut character. This medium-bodied brew finishes smooth with an underlying spiciness from the hops. Cheers!" Hazel Brown is brewed in the style of an American Brown Ale. Available as part of the Harvest Collection fall seasonal pack. Date on the bottle is early January 2013.

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle to a pint glass. Served at 52º Fahrenheit.

(Appearance) A vigorous pour yields a crisp, frothy head of a tannish complexion. Body color is a deep mahogany brown with ample carbonation, high clarity and faint traces of sediment.Lacing is thin and clingy, surface cover is solid. Head quality isn't superb but the coloration and lacing is suggestive that there is some potential to this beer. 3.5

(Smell) The aroma is certainly suggestive of nutty hazelnuts, quite potent, followed by notes of toffee and vanilla cream. Very faint earthy bitterness from low alpha hops paired with the nutty bitterness of the hazelnuts round out the caramel malt character and sweet toffee to balance out the aroma. Clean, aroma overall. Despite being hazelnut-forward, the balance is a bit better off in this brown ale than I anticipated based off of other brown ales with hazelnut flavors. Potency is medium overall, most components aside from the hazelnut and cream are dramatically less intense. 3.75

(Taste) Caramel-forward clean front with a sweet toffee and hazelnut cream finish. The hazelnut fits in better here, leveling out with the toffee, caramel and vanilla bean. Bitterness is shallower than expected, however. Overall, it's a pretty sweet concoction, unbalanced in places and thus harder on the palate than it needs to be. Much better presentation of hazelnut flavor than in any other beer that sports it. Despite being a touch overly sweet, the large part of this beer is in balance and enjoyable. 3.75

(Mouthfeel) Slick and a touch resiny with a faint thickness. Low carbonation presence. Body is medium-heavy for the style and medium overall. Alcohol presence is very low. I greatly enjoyed the texture in this beer as it wasn't distracting to the flavors, complimenting them well. 4.25

(Overall) A much better balanced hazelnut-infused brown ale than I had expected, I was a bit frightened of trying this out after a recently poor-received beer under a similar style (stay tuned) but I found the balance of the hazelnuts to be ideal, allowing for lots of the subtler flavors to be perceived and achieve a better balance. Despite being a touch sweet, this is actually quite a drinkable beer, perfectly fitting for fall harvests. It's a shame they only come in twos. 3.75

Boston Beer Company's
Samuel Adams Hazel Brown Ale
3.79/5.00

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2013 21:16:06 | More by Jadjunk

dbossman

Nebraska

3.58/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: Tawny brown hue with a solid two-inch head; great retention and decent lacing

S: Roasted hazelnuts up front but more of a hazel syrup than the actual nut; some toffee, caramel, brown sugar, and molasses underneath along with some subtle spicing and toasty bready malts; it smells good albeit a touch fake

T: The hazelnut flavoring tastes even more like hazel syrup--like the kind you add to coffee; it's nutty and bready and toasty and sweet and decent but just a bit forced

F: Creamy, medium texture; slightly chewy on the finish; this is my favorite aspect of this beer

O: I like this beer and it works well in the cooling months--I just wish the flavors were more natural and came together a bit better

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2012 18:35:23 | More by dbossman

Mumps

Maryland

4.08/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a pilsner glass.

Average appearance. Dark but unremarkable. Not much head, ok lacing.

Smell piqued my curiousity. Spice and hazelnuts.

Taste blew me away. Good hazelnut flavor with well balanced alcohol. Surprisingly easy to drink.

Mouthfeel was good, smooth and enough to let you know its there, with out making you feel full.

Overall a good brew. Would have to be in a mood to drink it, and probably wouldn't get it in a 6 pack, but good none the less.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2012 16:01:31 | More by Mumps

lwillitz

Florida

3.55/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12-oz bottle into New Belgium globe

A - transparent dark ruby/brown body under a thin finger of medium tan head; moderate carbonation bubbles

S - hazelnut, caramel, brown sugar, hop spice

T - lots of malt up front, hazelnut and caramel, hint of coffee, hop spice, smooth balanced finish

M - thin medium body, lots of prickly carbonation

O - a little nutty for my taste, but not bad

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2012 20:59:32 | More by lwillitz

shand

Florida

4.28/5  rDev +16.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Hazel Brown pours out a reddish-brown with a large head that quickly drops. The aroma is very nice, there's a great roasted hazelnut aroma over some malts and a bit of vanilla. The taste offers out a very nice, realistic hazelnut flavor without becoming overly sweet. The mouthfeel is lighter and smooth, and the drinkability is very good. Overall, it's a nice tasting hazelnut beer, but seems to be missing something compared to my favourite, Rogue's Hazelnut Brown Nectar. Still very good though.

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2012 04:33:32 | More by shand

Redrover

Illinois

3.95/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12 oz brown longneck poured into my SA perfect pint glass. The beer is light brown with amber highlights. There is a large tan head and nice lacing.

It has an inviting aroma of hazels nuts, caramel, and grains.

The taste starts with sweet caramel and those hazelnuts. Good first impression. It stays semi-sweet with some brown sugar and toasted malts. May not be a session beer, but I would have no problem having this one again.

The mouth is decent, but I would like a bit more substance. Easy drinking beer that fits in nicely with my fall and winter beer rotation. Reminds me a bit of the late Berghoff Winter hazelnut beer, damn I wish they still made that one.

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2012 23:10:25 | More by Redrover

CHickman

New York

3.9/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Pours clear chestnut brown color with a thick 2 finger foamy light tan head that faded extremely slowly, leaving great foamy lacing sticking to the sides; the head had a ton of bubbles in it and was impressive to watch as it collapsed.

Smells of roasted hazel nuts, toffee, brown sugar, roasted grains, burnt malt, coffee beans, cocoa powder, light herbs and more nuts like roasted peanuts; a real nice nose that was full of roasted nuts and very enjoyable to inhale and fairly complex.

Tastes like it smells, with roasted hazel nuts, toffee, brown sugar, roasted grains, burnt malt, coffee beans, cocoa powder, dark chocolate, vanilla extract, light herbs or flowers, faint floral hops, roasted peanuts, charcoal or burnt wood and wheat bread; the nuts and roasted notes are the dominant flavor, with the cocoa and brownie batter taste coming through and then mixing with either hops or coffee bitterness that leads to a sweet cocoa finish that's nutty and on the dry side. This was much tastier than I expected, hats off to Sam Adams for delivering on a good new beer.

Mouthfeel is thin and watery, with sweet cocoa notes trailing off slightly bitter, a light to medium body and light to average carbonation; what this lacks in mouthfeel it makes up for with its flavor. Overall I thought this was very good, real nutty and easy to drink. A fine example of this style that was very smooth and hopefully not a onetime brew.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2012 03:40:49 | More by CHickman

lsummers

California

4.13/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured a nice amber brown, not much head.

Smells great, I definitely get the sweet toffee nutty caramel notes. A touch of maple pancake.

Tastes great as well, the sweet toffee hits you straight away with a touch of bitterness. It just keeps getting sweeter through to the aftertaste which ends with a more buttery pancake flavor.

Mouthfeel is a touch light, it feels very carbonated. I wouldn't mind it being a little more sticky.

Overall it's a nice brown ale, I would definitely try this again.

Serving type: bottle

11-30-2012 06:19:07 | More by lsummers

Mora2000

Texas

3.68/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The beer pours a clear, dark brown color with an off-white head. The aroma is full of toffee and some hazelnut character. The flavor is very similar. There is a good amount of sweet chocolate and toasted nuts, as well as a hint of toffee and caramel. The beer is very sweet and has no real hop character to it. I also get a light hint of mint, but that may be my imagination. Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2012 04:54:56 | More by Mora2000

Chris_Cali_2o9

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

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a Sam Adams cup

A- Copper, 1 1/2" fluffy off white head

S- Super nutty malts, spices, berries, herbal notes

T- Roasted nutty malts, caramel, spicies, berries

M- Creamy medium body, average carbonation

O- Very nice beer, besides the added spices there's really nothing to unique about this brew. It's just, IMO, exactly what a brown ale should be like. Most breweries make their brown ales too watered down (including sam smith) for my taste and I always feel like if they would just add more malts, it would be the brown ale i'm looking for. Sam adams did just that, creating a cream, nutty malt bomb. A great example of the style.

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2012 02:48:58 | More by Chris_Cali_2o9

Cavanaghty

Maine

2.9/5  rDev -21%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured from a bottle into a Sam Adams Glass.

Appearance: Brown, with a beige head of about two fingers.

Smell: Nutty, malts, hazel nuts, maybe some coffee??

Mouthfeel/Taste: Smooth, almost creamy texture, medium bodied. Taste of a heavy brown ale with hazel nuts and other nuts, roasted malts and again maybe some coffee?

Overall: Almost drank more like a porter or stout, not really my type of beer, did not care for this one at all. Although I can see how other would enjoy this brew.

Serving type: bottle

11-18-2012 22:10:47 | More by Cavanaghty

justintcoons

Pennsylvania

3.23/5  rDev -12%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a Sam Adams Perfect Pint glass.

Appearance
Brownish amber with 2-3 fingers of tan head. Good clarity and retention. Light-moderate carbonation.

Nose
Hazelnuts, caramel and brown sugar.

Taste
The hazelnut flavor on this is pretty good, although it comes along with some acrid coffee-like flavors. Caramelized brown sugar and some bready components.

Mouthfeel
Medium bodied, crisp and clean.

Overall
Easy drinking little Brown Ale. The hazelnut is a very nice addition.

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2012 20:05:04 | More by justintcoons

PintOHops

California

3.85/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Glass - Nonic

A - A clear amber/brown colored brew. It didn't produce much head, and it dissipated soon after pouring. Low C02 bubbles can be seen. No lacing.

S - Big hazelnut aroma! I pick up brown sugar and semi sweet chocolate notes as well. Slight fruit cake like notes in there as well. A touch of herbal hop characteristic, but the hazelnut really shines through. Very inviting to me.

T - Hazelnut, chocolate, and brown sugar notes flood the palate upfront. I pick up herbal and citrus like hop notes in the back. It finishes with a mellow twang of hop flavors, more hazelnut, and very low bitterness. Sweet tasting but not enough to make you sick of it before your finished.

M - Medium bodied with low-moderate crispness and a smooth, almost viscous feel.

O - I'm really digging the hazelnut flavor and smell in this brew. The beer is all around inviting to me and pretty drinkable with almost anything. I'd definitely pick up a 6-pack of this brew in the future. Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2012 01:46:05 | More by PintOHops

JosiahS

California

4.15/5  rDev +13.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

a: Dark mahogany color, clear with plenty of bubbles. Slick 1 finger tan head that quickly reduces to a thin layer atop the beer. Light splashes hug the wall of the glass.

s: Very pleasant nutty, chocolate aroma. Also present are cherry, caramel and some light floral smells.

t: Hazelnut is the star here, it's not subtle but certainly not overbearing. Typical brown ale base with a hazelnut twist. A slight hop zing mid-pallete to balance the sweetness.

m: A perfect example of medium-bodied. Closer to medium than full in carbonation. Finishes clean with only the slightest hop bitterness.

o: This one's a success for SA imo. It's flavorful enough to satisfy while still keeping it light enough to session.

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2012 01:45:27 | More by JosiahS

dogfishandi

New York

4.05/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

12oz bottle at fridge temp poured into a snifter. best before FEB.

pours out a nice clear deep chestnut brown color with a nice off white to light tan head, good retention with a little lacing.

wow, very nice aroma, roasted hazelnuts, pecans, very aromatic. some caramel and maybe even a bit of chocolate creeps in there.

again, very nice roasted nut flavors, reminiscent of all kinds of different nuts, especially pecans and hazelnuts. some bready caramel malt really brings things home.

the only flaw i find is maybe too light off a mouthfeel, but thats maybe expected considering its just a brown ale and one from sam adams non the less.

a solid beer, good nutty flavors without going overboard. hard to tell if the flavors come from authentic ingredients or not, but still... kudos to sam adams.

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2012 23:25:02 | More by dogfishandi

M_C_Hampton

Georgia

3.93/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A: poured from a 12 oz bottle ( bbd Mar 13) into a pint glass, pours a medium brown with a 1/2" off white head that leaves some lacing, clear
S: malt and tree nuts, hazelnut, pecan
T: soft and malty, sweet with a prevalent hazelnut flavor, pecan
M: medium with a little too much carbonation
O: The taste is fantastic. A bit like a Marzen with Frangelico added. Other qualities are lacking.

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2012 03:41:34 | More by M_C_Hampton

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

3.88/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A - Deep brown mahogany color with a 1/4 inch of head that quickly reduces to a thick sticky lace ring.

S - The hazelnut is strong with this one. Caramel malts and sweet malts too,

T - Creamy and nutty with a twang of bittering hops in the finish but don't get me wrong its extremely malt forward. Caramel and toffee like sweet malts. Tasty,

M - Medium and creamy. Like a brown ale should be.

Overall a very tasty brew similar to the chocolate ale and coffee ale. I was impressed.

Serving type: bottle

11-14-2012 03:18:00 | More by DrDemento456

Billolick

New York

3.88/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 ounce bottle with best before dating notched on the side of the label.

Pours typical brownish amber, khaki head, stays a bit and leaves spotty lace.

Caramel and nuts all over the sniff.

Nutty, malty and quite tasty brown ale. Lots of carramel on the tongue and well into the finish. Malts carry the weight. Nice rounded mouthfeel. Enjoyable ABA

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2012 22:25:01 | More by Billolick

donkeyrunner

Massachusetts

3.28/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Chunky, mashed 'tater head reaches lofts heights for a Sam Adams beer. Clear, chestnut color.

Smells like hazelnut, cocoa and bread crust. Tastewise, hazelnut and toasted malt overcome the the flavor vacuum that is Sam Adams ale yeast. Steely.

Nutella in a bottle it isn't but it's still pretty good. My hazelnut brown beer vote still goes Rogue though.

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2012 16:31:33 | More by donkeyrunner

HalfFull

California

3.43/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Bottle poured into a pint glass. Pours a clear deep caramel/light brown in color. A half inch light brown cap offers decent retention and moderate lacing.

Nutty aroma is pleasant and intriguing even if a bit forced. Bit of caramel and roastiness lies beneath the nutty umbrella.

Taste is a bit of a shock at first, being sweeter and simpler than the dry, almost spice induced aroma might portend. In the end I get used to it as the hazelnut returns to offer a lingering finish after a somewhat simple start. Overall this beer offers an odd mouthfeel initially though this does balance with some warming in the glass. A good sipper but a bit one dimensional in the long run.

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2012 04:59:05 | More by HalfFull

CaptJackHarkness

New York

4.4/5  rDev +19.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

From twelve ounce bottle freshness dated to February 2013.

Nice aroma of hazlenut and caramel. Pours a nice ruddy brown with large beige head. Taste is crisp , again notes of hazelnut and caramel slight touch of toffee and a hint of hops. Pleasant on the tounge.

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2012 22:24:35 | More by CaptJackHarkness

moistnugget

Florida

3/5  rDev -18.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Appearance- Poured into a goblet. Developed a moderate beige head, the liquid below is a pleasing reddish, caramel color.

Nose- A sweet intermingling of honey, caramel, and brown sugary sweetness. Smells promising!

Taste & Mouthfeel - Honestly, kind of a let down. Roasty and slightly nutty, but somehow not authentically so. The mouthfeel isn't quite working here, either. Too thin. The aftertaste is nice, it leaves a lingering bitter and roasty taste at the back of the tongue, but the total balance just not working for me. Mild carbonation. The lingering taste is nice, but can't do much for the flavor up front.

Overall- Others disagree with me, but I'm just not crazy about it. Not bad, just not something I would buy again to treat myself to.

Serving type: bottle

11-09-2012 04:07:22 | More by moistnugget

Chaney

District of Columbia

2.95/5  rDev -19.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Got this from the Sam Adams fall snack pack.

Served in a Celebration Ale pint glass.

A: Actually, this is pretty much a beautiful beer. Clear, burnt brown color, with a whopping beige head that took a long time to die down significantly.

S: Sort of a fake hazelnut quality on the nose though. Damn shame. However, I did get SA signature profile in there.

T: Sort of like being at a carnival, ordering a sno-cone, and having the attendant squirt some of the artificially flavored fruit into the ice. Wish it were better, shoulda been better, but no.... it wasn't so. The bitterness on the end was the only redeeming quality to my mind. The rest tasted stale to me.

M: Bitter ending was a plus, the lack of sweetness was a plus, and the lacing was ridiculous. However, since I didn't really dig the flavor, I really didn't care.

O: I'll skip this entry in the snack box in the future.

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2012 00:46:48 | More by Chaney