Beertown Brown - BridgePort Brewing Co. / Brewpub

illidurit

California

3/5  rDev -15.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

On tap at 515 in Santa Cruz. Clear medium brown with a fluffy off-white head. Not much lacing, decent retention. Aroma is bready malts with a sweet citric hop tinge. Flavor is bread crusts, cocoa, light roast, and a bit of earthy hoppiness. Mouthfeel is overcarbonated and a little too thin. Comes up a bit short in every category.

Serving type: on-tap

03-17-2009 19:32:36 | More by illidurit

dnichols

Washington

3/5  rDev -15.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

I was served this beer on March 21, 2008 at the Spring Beer Festival in Portland, Oregon.

A: It poured a clear darkish amber with a moderate off-white head that receded fast and left little lacing.

S: It smelled of sweet lightly toasted malts, brown bread dough and had hints of spicy and floral hops. There were recessive flavors of plums and pears

T: It had a doughty brown bread and caramel malt flavor complemented by floral hops.

M: It was light bodied with a bit of creaminess, moderate carbonation, and a thin clean finish.

D: It was an easy beer to drink, smooth, moderate carbonation and modest ABV. Nice bar session drink but nothing to go out of your way for.

Serving type: on-tap

03-26-2008 22:17:08 | More by dnichols

SurlyDuff

Oregon

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

This one is a bit too macro for me. It's lacking real depth or dimension.

Common brown color. dark mahogony umbar color.

A spicy metallic twang. Malty carmel and a roasty coffee. Smooth buttery mouthfeel. Like I said, this one is rather one-dimensional, and it's got way to much bitter coffee.

Mouthfeel is kind of weak, doesn't fit the color or aroma.

Serving type: on-tap

03-24-2008 04:33:30 | More by SurlyDuff

IceEyes

Oregon

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

I don't know about this beer. It just seemed kind of blah. There was a bit of sweetness to it at first and then lots of blah. The color was pretty and about as brown as you might expect except for a bit of red too. And I couldn't find a smell on it so there's nothing to say about that. In the end I don't think I would order this beer again. I know Bridgeport has better beers that they offer so I'll skip this one next time.

Serving type: on-tap

08-01-2007 02:27:40 | More by IceEyes

kdoc8

Oregon

2.58/5  rDev -27.1%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

This was the last week of Bridgeport brewing this beer and they were making a big deal of it. I am not sure why - it's not that spectacular compared to some of their other brews. It was served up with a nice foamy/creamy tan head and was amber-brown in color. Not too much of a smell at all no matter how hard I whiffed at it. It had a very bitter taste and not much malt - actually quite a bite of alcohol much like a Scotch Ale, but with a lower ABV.

Serving type: on-tap

04-09-2007 20:32:33 | More by kdoc8

RedDiamond

Oregon

2.53/5  rDev -28.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

On the day of its release there was a ceremonious recognition of Portland as “Beer Town” replete with proclamations from the mayor, lots of elbow rubbing with high society folks, press releases, photo ops, and so on. But my God! If you’re going to coordinate the release of your new beer with the mayor’s office, at least release something worthy of the hoopla. Beer Town is just plain lame unless you like a dour yeasted taste with wilted bittering and an anorexic body. There’s no nuttiness here and only a mild, sequestered wash of caramel backbone.

Beertown Brown is at least a pretty thing to look at. It’s actually more red than brown, and features the kind of filtered polish that means so much to big-barreled brewers. So it’s pretty with no character, lots of polish, and an anorexic body. Well, that’s the Pearl District for you. And get this – the promotional coaster exhorts us to “Loosen That Tie.” (It really says that.) Heads up, Bridgeport – tie loosening is for martinis.

Serving type: on-tap

03-26-2007 20:10:12 | More by RedDiamond

Bitterbill

Wyoming

3.35/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

I bought this in a mixed six pack

It pours a clear medium brown red with a 2 finger head of foam.

The smell has a nice caramel malt profile with a bit of citrus hops peaking through that's a bit off putting.

The taste is of caramel, some bread, light roasted malt, and a very mild hop bitterness near the finish. Good taster...solid Brown Ale though on the light side when it comes to overall flavour.

It has a light mouthfeel and the carbonation is medium.

Drinkability? This is meant for sessioning but I figure one bottle is enough for me at a sitting. I would have liked a bit more oomph in the flavour. The abv was what it needed to be.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2009 22:47:42 | More by Bitterbill

Wetpaperbag

Washington

2.98/5  rDev -15.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

So my brother brought this over a while back...long while back, so I hope this one is still good.

A- Creamy foamy head that has good lacing. The brew is a good clear medium dark brown.

S- Malty, brown sugar, nutty, with a touch of vanilla.

T- There is an earthy nutty malt presence. The taste of caramel and brown sugar is there. Not much else.

M- Thin and overly carbonated IMO. It is just very foamy in the mouth.

D- Not too bad, would be better with less carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2009 04:39:06 | More by Wetpaperbag

marvin213

North Carolina

3.55/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

It seems kinda light as I pour it into my Magic Hat pint glass. It's brown but, for "Beertown Brown" I'm a little disappointed. I can clearly see my whole hand through the glass. A nice 1mm+ head tops her off. I recognize it's not "Beertown Black," but I can't help but be disappointed that it's not a deeper, thicker brown.

It actually smells good. After uncertainty about the look, I'm glad to have a brown after I smell this one. It's malts and chocolate and barley and...everything a brown's supposed to be. Caramel, too.

The taste is mostly malts. Little chocolate. Maybe a hint of caramel. Maybe it's the barley that leaves my palate slightly disappointed. I really think the chocolate is lacking and the pale malts aren't much more than blah. Believe it or not, the taste doesn't do justice to the smell. The caramel is hardly present. It's a respectable attempt, but not one I'm going to tell the buddies about tomorrow.

The mouthfeel is forgettable. After smelling the beer, I want more chocolate and caramel and I get...pale malts with little else. I acknowledge I'm desensitized from hop-bombs like Hop Stoopid, but I detect basically no hops.

I can't get this beer around here, and it is definitely a beer worth trying. Like this one actually was, it's a nice "beer it forward" addition.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2009 23:32:21 | More by marvin213

bilyboy65

Colorado

3.98/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Kinda skeptical about picking up this beer. Thought that it would be kinda like piss because of the name and label. I am shockingly pleasantly surprised.

A: Decent carbonation, brown in color (true to it's name). Light tan head that leaves good lacing with every pull. Head went the distance for the life of the poor (which really wouldn't set any records for longevity).

S: Sweet brown sugar, then i unfortunately farted and ruined this part of the review. Sorry..

T: Creamy, sweet. Kinda like those candies with the white frosting in the center of hard caramel. Umm good. I also think this would have been better if I let it warm up a bit.

M: Smooth, tingly from the carbonation and a medium body. All the things an English should bring to the table.

D: I wish I had more.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2009 01:19:26 | More by bilyboy65

canucklehead

British Columbia (Canada)

3.45/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

The problem with this beer is it lacks any real lasting resonance on the palate. The balance is right and the typical brown ale notes show up including a little sweetness but the beer is dialed down in the flavour department. I kinda got bored after a bottle and wished for more ummph in the finish. I like brown ales but want body in the beer

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2009 23:41:29 | More by canucklehead

skeetermoses

Oklahoma

4.22/5  rDev +19.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Wow, this is now my go to english ale brown. Loved it, sweeter than most but reasonably priced beer, very tasty indeed. Would go good with some goulauch or even rocklette. loved it definitly going to by this beer again, very tasty and reliable.
yummmy

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2009 02:45:42 | More by skeetermoses

Japerrault

Idaho

4.35/5  rDev +22.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Brown with red showing through when held to the light. The beer was clear with a cream colored head which held at about 1/2 inch for quite a while.

S: Rich malts, toasted bread and caramel.

T: Beautifully made beer. There is a great use of malts in this one. Mostly toasted grain, caramel, and toffey flavors, but this is not really a sweet beer. Hops are not perceived much, but lend themselves well to the balance.

M: Nice carbonation with medium body.

D: Very drinkable beer. Nothing harsh. I will be buying more of this.

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2009 18:01:42 | More by Japerrault

webbcreative

Oklahoma

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

Feb 22, 2009
Dark brown pour, with little head. smelled of malt, kinda nutty. smooth creamy mouthfeel, little bit of sweetness, get a little of the hops near the end [very little though] this is okay, nothing too special, pretty ordinary, im a much bigger fan of the English brown ales.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2009 22:20:36 | More by webbcreative

bkilpatr

Oregon

3.33/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a pint glass. 02/10/09.

Pours a clear ruby-brown color with a finger of bubbly beige head. The head quickly dropped to a thin layer. Aroma is of sweet caramel malt, toffee, and somewhat nutty.

Taste is very malty with plenty of toasted caramel and toffee flavored malts. The nuttiness is also present, as is an odd rice-like flavor. Some astringency. Faint earthy hops finish out the taste. Overall the taste is very subdued and mild. Feel is thin and watery with high carbonation. Drinkability is pretty good. It's not heavy at all, so having a few of these would be pretty easy.

Overall, fairly average. There isn't a whole lot going on flavor wise, but it's very easy to drink.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2009 05:27:20 | More by bkilpatr

Magpie14

Michigan

3.63/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: on the lighter side of brown, just a tinge of red and orange. A just off-white colored head with reasonable retention and lace. I always remembered brown ales being, well, browner.

S: definite roasted malts, caramel, and a waft of woody, earthy flavors. Which means a nice dose of hops for a brown ale

T: mild malty profile with a soft hop presence to make things right. Buttery taste with bread characteristics. In the long run not as husky as you would think for a brown ale, this guy has more of a hop bite than expected. Also to note, just a delicate taste of toasted nuts in the mix

M: seems pretty bubbly, rather mild in the body feel department. Borderline creamy at times, it really has that potential. Nice feel all around

D: for my part, I am not a brown ale fan. I must say that this guy has found a small spot into my beer halls. I find this very drinkable, mostly cause it has a good hop presence and seems to veer, from what I would consider, a traditional brown ale. Not all that bad!

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2009 04:30:07 | More by Magpie14

djeucalyptus

Oregon

3.6/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

poured from a fresh bottle into a nonic pint, it pours a crystal clear light nutty brown color with glints of amber. A decent khaki head fades fairly quickly leaving just a bit of light lacing.

aroma is fairly neutral, with a bit of light malt, a hint of maple, and a bit of toasted creamy earthiness. Subtle on the whole.

Taste is in line for a true English brown ale. Rich malt, toasted without being overly sweet. just a hint of bitterness creeps in while avoiding being overly hoppy.

mouthfeel is a bit peppery, with some slightly rough carbonation. It's a bit too carbonated to be full and creamy, and there's a bit of slick astringency hiding in there. Not bad, but a bit of room for improvement.

Definitely drinkable, this one would be decent with food, and certainly isn't bad on its own. I'm not completely sold on brown ales, and this one doesn't really do a whole lot to sell me any further. Not bad, and true to the style, but nothing really outstanding or noteworthy.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2009 19:31:26 | More by djeucalyptus

hopdog

Pennsylvania

3.35/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Serving size: 12oz bottle.

Apperance: Poured a medium and clear brown color with a small sized off white head.

Aromas: toasted nuttiness with some caramel.

Tastes: the same nuttiness, caramel, and lighter chocolate.

Notes from and tasted on: 11/25/07.

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2008 16:36:58 | More by hopdog

colts9016

Idaho

3.73/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: A medium brown, with reddish hues. There was a head but it vanished in thin air. There is some cloudiness, and carbonation bubbles.

Nose: Roasted malt, molasses, burnt sugar and alcohol. Hints of esters, butterscotch, citrus, and phenols.

Taste: Roasted malt, burnt sugar, molasses, and esters. There are notes of citrus, a spiciness, butterscotch, and phenols.

Overall: there is some carbonation on the tongue. The mouth feel is astringent. A finish does exist, but it seems phenol like. It is an okay beer, nothing special. I like it, except for the finish.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2008 02:56:36 | More by colts9016

CoolJosh

Pennsylvania

3.35/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A pours a very foamy white with a light brown tint head, half finger. dark amber brown with no haziness but not crystal clear.

S Mostly sweet banana, but doesn't come out strong, and nothing else really sticks out here

T Starts off a little rough, lots of carbonation, and finishes with a nutty banana flavor. Not enough comes out here, some brown sugar, and not as smooth as the style typically calls for.

Good to try, but probably would pass up if I came across it again.

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2008 05:14:43 | More by CoolJosh

BeerAdvocate

Massachusetts

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

Review from BeerAdvocate Magazine March 07

Word is, brown is the new black, or maybe it's just that Brown Ales are gaining some headway and popularity among brewers and consumers. This one is going for that malty Northern English Style Brown Ale feel to be exact. It's great to see a beer from the PNW that's not on hop overkill.

A good amount of foam provides a thick, off-white head, and a brilliantly clear henna color. The head retention is quite impressive. Aroma is thick of toasted malt, mild fruitiness and faint spicy hops. Creamy smooth mouthfeel; medium-bodied with a gentle carbonation. Copious amounts of malt flavor to start; toasted and slight caramel flavors seem to be the most predominant. Hint of spicy herbal hop lays down a modest but balancing bitterness. A tad fruity with a twang from the yeast in the middle. Finishes semi-sweet with some faded toasted grain.

A phenomenal beer. It's so refreshing to see another Brown Ale on the market. Cheers to Bridgeport for this one! Try a minimalist pairing approach, like sweet Italian sausage on a plain hoagie roll.

Serving type: bottle

10-24-2008 18:51:00 | More by BeerAdvocate

tbeck

Washington

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

Poured a clear, dark brown with a decent white/brown head that collared nicely. Aroma was malt and sugar. Taste was malt, slight hint of hops and coffee in the aftertaste. Very smooth but a hint of bitterness. On the thin side, but good body. Good overall, good flavor, nothing offensive. I could easily handle a number of these in a sitting and enjoy them.

Serving type: bottle

08-18-2008 03:21:43 | More by tbeck

stephens101

Oklahoma

4/5  rDev +13%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Haven't had a brown ale in a while, so am looking forward to this one for a change of pace. Pours a reddish-brown with a good and thick but fairly quickly fading tan head. Smells of slight caramel, tea and chocolates. Tastes a bit spicy and sugary with some roasted malts and a hint of bitterness finishing things off. A tasty, light-to-medium bodied brown that fits the style perfectly and twists your arm to enjoy a good session together.

Serving type: bottle

06-28-2008 19:23:26 | More by stephens101

Kemmerlin

Colorado

3.8/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

A: Poured a very thick head, about 3 finger widths but quickly fell down without much lacing on the glass. A reddish brown color.

S: Had aromas of molasses, caramel, a very faint smell of dried blueberries and barley grains.

T: Had a camouflaged taste of dark semi sweet chocolate, a nutty taste, with much of the taste residing in the malts. A very slight bittering taste hits the back from the hops deinitely could've used more hops.

M/D: Quite watered down, maybe slightly grainy but to notice if you do. This is quite disappointing considering the look of the beer. The drinkability is good though and doesn't hit you hard with a strong amount of alcohol so you can have several of these in a day. Not my favorite but still was good.

Serving type: bottle

05-28-2008 00:19:53 | More by Kemmerlin

rye726

Colorado

2.78/5  rDev -21.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

This poured a mahogany brown into my imperial pint glass. A nice tan head. The nose has sweet malts and nutty caramel. The taste has toasted grainy malts and a faint touch of hops. A nice light clean body with moderate carbonation. An average mild brown ale.

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2008 18:26:20 | More by rye726