Brooklyn Brown Ale - Brooklyn Brewery

StoutHunter

Michigan

3.9/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

I got a bottle of Brooklyn's Brown Ale that my brother brought back from his trip down south. I have always wanted to try some beer from this brewery, but since they aren't available in Michigan I have never had the chance to try this beer till now, so lets see how it goes. It had a best before date of June 2012. Poured from a brown 12oz bottle into a imperial pint glass.

A- The label looks ok, it's pretty clean and traditional looking. It poured a nice mahogany color that took on a nice bright deep ruby red color that was fairly clear when held to the light and it had two and a half fingers worth of fluffy white head that died down to a thin layer that stayed till the end and left a little lacing. This Brown Ale looks on par for the style.

S- The aroma starts off with a nice amount of sweet caramel malts that impart some nice, toasted, toffee caramel, brown bread, brown sugar, and slight espresso like coffee aromas. Towards the end I get a slight nuttiness and some more roasted aromas with a little bit of chocolate at the end and there were no hops that I could pick up. I liked the aroma of this beer, it's pretty complex, slightly nutty and it had a little more roast then normal for a Brown Ale, all those aspects came together to make for a pretty good aroma.

T- The taste is pretty close to the aroma and follows it nicely. It starts off with a large amount of malts that have a lower amount of medium sweetness and impart some nice grainy, brown bread, toffee, and caramel flavors. It isn't as roasty as the aroma was but it still imparts a slight coffee and chocolate flavor along with and equally light nutty flavor. There's a slight tartness at the end followed by a light amount of medium bitterness and a malty, brown bread, and a nutty aftertaste. This was a good tasting Brown Ale, my only complaint was the slight tartness on the finish, but other then that I thought the flavor was nice.

M- Very smooth, slightly creamy, medium bodied with a medium amount of carbonation. The mouthfeel was really good and it worked well with this beer, I have no complaints.

Overall I liked this beer and I thought it was a good example of an American Brown Ale, it had some nice complex aromas and flavors that were more robust then the average American Brown Ale and that made this beer stick out a little and made it memorable. This beer had pretty good drinkability it went down pretty fast and smooth and had enough flavor to hold my attention, I could see drinking two or three of these in a row if I was in the mood for a Brown Ale. What I liked most about this beer was the aroma, it was really nice, roasty, and complex, I thought it was really well done. What I liked least about this beer was the slight tartness on the finish of this beer, it just seemed out of place, and it was unnecessary. I would buy this beer again if it was available, but since it's not I doubt I will be having it anytime soon. If you like American Brown Ales I for sure recommend giving this beer a try. This was my first beer from Brooklyn Brewery and I have to say that I was impressed and that it made for a pretty good first impression for this brewery and I am interested in trying many more beers from this brewery, there are more then a couple that I have my eye on. Good Job guys this is one solid American Brown Ale.

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2012 03:42:27 | More by StoutHunter

rangerred

Tennessee

3.4/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle into a pint glass.

Pours a clear deep ruby with a 1.5 finger light tan head.

Smells of floral hops along with some roasted malt and dark chocolate. A touch of coffee as well.

Flavor is coffee and roasted malt but quickly followed by a not so good metallic taste. Some caramel and bitter dark chocolate is there along with a light tartness. A moderate bitterness and a sticky finish ends it.

Overall this is a decent brown ale but could be better. If the metal taste would go away it would be a whole lot better.

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2012 00:31:10 | More by rangerred

minnesotaryan

Minnesota

3.93/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Dark brown slight amber/reddish tint at the bottom, some slight foam at the top.

Could smell the hops before I even poured it, cocoa, roasted malt and subtle citrus.

Chocolate, orange, roasted malt, perhaps light roast coffee.

Smooth, adequate carbonation, dry finish leaves you wanting more.

Nice easy to drink brown ale, I could see myself easily enjoying a few of these in a night.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2012 01:37:39 | More by minnesotaryan

TheDinger

South Carolina

3.93/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a bottle into a snifter. Nice rich brown tone with an adequate off white head and decent spotting and lacing. Smell is rich malts, chocolate and a hint of carmel. Taste follows the nose and is a straightforward ABA with a little coffee and nice blend of hops and malts. Easy drinking and refreshing. Feel is silky and creamy with good carbonation and medium body. Overall- I'm a big fan of Brooklyn and think they did a good job on their ABA. It's not out of this world, but it is very solid and is a good interpretation of the style. Solid blending of malts and carmel, good feel and I will be hitting a few more of these-

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2012 00:54:09 | More by TheDinger

dansmcd

Australia

3.95/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - A finger of foamy head caps the extreme dark brown body with golden glints.

S - Dry powdery coffee and sweet milk chocolate. Traces of hops.

T - Again, sweet coffee and chocolate, citrusy hops and a subtle smokiness.

M - Smooth medium body, low carbonation.

O - Really nice character brown ale, hoppier than the usual brown.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2012 13:20:32 | More by dansmcd

coalcracker

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +16.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Pours amber brown with very substantial carbonation and head retention.
Smell: Aroma is a bit malt and sweet with a touch of hop spiciness.
Taste: Starts out sweet with tones of caramel and darker malts which become more pronounced through the back end of the tasting. Hoppy aspect also a bit more noticeable at the midway point which helps quell the initial sweetness.
Mouthfeel: Medium feel with a very mild hop burn; otherwise very smooth and a bit dry at the end.

Overall- A pretty solid brown ale with a little more emphasis on the hops than other brown ales, which is just fine IMO. Good effort.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2012 01:54:57 | More by coalcracker

mattbk

New York

3.63/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A - Deep tan to brown, fairly clear, maybe just a tad hazy, head is pretty weak and fades fast.
S - Deep dark fruit, fig. Just a hint of chocolate. Smells very malty. I'm surprised at how much dark fruit you can get through this relatively low ABV beer.
T - Again, a pretty good amount of dark fruit, the finish is long and hangs around the back of the throat. Maybe a bit cloying. I'm searching for other things to go with the fruit, no nuttiness or much chocolate to speak of. Hops may come through right at the end to balance it a bit.
M - Fairly heavy on the mouthfeel, seems appropriate. Medium-light carbonation.
O - This beer is interesting in the malt expression, but a bit one dimensional. I'd like more of the dark malts to come through in a way that wasn't just sweet.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2012 03:01:04 | More by mattbk

160Shillings

North Carolina

4.43/5  rDev +21%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Aroma: Spicy, herbal, citrusy with just a hint of roast malt.
Appearance: Medium brown color, pours a full tan head that laces well and collapses into a rocky cap.
Flavor: Starts with the spicy hops, follows with roast flavors and herbal bitterness, finishes clean with a touch of bitterness lingering.
Mouthfeel: Medium body without clinging sweetness.
Overall Impression: This beer is a balance of roast flavors and typical American hops; cocoa & coffee with citrus, spicy and herbal flavors. The aromas are the same, just not quite as strong.
Comments: Brooklyn Brown Ale is the benchmark for the American brown ale style with good reason. It is a beer that you can enjoy roast malt and American hops characteristics in, yet still have more than one without it being too much.

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2012 03:38:22 | More by 160Shillings

dexterk1

Illinois

3.73/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I have had this beer a few times, but the most recent was from a bottle at a bar near me. The look is a rich dark brown.
Odor is sweet. Plenty of malt and chocolate .
Taste is chocolate, sweet caramel and coffee all in one. Malt dominates as I expected.
mouth feel is smooth and it has a nice flow on your tongue.
Overall a good brown ale from a brewery that I like in general.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2012 15:41:32 | More by dexterk1

heygeebee

Australia

2.73/5  rDev -25.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Thanks to Beer Cartel.

Pours a very deep cloudy brown, with a one finger off-white head. Some lace.

Aromas of brown sugar, treacle, caramel.

Taste is a watered down version of aromas. A little roast malt but overall quite sweet. Minimal hop presence. Have to say at the end of bottle - moderate flavour levels overall..

Mouthfeel is a let-down. Very watery indeed.

Overall, OK - but won't buy again.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2012 07:16:09 | More by heygeebee

dasenebler

Maine

2.1/5  rDev -42.6%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 1.5

12oz, best before July 2012.

Rich, dark chestnut, very clear. Nice creamy head and solid retention.

Aroma has some toasty, lightly roasty malt, a lot of off yeast character, and oxidized notes.

Flavor is oxidized, but some nice maltiness shines through with notes of toasted bread, toffee and chocolate. Pretty bitter and dry. Slightly acidic, and not very clean in the yeast department. Can you say INFECTION? Mouthfeel is very drying, with smooth medium carbonation.

So this is supposed to be good until July 2012? Really? God only knows how rank it'll be by then. Best rethink your packaging code, Brooklyn Brewery. Oxidized and infected is not a great combo, especially four months before the best-by date.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2012 23:52:45 | More by dasenebler

DarthNerdus

3.23/5  rDev -11.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured from bottle to glass. Decent enough beer, not a personal favorite. Smells particularly sweet, with a strong caramel scent. A clear dark brown appearance with a nice head that gives way to a ring around the beer. A nice taste as well, sweet a first with a very strong bitterness ending with nutty notes. Distinguishable coffee flavors. Overall a decent beer, but I’m not fond of the bitterness and be careful what you eat with it! Anything sweet before or during ruins it.

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2012 05:12:25 | More by DarthNerdus

mooseo

Pennsylvania

3.73/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle poured into pint glass.

A - Deep brown mahogany with a small white head.

S - Roasted malt, milk chocolate. Mmm.

T - Heavy presence of burnt roasted malt. Sweet toffee and milk chocolate flavors come through. Overall has a wonderful flavor.

M - Smooth, medium-heavy in body. Average carbonation.

O - Nice offering from Brooklyn Brewery. Flavor is complex and pleasing. Drinkability is high.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2012 03:23:12 | More by mooseo

rdilauro

Connecticut

4.4/5  rDev +20.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Loved this pour. Nice dark, but not black with a creamy head.
As soon as I put my nose into the glass, I could pick up aromas of banana and pineapple, so sort of tropical in a way.

The first sip was full and big.. Right balance of malt and hops.
The finish was just as good as the start.

Each sip after that was as good as the first one. I enjoyed the bold, yet approachable way this brew came across. At first I was expecting something to really be up front and in your face. Which I do enjoy with many brews.

But this one started to be in your face, but mellowed as you took the first sip and enjoyed the rest of it.

A nice one

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2012 04:50:32 | More by rdilauro

AMiz602

Pennsylvania

3.35/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

This looks very, very dark, almost stoutish. The head, like most Brooklyn brews, is choppy and doesn't retain itself for very long. The smell is very strong sweet, nutty almost with hints of honey.

The taste right of the the bottle is crisp, malty-sweet, with a bit of nuttiness. However, as the brew warms up it loses some of its sweetness, and becomes a little more bitter. Goes down a little dry, and would make a nice pairing with a meat dish.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2012 02:46:44 | More by AMiz602

chilly460

Virginia

3.53/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours a cola brown with finger of off-white head. Good retention and nice lacing to the bottom.

S: Get lots of sweet medium roasted malts on this one, some caramal sweetness for sure. Has a clean grassy hops aroma in the background as well.

T: Quite a bit of that caramel sweetness comes in immediately. The profile is quite sweet overall. Not much nuttiness that I like in Browns. Hop character picks up and finishes well.

M: Fairly standard here, it is a solid medium body and carbonation.

O: Solid, but unexceptional, brown ale. Bit on the sweeter side then standard, IMO, but it's a nice session beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2012 02:16:12 | More by chilly460

thain709

Pennsylvania

3.88/5  rDev +6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Served with a clear, darker shade of brown body that had some ruby highlights...the head stood one finger tall and was off white in color...recedes to a thick cap and only leaves light lacing

S - A little on the lighter side...nutty with some sweeter caramel and toffee notes

T - The flavors were very well balanced on the palate...the beer opens with some roasted malt characteristics that give off some a brief chocolate flavor...the chocolate actually comes back stronger in the finish...a nuttiness comes across the palate once the roasted malts are finished...that leads right into a sweet toffee flavor that pairs well with the nuts...a sweet, roasted chocolate flavor finishes the beer

M - Medium bodied...a touch on the sweeter side but very balanced and well rounded

O - This was a nice surprise...Brown Ales are hit or miss for me and this one was a hit...nicely balanced with chocolate, toffee, and a nuttiness leading the way

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2012 01:28:53 | More by thain709

MrKennedy

Australia

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

12oz bottle into a Brooklyn Tulip, picked up at the Parramatta Road, Camperdown Cellars.

Pours deep brown with a tough of mahogany and ruby around the edges when held up to the light. Off-white foam that depletes just a little bit too soon and doesn't leave a trace on the glass.

Smells of lightly toasted malt, plenty of nut, but it works in harmony with the toasted malt and doesn't become overbearing. Some chocolate in the background, but lacking any real hop presence. Otherwise, it does everything you want in this department.

Tastes of chocolate and nut, with the two complimenting one another, despite not being huge in their own right. Good, but lacking any real hop flavour that i was expecting from a US Brown Ale.

Body is overall ok, with just a little thin spot towards the end. Doesn't get too sweet, but doesn't have the bite at the end that i'd expect from a US Brown.

A good beer, but needs the hoppiness to be a true US brown ale. I'm guessing faded as it has just 4 months left on the Best Before and is a legitimate import.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2012 10:20:48 | More by MrKennedy

Brabander

Netherlands

2.98/5  rDev -18.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I got this bottle in a trade and i completely forgot the name of the BA who send it to me. Sorry sorry!

This is an easy drinkable beer. Poured in my Struise glass the beer looks quit nice. Deepdarkbrown fluid and a nice head with lots of lacing.

The smell is a bit abnormal and i can not really point out what is wrong with it....is it the smell of my feet?

Taste is a bit too thin and with lots of strange twists. Not really worth drinking....but i am glad i got to try it!

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2012 21:29:45 | More by Brabander

JamesS

Indiana

4.88/5  rDev +33.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

What an excellent brown ale! Poured a wonderful deep brown with great head and good lacing throughout. A wonderful deep and dark malty aroma, with wonderful woodiness and roastiness. It's a great ent-draught flavor, with a deep dark malty tone and wonderful slight earthy finish. Goes down deep and thick, quite wonderful indeed!

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2012 18:30:23 | More by JamesS

Agold

Pennsylvania

4.03/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

This beer pours with minimal just off white head that recedes to a thin film. No lacing. Dark brown, but definitely not stout black. A bit of light can still get through. Aroma is a bit nutty, mildly roasty, but mostly fruity from the yeast. Flavor is similar, but the fruityness is a bit more subdued and there is some earthy hop flavor. Nicely nutty with some nice mild caramel. Definitely tastes more English than American to me. Mouthfeel is good and smooth. About medium with low carbonation. Very nice. I definitely think this beer is much more English, and I like that a lot. Enjoyable beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2012 04:55:51 | More by Agold

vicsju1991

Pennsylvania

3.93/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

12 oz into duvel snifter
A - dark brownish black, with a small one finger white head, stays for a while, good lacing and retention
S - not a hevay smell, some choclatey and roasted malts
T - roasty and choclatey malts well balanced
M - smooth and easy to drink
O - very decent brown ale, solid winter beer

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2012 00:48:51 | More by vicsju1991

aBeeraWeek

Australia

3.43/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A tan head fine sits around the edge of the glass, deep brown with hint of red when held to the light.

Smells mostly of sweet malts and toffee – hint of herbs and floral pine – quite an impact of hazelnuts.

Tastes mostly of rich coffee and burnt toffee. Also some pine floral hop after taste which is slightly odd – not so sure it really suits the style.

Medium body with medium to light carbonation. Finishes really well with a nice smooth velvet feel.

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2012 10:59:05 | More by aBeeraWeek

Misfit138

Tennessee

4.15/5  rDev +13.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from bottle into pint glass

A- Nice chocolate brown in color with a frothy tan head

S- Sweet toffee in smell with hints of nut

T- Mostly chocolate in front with hints of nut and roasty finish

M- Mostly smooth medium in body with light carbonation

O- Very solid brown ale, the roasty finish is bolder than most brown ales.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2012 02:26:57 | More by Misfit138

JohannBock

Pennsylvania

3.33/5  rDev -9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A: Poured into a mug glass. Pours a nice 1.5 finger head, tan. Pretty opaque for a brown ale but when the light does show through it is a reddish brown on the sides.

S: A sweet malty nose, has some copper tones to it, possibly a bit of carmel. There is also some toasty notes to it as well.

T: Rich malt with some copper undertones, some toastiness to it. Not bad but nothing to write home about.

M: Light carbonation that washes the flavors around nicely. Thickish mouthfeel but not sticky.

O: Solid beer, for the price point it's a good beer to have as a standby.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2012 00:10:00 | More by JohannBock