Brooklyn Local 1 - Brooklyn Brewery

Clydesdale

District of Columbia

4.35/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Pours a faintly hazy orange-yellow color with some big bubbles of carbonation initially visible. The head is very tall, foamy, and white. Retention is solid, leaving a rocky cap on the beer after a few minutes and some irregular patches of lacing on the glass.

S: Fragrant yeast character. Fruity notes of orchard and more exotic varieties, including some mild banana and lemony citrus. Some spiciness of clove. A bit of grainy maltiness and lurking alcohol is present as well.

T: Thoroughly yeasty. Some mild grainy and doughy sweetness up front is quickly swallowed by yeasty funk and tartness. Fruit flavors are prominent, with golden apple, pear, banana, lemon, and some faint candied pineapple available. Yeasty spice adds a nice background of cloves and phenols without becoming a focal point. Hop bitterness is low but does pop up a little in the finish, along with a mostly hidden alcoholic bite.

M: Moderate body for the style. Carbonation is lively and assertive. Finishing mouthfeel is dry, which isn't unexpected. Alcohol is concealed well but at 9% still mildly noticeable.

O: This is a nice take on a Belgian Strong Pale Ale. It has a very complex, vaguely German yeast character - almost like a weizenbock in many respects - coupled with a big, dry, fruity Belgian backbone. Drinkable and enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2012 00:35:49 | More by Clydesdale

kangarooAdam59

Wyoming

3.9/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Into a chalice:

A: light hazy orange colored body with a nice foamy slightly lumpy white one finger head, some nice foamy lacing graces the sides of the glass

S: Belgian yeast up front combined nicely with clove, banana and lemon.

T: sweet with the previously mentioned flavors combining nicely.

M: medium with nothing harsh on the tongue. It leaves a dry finish and a crisp sweet aftertaste. Though the ABV is fairly high, the drinkability is pretty good. I have no problem being able to finish off the rest of this bomber within a session.

O: I would say this is a pretty good beer that I'd probably come back to.

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2012 14:55:53 | More by kangarooAdam59

TheMultiYeast

Pennsylvania

4.2/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours light vibrant hazy orange with 2 fingers of white head. Crazy retention and lacing.

Clove, banana, lemony citrus in nose, distinct spice notes, chalky, estery ripe fruit, mildly sweet grains

Equal amounts of ripe banana and cloves, yeasty esters, a bit of sweetness, alcohol is completely hidden, clean slightly dry finish.

Incredibly smooth, clean, and flavorful.

Strong Saison? Strong Belgian Pale? Whatever it may be, this beer is awesome.

Serving type: bottle

10-20-2012 03:28:53 | More by TheMultiYeast

rfbenavi80

Missouri

4.05/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Bottle date code 1951 on back of 750ml bottle. Bottle poured into a tulip.

A- Pours a hazy muted dark golden straw color with 3 fingers of thick bubbly bright white head that hangs around quite a while and leaves some nice lacing on the glass.

S- Fruity, getting a faint banana / clove aroma. A little bit of funk, mixed with some strong, spicy Belgian yeast. The fruits seem to turn tropical as it warms in the glass.

T- Starts off huge and malty. Lots of sweetened, sugary, malt. Almost bready, biscuity, or doughy flavors follow. Theres that banana / clove flavor thats in the aroma. Hmmm, Interesting. Theres plenty of spicy Belgian yeast to go around here. A tasty treat.

M- A very creamy mouthfeel on the high side of medium body. This one has a lively amount of carbonation that prickles the tongue a little bit. The 9% ABV is EXTREMELY well hidden, I do not even begin to smell / taste any trace of it.

O- This one is tasty. It's a nice different take on a Belgian Pale Ale, or Strong Belgian Pale Ale which ever you want to call it. It really is hard to call this a strong one considering the way the 9% ABV is hidden. I like the sweetness mixed with the mild funk, and the added bonus of the wheat banana aroma / flavor. Hats off to Brooklyn.

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2012 23:21:48 | More by rfbenavi80

damndirtyape

Ohio

4.35/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

750mL bottle poured into a Duvel tulip glass. Batch stamp on bottle was 3141. No other date.

Appearance: Translucent/cloudy orange-copper color. Thick and persistent 1/8" thick dense off-white foam. Plenty of strands of lacing in strands noted. Good looking beer.

Smell: Fruity - with some definite tropical fruit smells in here (I noted papaya). Demerara sugar noted as well, along with a hint of orange citrus.

Taste: Wonderful blend of fruit and malt up front, some citrus in the middle, and some hop bitterness mixed in with a demerara sugar flavor at the end. Very tasty

Mouthfeel: Good carbonation, spicy on the tongue, nice thickness underneath the carbonation. Just the barest hint of stickiness on the teeth.

Overall / Drinkability: A very rich, tasty, and well balanced beer here, full of Belgian goodness and many nice flavors. The alcohol is not notable at first, but it shows up in force later. While you should sip and savor it has that great pull of flavor that can lead one to drink it faster than you should. So while I know for me it should be one is enough....I am quite glad I had a big Duvel-sized glass of this when I split the bottle with the Mrs. A dangerously drinkable beer, but a very good one overall.

Serving type: bottle

10-10-2012 23:30:23 | More by damndirtyape

bigfnjoe

Pennsylvania

2.18/5  rDev -47.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Poured from a corked and caged bottle into a Duvel tulip

A- pours a cloudy yellow with a three finger white head that fades moderately quick, with tons of lacing up the glass. A little cloudy for a saison IMO

S- the aroma comes off as a little stale to me actually....light bit of funk, with a lot of some weak banana type scents as well

T- lots of Belgian yeast coming through, very fruity and flowery and choking the hell out of me. That's all I can really taste, and it's not a very pleasant experience.

M- medium bodied. It's fine

O- I can't do this, and a good 3/4 of the bottle was a drain pour. Way too much of that "Belgian flavor" choking the hell out of me

Serving type: bottle

09-26-2012 23:36:03 | More by bigfnjoe

JohnnyBarman

Ontario (Canada)

4.35/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

750mL bottle, aged about one year, enjoyed at a recent tasting - cheers for this Derrick!

Poured into an oversized wine glass. Hazy golden, some visible sediment, big fluffy head, lots of lacing. First-rate looking brew.

Nose is an interesting blend of Belgian yeast, fruity esters, vanilla, mild funk, sugar, and tropical notes (passion fruit, papaya, peach), with a touch of floral hops as well. Lots going on here.

A terrific brew indeed, in that it seems to borrow elements from three big Belgian styles (wit, pale, saison), and the combination of these actually works really well. Similar notes: sweet sugary tropical fruit, a bit of banana, spice, citrus and mild yeast. Very nice.

Smooth, creamy pale ale, low but consistent carbonation (chock this up to the year in the cellar), very easy to drink.

Terrific Belgian pale, glad I finally got a chance to try it. Will pick up again.

Serving type: bottle

09-09-2012 16:57:32 | More by JohnnyBarman

Apellonious

North Carolina

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

1 pt 9.4 fl oz from Frugle's poured into a pint glass.

A - golden orange, partially cloudy, big fluffy head on the pour.

S- lemon zest, biscuit, orange peel and some slight hops.

T - interesting. That's usually what I write when I can't explain it. You get the paleness, some sugary overtones, dough, and citrus. A faint splash of alcohol. Some mild tartness.

M - mouthfeel is spot on, maybe just a touch undecarbonated. This is probably a result of the huge release on the 1st pour.

O - defintiely worth a try. In the line of Duvel, with some additional lemon sweetness. A great beer to complement a hearty meal.

Serving type: bottle

09-03-2012 21:14:48 | More by Apellonious

cr0ckett

Michigan

4.05/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into snifter with think white head, which thinned out in about a minute. Nice lacing though. Hazy amber color with lots bubbles darting up from the bottom of the glass. Smells mostly of fruits and some grain, with some faint spices. The nose is good, but not as strong as others I've tried. Taste balanced and thin; nothing is overpowering. Fruity flavors up front; mango or apricot and apple I think, but the finish is a little more grainy. All of the fruit flavors are subtle and not overpowering. There is a definite bitter bite that stays with you for a while, but it's more subtle than others I've tried. The taste it leaves behind is like apple juice. This has a medium light mouthfeel, but the first thing I noticed about this beer when I took a sip was how carbonated it is. It's like drinking a fountain soda pop; fizzy on the tongue, then it thins out quickly. Overall a very enjoyable beer, and I recommend trying it.

Serving type: bottle

08-23-2012 23:16:20 | More by cr0ckett

HattedClassic

Virginia

4.38/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Pours a beautiful golden straw color with a tiny bit of lacing at the top. The beer leaves a little bit of lacing.

Smell: A yeasty smell dominates the nose with hints of hops and the mango and other fruits come out a little bit when the beer warms up a little bit.

Taste: The ops come in under the fruity tastes. I get mango, passion fruit, and a hint of pineapple but not much of the pineapple. A little bit of alcohol at the end of the beer.

Mouthfeel: Effervescent carbonation and slightly watery but in a good way. The beer feels medium body but slightly lighter.

Overall: I think that this a pretty good Belgian Pale Ale. I recommend at least once. I personally do not care much for fruity beers but I think that this one gets right and I might buy another one in the future.

Serving type: bottle

08-20-2012 02:19:04 | More by HattedClassic

vickersspitfire

Texas

4.4/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into goblet, this Belgian ale pours out a nice nutty and burnt orange color and is topped off with a nice thick head that’s just creamy and billowy. The body is mildly hazy and filled with carbonation. The head sticks around for a while and shows no signs of fading any time soon. There’s a thick wall of lacing that just seems to corral the bubbles together. The aroma overall is wheaty with some mild spices, citrus fruits and even raisin. It’s very crisp overall, slightly bitter when it hits the sides of your mouth and it does have a mild alcohol flavor in the background. The aftertaste is mild and filled with spices and hops

Serving type: bottle

08-19-2012 01:54:23 | More by vickersspitfire

Vixie

Illinois

3.8/5  rDev -8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Pours a nice yellow with a hint of orange, and a large thick white head. A lot of bubbles are coming up from the bottom of my Duvel glass.

Smell is malty, with yeast and a hint of pepper.

Starts out a bit on the fruity side, maybe a bit of apple and apricot. Spice kicks in after that, a bit of a subtle pepper flavor to it. Finishes with a bit of alcohol warming and a bit of a peppery aftertaste.

I thought the feel was probably the weakest aspect, nothing really stood out for me.

Overall an interesting take on the style. This one tends to emphasize the fruit and pepper profile, nearly no hop presence at all. A pretty good beer, but falls just short of being a great one.

Serving type: bottle

08-18-2012 02:01:23 | More by Vixie

crazyfraser

3.45/5  rDev -16.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Apperance is a little dark/golden with crisp white head. a little on the light side for me as far as color goes and has just a smidgen of cloudyness.

smell is fruity citrus, smells strong of alcohol.

taste is kinda champagney to start with mild hoppyness notes to finish. smooth yet strong...

mouthfeel smooth followed by tingly

overall easy to drink as far as the ABV goes.. not my first pick but will definatly drink again

Serving type: bottle

08-07-2012 00:47:05 | More by crazyfraser

beerluvr

New Jersey

3.18/5  rDev -23%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Tasted from a 0.3L Victory snifter. Pours with a vigorous healthy head of white foam, small bubbles rising through the slightly hazy light amber colored beer. Tropical fruit, light maltiness and slight funk in the nose, spicy yeastiness too. Fruit carries thru the taste as well, not too much hop bitterness for a Belgian P.A. There is a fair amount of malty sweetness though, light alcohol noted too. Finishes nice and subtle with no one component dominating. Not too bad but I've had better in this style.

Serving type: bottle

08-05-2012 01:00:08 | More by beerluvr

maximum12

Minnesota

3.4/5  rDev -17.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to goryshkewych for this extra in a trade this spring. 750 ML bomber split with my wife.

Only about 2/3 of the bottle poured to keep any goo out of the initial swigs. 73% unclear, the beer is a darker yellow that might have had a touch of Red #4 added. Smell is hard to find. Bit of sugary sweetness. Spice? Huh.

Local 1 certainly had a lot of sugar added. Insulin emergency! Waves of sweetness sweep the palate clean of my good steak dinner, which is a shame. Lemony, with an unidentified spiciness that I can't put my finger on, at all. Coriander? Light fruits. But the wall of raw sugar subdue any subtleties without mercy. Lucky I have a sweet tooth, which makes it easy to sip.

Did I mention it's sweet? One of the sugariest beers I've done heard of, but it keeps banging that note until my fingers turn blue. What? Pretty good beer.

Serving type: bottle

07-07-2012 02:18:22 | More by maximum12

keithmurray

New York

3.95/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

750ml bottle poured into a tulip

Appearance - dark golden color with thick white head

Smell - yeast, coriander, cloves

Taste - yeast, lemon merangue, cloves, coriander

Mouthfeel - astringent up front and in the finish, full bodied, full carbonation, dry, slightly sweet

Overall - good example of the style, my only complaint is that the mouthfeel on this seems less than totally balanced

Price Point - $8.99/750ML bottle

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2012 19:24:54 | More by keithmurray

VelvetExtract

Massachusetts

3.33/5  rDev -19.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A-Pours a murky lighter golden color. Big, frothy head that sits around forever. Leaves semi-solid, chunky lacing that solidifies along the glass. Quite attractive, but looks are overblown.

S-Belgian to the core. Yeasty and sweet. Only moderately spiced. Quite sweet. The nose is actually mildly bland. Could use more of those Noble hops. Smells a bit syrupy sweet. Also the intensity is underwhelming.

T-The flavor brings no surprises. Yeast and subtle spice. Sweeter than I would like it to be. A bunch of honey. Lacks hoppiness. Seems dulled down. Pale fruits and light crackers. Intensity is lacking.

M-Surprisingly low in carbonation. Quite syrupy on the tongue. Plenty of body; I am not sure if I enjoy the curves though. Sticky.

O/D-A unique BPA. Not my favorite interpretation of the style. Tried it without needing to buy a bottle, but I would not shell out over $10 for a bottle of this. Not really for me, but I respect the liquid craftsmanship.

Serving type: bottle

06-30-2012 03:11:24 | More by VelvetExtract

flagmantho

Washington

4.18/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured from 750mL corked & caged bottle into a tulip.

Appearance: medium golden hue with a light haze and a robust effervescence. Head poured 3+ fingers of frothy white foam and is inconveniently persistent. Quite dramatic!

Smell: nice malt aroma with a little bit of farmhouse funk complemented by a light sweetness. Within this is a nice pear character, which I always love in a big Belgian-inspired beer. The smoothness and balance here is wonderful; I love it.

Taste: big, sweet malt with more of that pear and funk. The flavor seems less complex and a bit sweeter than the aroma; still quite good but not as subtle and enticing as the smell.

Mouthfeel: medium body with a huge carbonation and mammoth, mouth-filling creaminess. Delightful.

Overall: I like this beer a lot and would definitely have it again, but I must say it is a bit on the sweet side, even for the style. Big and tasty, yes; a refreshing quaffer, decidedly not.

Serving type: bottle

06-28-2012 01:59:56 | More by flagmantho

yamar68

Minnesota

4.5/5  rDev +9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This beer is a longtime favorite of mine that I just haven't gotten around to reviewing, for whatever reason. This is a fresh bottle, poured into a brandy snifter.

It pours like the most delicate beer... a very pale glowing straw gold with a soft two fingers of starch white head that settles back to a thin cap. Perfect, distinct lacing.

Tasty yeasty bits on the nose, bunches of clove notes, wheat, faint booze comes with a hard snort, toasted bread, sweet cereal, yum.

One of the smoother drinking big beers you'll find - tons of wheaty cereal notes, a rich clove character, whole grain, balanced yeast profile, not too spicy and not too sweet, I could drink this all day (at least until I passed out drunk).

A must try for most any beer drinker. So smooth.

Serving type: bottle

06-26-2012 03:24:26 | More by yamar68

Beer_Runner

3.6/5  rDev -12.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottled on 03/12
Slow pour into a standard pint glass.
The cork came about half way out of the bottle as soon as I removed the wire keeper.

A: It poured to a complete glass of foam. Soon the foam disapated to about one finger of light tan head that was robust and foamy. The brew is on the darker side of golden and just a little cloudy.

S: The aroma has plenty of funky Belgian yeast with some lighter caramel and sugary malt notes; and, there is just a little hint of earthy hops, too.

T: The taste plenty of funky Belgian yeast and sweet caramely malt up front. There is just a bit of earthy hops that keeps it from being too sweet. And, a touch of alcohol heat also tones down the sweetness.

M: It has a light to medium body a large amount of carbonation. Together with the alcohol it has an almost stinging sensation, but not in a bad way.

O: This is a different take on Belgian beer. It has plenty of that cool, funky Belgian yeast flavor. But, for me the sweetness just did not fit well with the Belgian funk.

Serving type: bottle

06-21-2012 01:01:47 | More by Beer_Runner

rarbring

Sweden

3.6/5  rDev -12.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

The beer is clouded light straw colored, a high white head that leaves good lacing.

This was very vinous with good cask qualities which often is hard to obtain. Good balance.

This bottle was sampled at Allt-Om-Öl-festivalen 2012, Eskilstuna, Sweden.

Serving type: bottle

06-17-2012 18:16:42 | More by rarbring

Hopfenpeter

Maryland

4.4/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Beautiful hazy medium cold color and a nici two and a half finger white, creamy head. Some lacing, as I drink.
The smell is fruity hops, some bread notes.
The taste is a very well balanced fruity hop composition which starts out with citrus, orange, but will be checked by belgium yeast flavors. Towards the end, some bread flavors, as well as some more bitter hops balance this beer to perfection.
Very refreshing, great carbonation, very drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2012 02:32:03 | More by Hopfenpeter

kemoarps

Missouri

3.73/5  rDev -9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

pours a hazy pale straw. I'd almost call it a pastel light amber? Big pillowy white head lingers, but there's not much lacing as I drink.

The nose is mostly dominated by the belgian spices with a little bready/white grape sweetness underneath.

Taste is more of the same with a somewhat earthy/musty aspect to it. I actually kind of like that. Mellows it so it's not overwhelmingly sweet or spicy/fruity.

Smoothe and drinkable. That 9% is hidden extremely well.

Serving type: bottle

06-01-2012 04:24:04 | More by kemoarps

OdinMcHaggis

4.2/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Beer is in a 25 oz bottle purchased for $10 bucks. Poured into an 18oz. schooner, it has a thick white head, with nice retention and lacing. Nothing special about the smell, it's sweet and a bit of alcohol. The taste is well balanced, hops dominate, sweet malt finish. Mouthfeel is where the beer is something special. It's medium body with wonderful small bubble carbonation, the carbonation is so good, it's notable. Overall, this beer is true to the style and something I will purchase again.

Serving type: bottle

05-27-2012 22:23:27 | More by OdinMcHaggis

sulldaddy

Connecticut

4.03/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Sampling a cellar temp bottle poured into a snifter. The beer pours a bright clear gold color with bleached white tightly packed head of 2 cm.
Aroma is sweet and fruity with white grapes and a bit of candi sugar, rich yet light and springy scents. Some light floral hops and a bit of grassy notes mixed in make a fairly complex and inviting nose.
First sip is an average to light body with fine tingly carbonation. The physical traits of this beer make for an easy drinking experience.
Flavor is sweet caramel malt and candi sugar with some light fruit notes as well. I do get a bit of grassy hops on the finish but no sign of any ABV which is a nice accomplishment for a 9% brew. The finish is also fairly dry makes me think of white wine.
Overall this is a very drinkable brew and is also complex enough to keep me happy throughout the sampling.
I would buy this again and share it as it seems to be a very good beer for hot summer months.

Serving type: bottle

05-27-2012 04:40:43 | More by sulldaddy