Brooklyn Ale / Pennant Ale '55 - Brooklyn Brewery

DerekP

Pennsylvania

3.13/5  rDev -14.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured into a Samuel Adams pint glass.

Looks dark amber brown. A fluffy, off-white or nougat head.

Smells toasted. Biscuity; sweet malts.

Tastes sour; lots of diacetyl, and in this case, for the worse. Also showing some phenols - the medicinal kind. The flavors calm down somewhat and the brew improves as it warms up a bit.

Feel is a little weak; could use a little more bite. Medium-heavy body.

I poured the last glass from the growler out. Pretty disappointed, but not a terrible brew.

Serving type: growler

05-02-2010 23:25:50 | More by DerekP

Chadbrew

Delaware

3.53/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Very clear copper colored beer with a pretty low level of carbonation. The lacing along the edges is minimal. The aroma is a sweet malt backbone with a hint of piney hops. There is also a fair amount of diacetyl in the nose. The diacetyl carries over pretty strong into the taste. Looking past it I can detect a pretty well balanced albeit somewhat weak Pale Ale. The hops are definitely not over done.
I think this beers biggest attraction is that it is quite easy to drink, even with the "buttery" attributes.

Serving type: growler

03-27-2006 23:07:12 | More by Chadbrew

thecheapies

Pennsylvania

3.31/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 2.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3.25

Head fizzled out quickly. Left a copper brew with a nearly flat top. No foam withstood the gas purge.

A chlorinated aroma with those Marris Otter malts trying to breach through. A little floral hop tries to cut through a mild grain sweetness. Toastiness is there, but a little muted.

Attenuated flavors with malt dominance. Tart apple and rotted apple combine with earthiness, sparge water, herbal hops, spicy bitterness, toast, and toffee. That bitterness really swells in the finish. Not sure how I feel about this mild tartness.

Carbonation is very low. The bitterness almost fakes it. Body is wet and weak. I'd use the term 'watery' here.

A lot missing here. Carb, body, esters, hop flavor... just an imbalanced English Pale. Doesn't remind me of a baseball beer neither.

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2013 13:30:21 | More by thecheapies

fields336

North Carolina

4.08/5  rDev +11.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Nice clear reddish brownish, copper. fluffy, foamy off white head

S: biscuity, bready, toffee, caramel. burnt sugar

T: fresh biscuits and light fruit jam, toffee, burnt caramel, grassy hops, fresh cracked walnut

M: Medium bodied, with a dry finish, medium carbonation, not quite cask level but low enough to pass as an EPA

O: a nice english pale ale, I would definitely drink this again

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2013 01:13:53 | More by fields336

stephenjmoore

Maryland

3.56/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A- Medium amber colored body with great transparency. Thin off-white head that settles into a very thin layer of bubbles on top. Resembles the look of a flat cask ale.

S- Sweet caramel malt, biscuity toasted malt, slightest hint of sweet apricot.

T- Toasty and malt up front with caramel malt and what tastes like pilsner malt coming through. Towards the middle a metallic flavor takes over and leaves a bitter metallic aftertaste. Almost like the gross layer of beer stuck under the bottle cap. If you can get past that flavor, it tastes like an English bitter and pale ale mixed together.

M- Medium carbonation, medium-light in body. Very easy drinking and smooth.

O- Not a bad beer, but that metallic taste was hard for me to get past.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2013 19:22:17 | More by stephenjmoore

SouljaSaia17

Massachusetts

3.05/5  rDev -16.4%
look: 2.25 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3.25

Poured from a 12oz bottle into my Brooklyn Brewery glass.

A: This beer pours a light-golden color with a tint of amber to it. Has a thin, soapy head that leaves little lacing.

S: I get a little grapefruit citrus blended with some caramel that is finished by some light hops.

T: Initial citrus tang starts out the flavor that is accompanied by some hop character and yeast. I also get some apple through the body and ending with a caramel sweetness, but not bready or dry.

M: The mouth is ok, lots of carbonation in the glass. This beer has more of an ESB texture and taste to it, but its not overpowering in anything.

O: I thought this brew was pretty good, I got it from a mix a six so it will probably be a one off for me. Never the less, I have never had anything bad to say out Brooklyns beers, but this particularly is not much my style.

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2013 02:36:34 | More by SouljaSaia17

superspak

Michigan

3.8/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12 ounce bottle into pint glass, best before March 2013. Pours slightly hazy orange amber color with a 1-2 finger fairly dense off white head with good retention, that reduces to a thin cap that lingers. Light spotty lacing clings to the glass. Aromas of caramel, toast, brown bread, pine, floral, citrus, grass, and herbal hops. Nice and pleasant aromas with good strength and balance. Taste of carmael, toast, pine, floral, grass, brown bread, citrus peel, light nuttiness, and herbal hops. Light floral bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of caramel, toast, pine, floral, brown bread, citrus, grass, light nuttiness, and herbal on the finish for a bit. Very nice flavor robustness and balance of malt/hop flavors; with zero cloying flavors present after the finish. Medium carbonation and body; with a fairly creamy and smooth mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is very well hidden with only a slight warming noticed after the finish. Overall this is a very good English pale ale. Nice balance and robustness of flavors; and very smooth to drink. A nicely enjoyable offering.

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2013 05:02:03 | More by superspak

Thorpe429

Illinois

3.23/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

From a bottle. Pours a moderate golden-copper color. The nose has plenty of biscuit malt plus a bit of Continental hops. Very light citrus. A bit of yeast comes through in the flavor. Mildly hoppy. Quite drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2013 03:17:23 | More by Thorpe429

justintcoons

Pennsylvania

3.43/5  rDev -6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle poured into a tulip pint glass.
Best by November 2012 (2 months out of date)

Appearance
Gold with 1 finger of off-white head that dissipates quickly. Excellent clarity and extremely low carbonation.

Nose
Orange juice, honey, chlorine (in a good way) and a hint of caramel.

Taste
Very light on flavor. Notes of honey, orange citrus and perhaps lime. Some caramel and cereal grains. I think I even detect some tangy wheat. Chlorine-like flavors linger (again, note necessarily in a negative way.)

Mouthfeel
Medium bodied, crisp, clean and refreshing.

Overall
Not bad for an English Pale Ale that's out of date. It seems the biscuity flavors are replaces with honey, which works out fine. I'm sure this would have been much better fresh with some extra hop action.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2013 01:38:17 | More by justintcoons

angusdegraosta

New York

4.11/5  rDev +12.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

I know I give generous ratings, but for Brooklyn Pennant it is especially well-deserved. This beer has all the great characteristics of English ale but is a really good, reasonably priced domestic. All aspects of it are on point for style: look, smell, and flavor. Not too sweet either. The best part is the bready and yeasty flavor that comes through. Hop flavor is aromatic, slightly herbal, but not so bitter. It can only be perceived as bland if you drink it too cold. This is ale... let it warm a little to let the flavors surface. One of my favorites.

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2013 19:30:51 | More by angusdegraosta

StonedTrippin

Colorado

3.5/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

decent brew, definitely an english style. it pours caramel in color, totally clear, with plentiful rising bubbles that form an inch of thick white head. the nose is bitter, i expected caramel malt sweetness, but its not really there. lots of malt though, bready and a little heavy, with only a gentle bittering hop profile on the back end. flavor is the same as the smell, a little dull, but a balanced brew. still hardly a hint of sweetness. smooth texture, mellow but ample carbonation, and a medium body thats right on. overall a decent beer, not one ill be reaching for with any serious intent from the mix pack, but one i definitely dont mind.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2012 15:44:41 | More by StonedTrippin

kangarooAdam59

Maine

3.45/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3.5

Best by December 2012:

In a pint glass:

A: golden amber colored body left a one finger white head that died within fifteen seconds. Lots of carbonation was seen rising.

S: malty with citrus and sweet pine.

T: the same adding a bit of caramel and light hops.

M: light and very drinkable. It was slightly harsh on the tongue due to the carbonation.

O: this is a decent English pale, perhaps a bit too carbonated, but mostly good.

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2012 02:12:42 | More by kangarooAdam59

MDDMD

Pennsylvania

3.63/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A-golden amber color with a decent white head and some lacing

S-malt, citrus, pine, hints of sweetness

T-malt, light citrus, caramel, mild bitter hop presence

F-light to medium body with moderate carbonation, smooth

O-a decent pale ale, easy drinking

Serving type: bottle

11-18-2012 01:56:38 | More by MDDMD

gcamparone

Rhode Island

4.33/5  rDev +18.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a Samuel Adams pint glass. Purchased at Nikki's Liquors in North Providence, Rhode Island.

A- Pours a clear, copper colored body with a generous, fluffy 3" head that slowly reduces to some chunky white foam and leaves some sticky lacing. Inviting!!

S- I would smell this brew from 2 feet away the second I cracked it open. Upon a closer smell, I get some fresh crisp citrus, pine, and yeast aromas sitting on a caramel malt background. Equally as inviting as the appearance.

T- The balance here is incredible. Upfront, I get that hoppy citrus bite followed by a perfectly balanced warming caramel malt flavor. Leaves a subtle bitterness on the tongue.

M- Medium body, medium carbonation.

Overall this is in my opinion the definition of a highly-sessionable brew. Great balanced, easily drinkable, demanding of another sip. Worth many tries.

Serving type: bottle

11-13-2012 20:18:27 | More by gcamparone

Weli

Wisconsin

2.88/5  rDev -21.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A- Pours a golden amber hue with fine white lacing for head

S- Strong sweet malt smell, can really tell the base malt (Marris Otter) Can't detect any particular hop aroma although there is a subdued spicy or floral aroma

T-Subdued caramel, biscuity, with some roastiness. Some hop bitterness but not much character, some citrus flavor. Odd tart finish, quite dry. Rather bland

M- Thin, quite dry

O-Rather disappointed with this one. Very bland and thin, might be a nice alternative to BMC lagers but there are many better pale ales out there. Tartness is really off putting. In fairness the bottle was 3 months past its best buy date.

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2012 23:34:35 | More by Weli

match1112

Illinois

4/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

a: clear copper body with a fingers worth of off white head.

s: sweet fruits and malts with some hops

t: almost too sweet on the tongue. nice toasted malt balance with the fruits, little bite from the hops on the finish.

m: medium body, good carbonation. a little dry on the finish.

o: very drinkable, just a good solid beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2012 14:34:40 | More by match1112

chinchill

South Carolina

3.63/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle served in a Sam Adams lager glass.

Pours a lightly hazy, amber-copper color with a smallish off-white head. The head has limited retention but leaves nice lacing. An exceptional amount of visible carbonation.

The scent [3.75] is a pleasant mix of malts with some earthy and spicy hops. Hints of baked bread, caramel and toffee carry over into the flavor. The taste [3.75] is very good, with a solid malt base that makes it lightly sweet until the hops kick in for a more balanced (sweet/bitter) and earthy aftertaste.

M: medium body; crisp, with lively carbonation; semi-dry finish.

O: A very drinkable and refreshing brew that seems true to its style, if a bit heavily carbonated and, perhaps, a bit sweeter than average. [3.9]

Serving type: bottle

10-25-2012 23:36:27 | More by chinchill

tobelerone

New Jersey

3.53/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz. bottle from a 12 pack sampler. Pours clear, copper colored, with a modest cream colored head that settles down slowly and leaves a bit of lacing sticking to the sides of the glass. Aroma is malt-forward, a bit of toasty bread, some touches of fruit, and subdued hops that have an earthy, herbal character.

The flavor follows suit pretty closely. Malt comes to the fore, but it's only moderately toasty and not particularly distinctive overall. Again there is an aspect of fruitiness that's a little indistinct, and hop notes that are herbal and somewhat grassy. Hints of caramel sweetness dry up in the finish.

Medium body, medium to slightly high carbonation, drinks clean enough. Maybe this style isn't exactly my cup of tea but I found this one to be a little bland and unmemorable. You could certainly do worse in terms of an everyday, session-strength English style ale but there was something distinctly unexciting about this for me. Seems like I might enjoy it more cask-conditioned than from a bottle.

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2012 19:00:31 | More by tobelerone

BEERMILER12

Maine

4/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

BB FEB 2013

A: Pours a copper color with a fingers worth of head that recedes to an inch cap that retains for a while

S: Toasted malts and a nice fruitiness rule the nose, along with some caramel notes

T: Follows the nose. Malts are as advertised, toasty and biscuity. Goes well with the fruitiness of the yeast. A little buttery in the finish

M: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation

O: A very nice English pale with great drinkability. Worthy of a few pints

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2012 01:09:48 | More by BEERMILER12

Darkmagus82

Montana

4/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from bottle into pint glass

Appearance – Pours a golden orange color with a one finger white head that has a decent level of retention. Over a time of about 5 minutes the head fades to give a medium level of lacing.

Smell – The aroma is heavy of a sweet caramel smell. Mixed with this aroma is a sweet toffee and a biscuit and light herbal smell. Overall, sweet, but quite pleasant.

Taste – The taste begins with a bready taste with some lighter notes of caramel. The caramel flavor grows stronger as the taste advances further. As it moves on more there are other flavors of a herbal and citrus hop bitterness that subdue some of the sweeter notes well. In the end a balanced sweet/malty/bitter flavor is left on the tongue.

Mouthfeel – The body of the beer is on the medium side with a carbonation level being just the same. Both are very good for the style and suit the flavors very well.

Overall – Quite nice and drinkable. A fantastically easy drinking brew with a good flavors.

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2012 00:59:14 | More by Darkmagus82

Lemke10

Wisconsin

3.88/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I got this as part of an M&M 6pk at Binny’s in Plainfield, IL in summer 2012.

Pours a mostly clear copper, amber color with a slight white head. The scent is mild with a blend of malts and hops giving it that indication it will have a slight bitter taste. The taste is better than average with a smooth grainy taste that is sweet and quite refreshing. The after taste is where the hops start to take over with a crisp, dry finish. A very drinkable brew that stands true to its style!

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2012 04:13:44 | More by Lemke10

MrHurmateeowish

New Hampshire

3.63/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle purchased in a mixed 12pk at Market Basket in Somersworth. Pours a clear amber body with nearly an inch of khaki-colored head. Herbal and citrussy hops are the most obvious things in the aroma. Herbal and citrussy English hops dominate the flavor, with bits of bread and caramel notes. Light to medium in body with moderate carbonation. Pretty drinkable. Quite good. Pleasant, quaffable, and balanced.

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2012 00:21:52 | More by MrHurmateeowish

Dodt

Pennsylvania

3.18/5  rDev -12.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

another one of the mix six beers, been a while since i had a beer from brooklyn brewery. poured from the bottle into a pint glass.a nice copper color with a decent head but no lacing. a nice body and flavor. decent hop presents. a nice beer which i wish i would of bought a second bottle of .

Serving type: bottle

09-08-2012 00:19:00 | More by Dodt

jtierney89

New Jersey

1.5/5  rDev -58.9%
look: 1.5 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1.5

Semi-hazed bright copper with about an inch of sticky white head. Lots of euro hop influence on the nose. Earthy and wooddy.

Semi sweet buttered biscuit upfront followed by an unwanted fruitiness. It's like it starts as a nice dry english pale ale and then jumps in a fruit bowl. Spicy hop finish. Ugh. Am not enjoying this. flavors that just dont belong together trying to get along in one well blended sip but can't help but be layered into a catastrophic one.

No thank you, this was a slow mover at my store for a reason.

As i drank through the rest of the glass the flavors seem to find eachother a bit more but still seem to battle for dominance. Not as bad as my initial reaction to the beer, but still doesnt seem right. These flavors just dont wanna blend.

Serving type: bottle

09-07-2012 02:49:45 | More by jtierney89

crwrunner

Virginia

3.45/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Appearance- Very nice hazy bronze color with lots of little bubbles floating to the top. Poured a decent head that what an off white color. Leaves some lacing around the glass.

Smell- Roasty malts and caramel.

Taste- Kind of a sweet. It has a very mild hop flavor that balances out the sweetness. I get a taste of caramel or slight honey. I guess it has a slight roast or biscuit flavor.

Overall- I think this is a pretty good beer and I would buy a six pack of it to keep in the fridge or I would get it on tap.

Serving type: bottle

08-28-2012 01:31:51 | More by crwrunner