Nut Brown Ale - Ithaca Beer Company

Why-P-A

Maryland

2.95/5  rDev -18.3%
look: 3 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A: A nice solid brown color, nor overly red or black with minimal cloudiness.

S: Caramel and sweet grain notes which are similar to of aromas generated during the mashing process.

T: The main component of this beer is the malts as it should be. This beer trends toward the sweeter side with a very minimal bitter finish which could come from either bittering hops or the darker malts, likely the later.

M: Very light in body and mouthfeel, which combined with the average ABV makes this especially smooth and easy to drink.

O: This was one of the 4 original beers offered by Ithaca beer. No outstanding qualities but a solid brown ale. Hard to find on tap but readily available in bottles in the Northeast.

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2013 21:49:16 | More by Why-P-A

mooseo

Pennsylvania

3.55/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle into pint glass.

A - Dark brown/mahogany with a small light tan head.

S - Toasted malt, hazelnut, caramel, and a hint of sweet chocolate.

T - Sweet toasted malt with a pleasant nuttiness throughout. Subtle dark chocolate and toffee. A touch of earthy hops on the finish, but not much. Burnt grains and nutty flavors linger in the mouth.

M - Light-medium body, creamy and relatively smooth going down. Mild carbonation, and perhaps a bit watery.

O - A decent nut brown, very easy to drink. The overall flavor is a tad too subtle and the hops are buried by the malt, but it's still a relatively tasty beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2013 02:42:02 | More by mooseo

fx20736

New York

4.16/5  rDev +15.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

poured from a 12 oz bottle into a pint, served at room temp.

appearance: turbid chestnut brown with a pretty creme brulee khaki head that doesn't stick around long. spotty lacing.

aroma: light toasted caramel, herbal hops, faint diacetyl and some alcohol esters. it is all rounded together in a nice bundle.

mouthfeel: is good, soft and full.

taste: takes a while to get going but lightly toasted malt with a kiss of caramel vanilla sweetness and a nutty quality like hazelnuts or pecans.

notes; like the Dundee this is a nice, simple malty brown from Upstate NY with just a touch of sweetness. Easy drinking.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2013 11:48:10 | More by fx20736

Treyliff

West Virginia

3.78/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 2.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

A- pours dark brown, slightly hazy. Small fizzy white head completely dissappears almost immediately leaving no lace or head.

S- roasted hazelnut with fresh coffee, literally smells like coffee with hazelnut creamer. Sharp nutty notes with a bit of toffee, pretty strong aromas overall.

T- sweet and nutty with some hazelnut flavor, similar to the nose. Roasted coffee bean and Caramel malt sweetness with just a touch if hops on the backend. The finish is dry, leaving a roasted nutty bitterness

M- medium body, moderate carbonation, just a bit of cream on the mouthfeel with a slightly smooth finish

O- I really liked the nutty coffee flavors in this one, probably not for non-coffee drinkers but I enjoyed it

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2013 03:28:30 | More by Treyliff

metter98

New York

3.69/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75

A: The beer is relatively clear brownish amber in color and has a moderate amount of visible carbonation. It poured with a quarter finger high dense tan head.
S: There are moderately strong aromas of nutty malts in the nose along with some notes of chocolate malts and hints of coffee beans.
T: The taste is very similar to the smell, but isn't quite as strong. Neither sweetness nor bitterness are perceptible.
M: It feels rather medium-bodied and somewhat smooth (but a little thin) on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: I wished that this beer could have been a little heaver, but it is very easy to drink and has some nice flavors.

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2013 02:33:32 | More by metter98

wac9

Pennsylvania

2.5/5  rDev -30.7%
look: 4 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.25 | overall: 2

well it looks great in a glass but that a about it if you like english brown ales look else this offers little to good drinking beers the last sip taste wonderful but the rest of the beer lacks my wanting to drink so move on and keep looking for some great beers pass on this on

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2013 01:42:29 | More by wac9

MikeyA

New York

2.91/5  rDev -19.4%
look: 2.75 | smell: 2.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

It's ok. I don't get much nut out of it. I was expecting more of a hazelnut-ey flavor. Not that great, but not bad. I wouldn't get it again but I'm not pissed that it's all I have to drink during this blizzard. Ooga chakka booga filling up space for two hundred fifty words.

Serving type: growler

02-09-2013 02:00:14 | More by MikeyA

sevenarts

New York

3/5  rDev -16.9%
look: 2 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

A: Translucent cola brown. Very very little head with no retention and no lacing - it soon entirely fades away as though it was never there at all.

S: Mild and malty aromas of caramel, vanilla, hazelnut.

T/M: Again, very mild but pleasant flavors. Vanilla, a slight nuttiness, sweet caramel malts, some tea-like flavors that linger at the end of a sip. Body is a little on the thin side.

O: This goes down really easy and is pleasant in its unassuming way, but there's no oomph to it, nothing special. Easy to drink and totally inoffensive. A little more body and better head/carbonation would go some ways towards making it an entirely average brew.

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2012 23:10:28 | More by sevenarts

stxp

New York

3.3/5  rDev -8.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

appearance: cloudy brown, no head, un-carbonated looking, no lace, slightly flat?

smell: toasty biscuit, nutty, slight alcohol, bready

taste: slight roast, not overpowering, slight burnt, very bready malty, undetectable bitterness

mouthfeel: thin, gets a bit creamy on the end, not thick like the style, sloghtly oily

overall: great malty toasty taste with a touch of roast, easy to drink, goes down smooth, mine was very flat

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2012 23:55:54 | More by stxp

Chaney

District of Columbia

4/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I had this on-tap at Valhalla in NYC.

Served in a pint glass.

A: Poured out a brown color that was substantially more cloudy in the middle and fairly transparent around the edges. The slight head, while small, still stuck around for a good bit.

S: Both nutty and caramely, farily potent, and with a fresh brown sugar bill along with a lit-kerosene lamp type of fiery smokiness.

T: Yep, lots of roast on this one... more so than many people had given it credit for even. It reminded me somewhat of Alaskan Smoked Porter in this regard.

M: Much more nutty and smokey that mapley or syrupy, with no booze detected, and some moderate lacing left on the glass.

O: Either I was just in the mood for this type of brew or maybe I'm just more of a fan of this style than most. Nevertheless, I thought this was tasty.

Serving type: on-tap

09-09-2012 23:28:00 | More by Chaney

hopsolutely

Ontario (Canada)

3.63/5  rDev +0.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle purchased at the brewery in February, and has held up pretty well. Pours a hazy dark brown with red highlights not limited to the edge of the glass. A decent tan coloured head dissipates quickly with little lacing.

Impressive aroma of roasted dark malts, with espresso/coffee tones and even a hint of smoked oak. The flavour isn't as well balanced as I'd hoped, the toasted malt sweetness transitions rather abruptly into a bitter finish, with pleasant nuttiness in the aftertaste.`

Serving type: bottle

08-11-2012 20:55:12 | More by hopsolutely

micromaniac129

Pennsylvania

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

A cloudy and hazy, mahogany color brew. On a vigorous pour I got a scant head, tan and plain. Carbo's were desent though.
Aroma is as one might expect: I malty front with a bit of nuttiness say hazelnuts and a bit of chocolate.
Flavorful at first with some nuttiness, probably hazelnuts since thats what it tastes like, and choco. After that the taste falls along the malty graininess side.
on the palette the beer is weak and watery and has a slightly harsh finish.
overall I'd say it's a weak offering. It's good but lacks complexity and flavor. That being said I'd still drink another. Probably at some chain restaurant.

Serving type: bottle

07-21-2012 12:24:17 | More by micromaniac129

GarthDanielson

New Hampshire

3.35/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a bottle into a tumbler, the beer is an auburn-brown coloring with a filmy, yellowish ring of head. Aromas of roasted mocha and hazelnut. Flavors of hazelnut and peanut, blended with a coffee backbone that is dark and bitter. The aftertaste leans more towards the roasted coffee character, with a bit of an Amaretto type presence. Slick, roasted, and slightly bitter finish. Different.

Serving type: bottle

07-08-2012 00:04:33 | More by GarthDanielson

MrOH

Pennsylvania

2.95/5  rDev -18.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Deep russet with a single finger of light tan foam. Retention isn't so hot. Lacing isn't either.

Coffee, toast, some dark chocolate, roasting nuts. Deep, inviting, and soothing.

Deep malt, stale coffee, toasty, nutty. Pretty good, except for the acidic twang from the stale coffee note. Check yo mash pH when using dark malts, son!

Medium bodied, low carb, helps to keep it drinkable.

The stale coffee taste kinda ruins this beer. If it didn't have that acidic gas-station coffee twang, it would be damn good.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2012 04:52:28 | More by MrOH

Hopdaemon39

Massachusetts

3.78/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a pint glass- pours a cola color (brown/ruby pretty translucent around the edges) with a half finger head, minimal retention and no lacing.

Smell is not very strong- mostly dark malt and a little bittersweet chocolate and a little nutty.

Taste is consistent with smell- not too intense dark malt with a little bittersweet chocolate.

Mouthfeel is like a dry stout- medium bodied, a little watery, and nope actually no carbonation. I got a single bottle of this and I won't likely get it again.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2012 00:18:24 | More by Hopdaemon39

Edwaka01

New York

4/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured into imperial pint.

A - Dark brown. Garnet hues shining through when held to light. No head worth talking about, lacing on top of beer though.

S - Coffee, roasted malts, vanilla.

T - Coffee, toffee, roasted malts, hazlenut?, vanilla.

M - Full bodied, nothing special here.

O - One of the first craft beers I ever loved, so I'll always have a soft spot for this one, no matter how many better beers I try. All biases aside, this is still awesome.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2012 23:58:52 | More by Edwaka01

Brabander

Netherlands

4/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This is overall a very nice English brown ale! I got this bottle a few weeks ago in a trade.

Poured in my Struise glass this beer looks good, nice darkbrown fluid with a decent head. Nice carbonation and hardly no lacing.

Smell of coffee and dito coffee taste. I also thought that there were some hazelnuts in this beer. Soft sweet.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2012 21:32:11 | More by Brabander

modernartblues

Connecticut

3.85/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a Tulip from Bottle
Purchased From Brewery 01.16.12

A: pours a coffee colored body, appears darker, closer to black in glass, head quickly recedes, not much lacing

S: roasty, maybe hints of coffee, nothing earth shattering, but pleasant

T: follows the nose, some roast and a touch of malt sweetness, not getting much nutty out of it, doesn't quite nail the style (seems more portery rather than a true nut brown), but I am enjoying it.

M: nice, smooth, plenty of carbonation, which is needed for this sort of light bodied beer

O: pretty good, would purchase again. nothing earth shattering here, but solid beer from a solid brewery

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2012 21:57:32 | More by modernartblues

mattbk

New York

3.78/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Looks sort of thin, head disspiates quickly. The color is a very deep brown.
S: I really like this aroma. Chocolate, cocoa, coffee, hazelnut. It's like a chocolate coffee.
T: Same in the flavor, with some bready sweetness to round it out. The sweetness is mild and balances the other flavors well.
M: This beer falls down a bit when it comes to mouthfeel. It should be quite a bit fuller I feel. The light body makes the finish very short. I'd like the taste to hang around my tongue a bit longer. The carbonation is appropriate.
O: I do like this beer quite a bit from a taste perspective. It's also very drinkable, half the beer is gone in a flash. But, while it is very good... it could have been great.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2012 03:18:48 | More by mattbk

TerrenceOBrien

New York

3.35/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

The dark almost porter-like appearance, along with the hints of coffee on the nose lead you to believe this will be a much heavier and stronger brew than it is. The very thin head should have been a dead give away that this would have a very light mouth feel. Overall it was very malty and I found it to be heavily carbonated. Not a bad beer by any stretch of the imagination, but nothing to write home about either. There are light notes of chocolate -- primarily in the aftertaste -- but they're easily lost in what is an overwhelmingly grainy and molasses-y flavor.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2011 18:28:39 | More by TerrenceOBrien

BlurryVisi0n

New York

3.95/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: pours a dark brown, slightly malty looking head was roughly 1/2" came off a light tan.

Smell: smells off light coffee, not as strong as I would expect but definitely worth inhaling.

Taste: light coffee, slight chocolate. Easy to drink and very easy to love.

Mouth: medium carbonation might be heavy to some. Backwash of the taste if pretty evident.

Overall: one of my better favorites already when it comes to the brown ale category. I would say my 3rd favorite...might be a go to in almost any occasion, hope you enjoy....Cheers to all!

Serving type: on-tap

12-29-2011 00:09:00 | More by BlurryVisi0n

Phelps

Arizona

3.75/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A generous extra from inlimbo77, poured into my newcastle schooner.

Deep chestnut, almost completely opaque. The cream-colored head is about half an inch tall and fizzy, becoming a silky thin top layer within just a few seconds.

Nutty! The nose is a variety pack of peanuts, chestnuts, walnuts. Sweet wort and milk chocolate make up the other half of the aroma. Pretty fantastic.

The flavor is a more subdued, earthy version of the aroma. Nuts are softer, hops are bigger, and there’s a finish of tangy, dusty grain. Notes of milk chocolate linger in the background.

Carbonation is medium-high and pinching, bringing out just a bit of fizz. Body is velvety and medium. Mild bitterness.

Ithica’s Nut Brown isn’t a bad example of the style at all. Smells great but tastes just bit too tangy for me.

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2011 06:09:44 | More by Phelps

tdm168

North Carolina

4/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a deep brown with a reddish hue. There's a 1/2" of brownish, thick, foamy head with decent retention. The nose has notes of caramel, coffee, and roasted malt. The taste nutty with notes of coffee and caramel. The coffee and roasted malts play a large role here. The nutty flavor is earthy and hangs around on the palate for quite a while. The mouthfeel is medium bodied, smooth, and well carbonated.

This is a pretty good beer, but for the style the roasty, coffee-like notes are a little intense. It's definitely worth checking out.

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2011 20:57:27 | More by tdm168

sniper061

New York

3.65/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

I had this beer on tap in a pint glass. The head on this beer was thin upon initial presentation and didn't really lace at all. With the first sniff of this brown ale I was very excited about the smell of molasses, coffe, and chocolate. I am not going to say that I didn't enjoy this beer but I will tell you from the first smell to the last drop I was left less than fulfilled. It lacked the body to back up the nose. This would be an okay beer to finish a night of drinking.

Serving type: on-tap

12-08-2011 20:47:15 | More by sniper061

Bellabananas

Illinois

2.5/5  rDev -30.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2

A: Reddish tones, thin body with a head that dissipates quickly
S: Malty caramel tones, just as you would expect with a brown ale
T: Very thin in flavor, slight malt flavor and a bit of sweetness. After the nose the taste is a disappointment. Leaves a less than pleasant aftertaste
M: Very thin mouthfeel, just slides down your throat
O: Smells great but overall just a disappointment

Serving type: bottle

12-04-2011 06:06:51 | More by Bellabananas