Moose Drool Brown Ale - Big Sky Brewing Company

Reidrover

Oregon

3.05/5  rDev -18%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Ok Its about time I tried this one again..I had fiorst tried this a few years back when I first started to get intrested in American macros..I did not like it..despite all the rave reviews etc.
Comes in the usual Big Sky brown 12 oz long neck..with a rather drooly moose on the label .
Its actually an excellent lloking brown ale in the glass.. nice chesnut brown with a lovelly creamy off white head that stays put.
But for me after the looks everything else is down hill..smell is pretty weak and what i do smell is like warm milk..mixed with a teeny wee bit of chocolate.
tase is ok..but its bland..some choclate ..milky even..then thats it.
average in the mouth.
average drinkablity.
Maybe Im just not a Moose Drool guy..maybe brown ales are not my "stuff" oh well

Serving type: bottle

06-26-2003 17:39:56 | More by Reidrover

drewbage

California

3.63/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Sampled in a 6oz Sample Glass at the Washington State Summer Brewfest

(A dying breed of beer thanks to the efforts of Moosehead?)

Deep and brown aroma with a zingy hop touch in the finish.

Flavor of this deeply brown and haxy beer is of long chewy caramel strings leading into a finish that is heavily dried out by a intense mineral character to the water accentuating the hop bitterness and a salty flavor like movie popcorn.

Serving type: on-tap

06-24-2003 23:48:41 | More by drewbage

jcalabre

California

3.6/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bullwinkle in a bottle... Originally sampled on several occassions while vacationing in Montana. This is a very nice brown ale. Not as good in bottles. I'll rate the tap version: great chocolatey, malty taste. I could definitely have a couple of these. If you're in Montana, have some.

Serving type: on-tap

06-18-2003 20:42:41 | More by jcalabre

jreitman

California

4.08/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Fruity aroma lies on top of a sweet, nutty maltiness. Raisiny and an almost unmistakable smoke aroma came through from time to time but were fleeting. Poured a clear mahogany with a very persistent light tan head that left some nice lace. Sweet malty nuttiness hits the front of the tongue and gives way to fruity and a dry roastedness in the back of the mouth. Had a medium-light body with a slickness to the palate. Beer was quite complex and the malt and hop profiles were kept in a nice balance. A very enjoyable brown.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2003 18:16:54 | More by jreitman

GeoffRizzo

Texas

4.05/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a nice brown color, initial aroma of caramel and a bit nutty. This is followed with a wonderful roasted caramel taste and just a slight chocolate aftertaste. Seems to be one-dimensional, not too complex as some of the bigger brown ales, but this is an underrated brown ale, an awesome brew, very smooth and creamy, enjoyable!!!

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2003 18:33:25 | More by GeoffRizzo

tavernjef

Minnesota

3.68/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Good color of brown with brick red highlights, head was standing awhile sort of thick. Nice roasted malt aroma with some dried grainyness. Taste is good, balance of hops and roasted malt flavors but a little to tangy and leaves a hint of cocoa. Felt of medium body but something was missing from this brown. I expect a good smooth feel to a brown with nut like flavors, but this had to much hop and tang for this style. Thats just me I guess. Finishes dry with a hop bite and some wood flavors like a toothpick. Its drinkable, sure, but I've had better, but if offered a Moose Drool... I wouldn't turn it down. Slightly above average.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2003 10:52:56 | More by tavernjef

Jason

Massachusetts

3.5/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12 oz. brown long neck with no freshness date to be found.

Appearance: Tight sticky webby lacing on the glass, the head stays two fingers deep for a while. Dark mahogany hue lets some light through showing a reddish glow on the edges.

Smell: Clean and sweet steely and toasted malt aroma.

Taste & Mouthfeel: Very smooth and well textured with a moderate carbonation. At first there is a hit of toasted grain, then the chocolate tones creep in and lay a blanket of cocoa on the palate. Mildly astringent twang in the back, hops do a balancing act with the sweetness. Finishes a little dry.

Notes: A nice solid brown ale, very non-obtrusive just easy to drink. Went well with the mild cheddar I had with it.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2003 13:16:36 | More by Jason

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

3.83/5  rDev +3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Dark brown in color, with a thick, bubbly, tan head. Aromas are cheifly of chocolate, with hints of nuts, and little else. Full texture, mild hops, soft body, not much here, but really decent, compared to the leading brown ales. Miles ahead of Newcastle. An ideal session ale, you could throw down a dozen without a pause. A fine American brown ale, despite the unappealing name.
Excellent on draft, though this review was based upon a bottle...

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2003 00:03:37 | More by feloniousmonk

budgood1

Minnesota

3.55/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

clear dark ruby in color. huge foamy head which leaves a good deal of lace. active carbonation. hardly any malt aroma in the nose, but definite earthy and grassy hops are detectable. choco, caramel and burnt toffee malts are quick to assert themselves in the taste. a medium to light mouthfeel, with an effervescent mouthfeel that gets in the way of the full malt flavors. i prefer my browns to be fuller and malt driven, and moose drool comes close. finishes with another mouthfull of malt flavors and another earthy hop kick. a slightly above average brown...tastes good but not great.

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2003 15:53:40 | More by budgood1

dudey

Minnesota

4.93/5  rDev +32.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

the first time I tried this I was on vacation in West Yellowstone 1999. I had finished snowmobiling about 300mi and ready to start the evening with my wife dining out. We tried a number of different local beers before I was "introduced" to Moose Drool. It was love at first sight/smell/taste. I don't know if I have had a better Brown Ale since. The appearance was of a warm maple syrup coming out of the tap. The smell consisted of fresh cracked walnuts and toasted coconut. I would liken the drinkability to sitting down at home to a good movie with say, a bag of doritos. Half way through the movie you look down and all the chips are gone, you pause the movie and search for more. This goes hand in hand with mouthfeel. I don't particularly like hops showing up at the end of a smooth consistent beer. Nailing my olfactory senses in the face is inconsistant with the overall story would humiliate the beer. This beer doesn't dissapoint. The conversion of these storylines ends in a happy ending. This was among the last beers I enjoyed that night. I thought my taste buds were swayed by the previous enjoyment of the evenings beers. I confirmed my enthusiam and review of this beer the next two nights just to make sure my assesments were correct. They were. I do have to say that 400 mi and packaging does indeed make a difference. We recieved a shipment of MooseDrool, Slow Elk and Powder Hound (all from the same brewery) at our local beeraceutical store. The anticipation of having this brew in town was tainted with high expectations and low returns. This beer bottled and shipped to our location registers a meager 2-2.5 rating for this reviewer.

Serving type: on-tap

02-14-2003 18:12:22 | More by dudey

Gusler

Arizona

3.23/5  rDev -13.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

First of all, you got to love a beer called “Moose Drool”, well that’s if your weird like me at any rate. Translucent ruby red color on the pour with an impressive head and delicate sheets of lace to “Drool” down the glass! The nose is nutty sweet malt, also clean and fresh, sweet at the start and the top middling in mouth feel. Finish is perkily acidic, the hops a tad to light for me with the aftertaste dry and lingering, but pleasant to quaff nonetheless.

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2002 08:46:24 | More by Gusler

Dogbrick

Ohio

3.48/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

I have been waiting to get my hands on this beer for awhile, just because of the wacky name. The fact that the beer was pretty good was just icing on the cake. Pours a dark brown color with a medium thin beige head. Aroma of nuts and light caramel. Flavor was smooth and malty with a nutty finish. Although a little uneven compared to the Sierra Blanca Nut Brown I had before it, this is still a decent beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2002 09:09:53 | More by Dogbrick

Fabric8r

Montana

4.15/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Great beer for winter sipping, or with pizza. One of the better brown ales in the region. Filling though. (the beer that eats like a meal) Try the other beers from Bik Sky Brewing. Fun name and label to give to visitors to Montana, I get comments on it years later.

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2002 11:42:11 | More by Fabric8r

Kwak

New Jersey

4/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Moose Drool
Thats just what it taste like.Nice little head frothy lots of taste.
Body had a rich amber tint deep & dark. It's taste was verry dry
rich and bitter kind of malty.It had an afftertaste that was like "MOOSE DROOL"

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2002 21:23:47 | More by Kwak

BeerBuilder

Minnesota

3.43/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Moose Drool pours to a medium-brown color, with a light brown head that lasts. There is a roasty, malty aroma emanating from this beer. The flavor is one of roasted-nuttiness, with hints of chocolate. The hop flavor is detectable, but takes the back seat to the roasted malt flavors. Overall it is a tasty brown ale with a pleasant roasty nose and flavor.

Serving type: bottle

10-25-2002 06:37:35 | More by BeerBuilder

marc77

California

2.93/5  rDev -21.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Light brown in color w/ excellent clarity. The thick initial head settles into a dense and tight layer that leaves lace. The aroma is comprised mostly of caramel malt sweetness, w/ just a hint of chocolate malt. A damp flower - like Kent Goldings nose is there as well. It's a bit thin in malt body and complexity. The malt profile consists of lightly toasted malts, generic caramel malt sweetness, and subtle roasted notes. The hop bitterness is a touch shy of balancing malt sweetness, and leaves this brew a bit sweet overall. There aren't any surprises in the sweet and lightly roasted finish. Moose Drool is a decent brown, but is a bit too sweet for my tastes. More malt backbone would've been appreciated.

Serving type: bottle

09-18-2002 19:08:14 | More by marc77

garymuchow

Minnesota

3.68/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

I found this an interesting beer to try in part because someone is promoting it significantly ( I can find it at virtually any beer store I frequent regularly). Anyway, light and pleasant malt aroma, with a slight hop background that strengthens the longer it sits. Looks like a brown in color and big full head that lingers nicely. Not a strong flavor but the hops are evident in taste and the dry finish. Malt noted in sweetness and slight richness. Medium to thin mouthfeel with moderate carbonation. Not a bad example of style, just not a favorite style for me. Certainly better than the name suggests.

Serving type: bottle

07-09-2002 20:27:11 | More by garymuchow

pbrian

Connecticut

3.35/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

It's brown and it's an ale. Not much else to say about it. Had a slight chocolate/roasted malt flavor but I don't know where those hops are that everyone is talking about. Served its purpose in making me really appreciate the Hopdevil I was about to drink.

Serving type: bottle

06-26-2002 08:36:55 | More by pbrian

mickeymac

California

3.78/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

It's got the typical brown color with a good head with staying power. Hops are noticeable and pleasant. As others note, it is a bit thin for a brown ale but it has a pretty good flavor with hints of chocolate and roasted flavors. All in all, it's not a bad effort.

Serving type: bottle

06-22-2002 15:06:05 | More by mickeymac

jdhilt

New Hampshire

3.45/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Dark reddish-brown color (what else??). Faint head, medium carbonation. Some maltiness, but hops are apparent, especially in the finish.

Serving type: bottle

06-18-2002 20:22:44 | More by jdhilt

Bighuge

Minnesota

3.8/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This beer pours clear dark ruby. Little head. Some very slight chocolate and roasted tones on the nose. Nice subdued chocolate and roast tones on the palate as well. Good maltiness. Medium to full body. Good tasting easy drinking brown. (Although I do prefer a little more hoppiness and bitterness in a brown.)

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2002 20:28:39 | More by Bighuge

beernut7

Massachusetts

4.6/5  rDev +23.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This is a great brown ale. Too many browns these days overdo the malts and do not let the hops shine through. Moos Drool is nice and dry with a crisp light bitterness. Very like Offshore's brown ale. One of the best.

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2002 15:59:21 | More by beernut7

ADR

Pennsylvania

3.95/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

I'm not a huge fan of the Browns as a general rule though my first taste of Drool on tap during a trip to Bozeman impressed me with a friendly smoothness...typical sweet hearty malts but not a bad amount of clean hop imprint for the style and a clear winner over Pete's Wicked to me...

Serving type: on-tap

02-15-2002 17:15:45 | More by ADR

ZAP

Minnesota

3.05/5  rDev -18%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

The much fabeled "Moose Drool"..a beer I had heard a lot about...I'm not a big fan of Brown Ales (Not a lot of flavor) but was excited to give it a shot. On me first tasting I came away unimpressed. I have just given it a second tasting after playing two hours of hockey...It tastes much better...there are some definite chocolate notes to this easy drinking brown ale...It has some character to it, and is considerably better than the Pete's Wicked Red Rush I just tasted. This is not a bad beer at all...I wouldn't seek it out but if I was at a restraunt and they offered this as a beer on tap I would jump at the chance to try it...Above average but far from outstanding..for a Brown Ale its above average and very solid..

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2001 23:45:40 | More by ZAP