Buster Nut Brown Ale - Ska Brewing Co.

DoppleJock

Illinois

3.53/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

05/02/2010
12 oz. bottle poured into pint glass.

A: Poured a clean dark brown with half-finger tan head. Good carbonation.

S: Sweet dark malts with some earthy scents.

T: Brown sugar and earthy malts up front. Slightly nutty. Not too complex.

M: Pretty watered-down for a brown ale. Consistency isn't exactly right...

D: Not a bad brown ale, but not a great brown ale, either. Too watery for my tastes.

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2010 22:50:45 | More by DoppleJock

seedsofchaos

Illinois

3.08/5  rDev -10.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A: a very pleasing pour of coffee hues w/ a thin off-white / egg-shell head.. light but decent lacing

S: not much going on here.. a standard ale smell with a hint of light coffee and slight molasses... smells like a heavily watered down stout

T: hits immediately on the front and sides of my tongue with malty sweetness, light coffee flavoring, syrup like after taste... barely noticeable caramels...

Mf: too light and watery for me tastes but just a tad short for the style

D: a decent offering from a company just now available in the midwest but would still prefer a modus hoperandi any day

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2010 03:57:50 | More by seedsofchaos

pmcadamis

Illinois

3.38/5  rDev -2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A - This one has a crazy-expanding-marshmallow of a head, that has a whipped appearance and a curly cue on top like an ice cream sunday. Lacing is foamy and abundant, and the brew iself is a clear wood-varnish hue with some purplish aspects.

S - Walnuts in the shell, dry grasses, and some solid hops. Tree bark, and the way the woods smell after a rain.

T - Caramel malts, sweet molasses and brown sugar, and a hint of hops to balance it out. Still very much on the sweet side though.

M - Medium bodied, sweet, and just a tad syrupy. Fairly well balanced with a more than gentle nod to the sweet side. Finishes woody and caramel-y. WAY overcarbonated IMO.

D - This is an excellent, if not exactly outstanding, brown ale. I like the sweet caramel and maple syrup notes, and the hops and woody notes are enough to keep it from being overly saccharine.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2010 05:45:42 | More by pmcadamis

BEERchitect

Kentucky

3.73/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Ya gotta love the Dick Tracy comic book label art.

A solid beer that focuses on the sweeter elements of nuttiness, chocolate, and mild brown malts. Hops keep the beer from cloying but really don't make much of an impact other than a mild herbal rise. Malted milk and shortbread sweetness help the overall sugary mix with a sturdy grian maltiness. No real ester or phenolic varieties; this is a clean, but one-dimentional Brown Ale. Easy enough to drink though.

Thanks Ken.

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2009 22:13:07 | More by BEERchitect

tigg924

Massachusetts

3.65/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Appearance: leather brown in color, minimal head and carbonation, clear

Smell: toasted malt and nuts

Taste: toasted malt and nuts with a bit of a honey aftertaste

Mouthfeel: prickly, high carbonation, medium light body, semi-sweet

Drinkability: A very drinkable nut brown that I would have again. The nut is not too overpowering. A bit on the sweet side.

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2009 12:59:55 | More by tigg924

zeff80

Missouri

3.48/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Poured out a clear, reddish brown color with a small, tan head of foam with some big bubbles. It left little to no lace.

S - It smelled of caramel, biscuity malt and grasses.

T - A fairly sweet brown ale. Lots of caramel and malt flavors. Not much hop bite or bitterness.

M - It was soft and smooth. A light bodied ale.

D - This is an okay brown okay. It really didn't have the nutty flavors and aromas that I expect in an "English" brown ale.

Serving type: bottle

09-20-2009 02:40:30 | More by zeff80

rye726

Colorado

3.13/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours a medium brown with a thin beige head. Nose has bready malts, nuts and molasses. Taste has toffee, molasses and bready malts. Light to medium body has average carbonation. Finish is a bit thin. Not a bad brown ale, just nothing special. Decent session beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-19-2009 22:10:07 | More by rye726

Yeastcakes

Colorado

3.9/5  rDev +13%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - roast and caramel malt notes dominate. Slight hop notes.
A - one finger of rocky head that quickly dissipates. Clear ruby in color.
M -light to medium body with medium carbonation. Slight creaminess.
T - Roast and caramel from the aroma dominate. Very subtle malty sweetness balances nicely with the bitterness.
D - Nice light beer with some roasty notes. Very drinkable. Has some nice stuff going on, but is not too cluttered.

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2009 03:30:04 | More by Yeastcakes

brentk56

North Carolina

3.08/5  rDev -10.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Appearance: Pours a chestnut brown with a very modest head that quickly becomes a ringlet, though it does leave a small trace behind

Smell: Brown bread, with a hint of toffee sweetness

Taste: Brown bread, with some nutskin sour flavor developing by mid-palate; some toffee sweetness in the mix as well; after the swallow, the sweet, bready flavors linger

Mouthfeel: Medium body with moderate carbonation

Drinkability: Brown ale is a tough style to get excited about, but some brewers manage to add something to it to make it interesting; Sky, unfortunately, does not

Serving type: bottle

07-25-2009 21:33:33 | More by brentk56

Grabbin2nd

California

3.25/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

From Notes: 7/5/09
Ska Brewing Co.
Buster Nut brown
English Brown Ale
?% Abv.
12 oz. bottle into Frog and Peach Pint Glass

Appearance= vigorous pour yields small 1 finger tan head. Not much head retention, but some. Beer looks brown, almost cola colored.

Smell= Smells like a brown ale. Slight bit of toffee?

Taste= good tasting beer. Scratch that, average tasting beer.

Mouthfeel= Thin side. Not bad though.

Drinkability= High. No alcohol detected, smooth brown ale on the thin side, good flavor, good nose. Just not my style.

Serving type: bottle

07-16-2009 16:20:45 | More by Grabbin2nd

rowew

Colorado

3.1/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Presentation: 12 oz longneck, brewed on date notched on the label. Label is the comic book style typical of Ska.

Appearance: Dark reddish brown, average head fades to just a bit of lacing.

Smell: Sweet, a bit of toffee.

Taste: A bit more hops than I actually expected, its got a slight medicinal quality that makes it slightly less enjoyable.

Overall impression: There are some good flavors, but something overall doesn't work .. its not bad, but I won't be looking for it again.

Serving type: bottle

07-07-2009 02:25:55 | More by rowew

bonsreeb85

Colorado

2.65/5  rDev -23.2%
look: 2 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

A - brown, not too deep, minimal head, and no lacing to speak of, is this soda or beer?

S - not to bad in the smell dept., smells like maple syrup, roasted nuts, and almost toffee like malts, not bad

T - it's not that the taste was bad, it was just really really weak and watered down. i tasted some of what i smelled, but i had to try really hard to taste, the syrup, nuts, and such. this could be much better if the flavor was amped up a notch.

Mf - as mentioned, watered down, could benifit from a larger body, that being said, i suppose this could be positive for someone seeking an easy quaffer.

D - i wouldn't reach for a second one, if something else is available, but not painful to get through

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2009 18:33:18 | More by bonsreeb85

Redrover

Illinois

3.63/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I had a bottle of the Ska Buster Nut Brown at Risqué BBQ in Chicago. Poured into a pint glass, the beer is reddish brown with a fluffy tan head.

Nose of brown sugar and lightly toasted malts.

The taste tracks the smell. It is slightly sweet, a bit grainy with brown sugar and cracker notes.

The mouth is decent but could be beefed-up a bit. Not a bad session beer. I found it interesting enough to have a few.

Glad to see more of Ska's beers finding their way to my neck of the woods.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2009 16:40:38 | More by Redrover

TippySelenoid

Missouri

3.75/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A dark brown ale without much head,
Nice chocolate and caramel hints. This has a good flavor.
It has a smooth mouthfeel with little crispness from the carbonation.
I like this beer and could drink these often and regularly. If only I could buy this in Missouri...

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2009 01:50:19 | More by TippySelenoid

nick76

Florida

2.25/5  rDev -34.8%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

The aroma is dusty and papery with hints of malt, toffee, and hops. The appearance is light brown with a huge head. The flavor is like the aroma with a touch of sourness. The palate is thin but OK. Overall this is a true buster. I wonder what they were going for this is not what a brown ale should be.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2009 06:26:13 | More by nick76

argock

Virginia

3.35/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12oz brown bottle into a clear glass tumbler. No freshness date. Single purchased from Skee Vue Liquors (Breckenridge, CO) for $1.49.

A: Typical amber brown with 1-2 finger, tan head with good retention and decent lacing.

S: Strong sweet toffee and caramel aromas dominate and are very inviting with a light edge of earthy, floral hops

T: The flavor is not what the aroma promised as the sweetness is muted and muddled with minimal earthy hops in the finish. The caramel and butterscotch in the nose are "lite" in the taste.

M: Mouthfeel is also down because of the light, undermalted body. Aftertaste is pleasantly sweet and the carbonation is medium.

D: Drinkable -- yes, but many other with more heft and flavor with equal drinkability are out there.

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2009 00:58:28 | More by argock

DoubleJ

California

2.35/5  rDev -31.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

12 ounce bottle with a cool cartoon label, on to the beer:

Pours ruby brown ibnto my pint glass. It has an amber glow as it sits in my glass and forms a low, one cm head on top. There is some good stuff in the nose, fruity esters mix with a toffee nut note. Faint hint of oxidation (cardboard). And now I taste it...it's like a mix of English pale with a brown. Fruity like strawberry preserves, mild dry nuttiness, with a whisper of dull alcohol hitting the palate. It's a little watery without much carbonation.

This beer didn't do me much good. Keep the esters and faint alcohol out of the flavor, and don't forget to pep the carbonation level. Then we have a much more enjoyable beverage here.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2009 21:48:29 | More by DoubleJ

glid02

Georgia

3.5/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Picked this up at Bruisin' Ales in Asheville.

Pours a hazy brown color with a two-finger off-white head. The head dissipates fairly quickly into a thin pancake on top leaving very light lacing.

Smells of lightly toasted malts with a good amount of nuttiness, however neither aromas are as robust as I'd like.

Tastes lighter than it smells. Toasted malts start things off, followed by fruit sweetness in which the fruits can't be pinned down - it's certainly not fruity, just the sweetness with a fruit twang. There's a mildly bitter ending.

Mouthfeel is alright. It's a bit on the thin side with good carbonation.

Drinkability is good. I had no problem finishing one, but I'm not sure I'd be excited about another.

Overall this was a good beer, but one that I probably won't revisit again.

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2009 23:13:44 | More by glid02

hellbilly

Arizona

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

finally got an uninfected bottle. it only took half a dozen or so soured tries...

pours an orange tinted medium brown with a barely off white head and moderate spots of lace. darker than the usual nut brown but still clear. the aroma is mostly caramel malty. there are some nutty notes along with a copper-y metallic smell (not in a bad way. more mineral that metal).

the flavor is quite caramel-y with some nuttiness and faint chocolate notes. prickly hops tingle the tongue on the finish. surprisingly creamy slick mouth feel with a medium to full body.

this is not bad at all... sadly i had to drink five bad one's to get it! this would be a nice go to session brew in the consistency were upheld. 6/3/6/4/14/3.3

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2009 00:28:17 | More by hellbilly

patobandito

New Mexico

4.05/5  rDev +17.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

This is my first beer from Ska brewing.
Pours a lovely dark brown color, possibly a bit dark for a nut brown, but looks great. Slight head with a good lacing, poor retention however. Smells distinctly of tootsie rolls. Very sweet smell, great. Tastes great as well, very chocolaty malt, again, like a tootsie roll. Goes down extremely smooth. Excellent.

I will definitely be buying this again, and trying even more from Ska. Its near my hometown, so I am looking forward to going home for Christmas this year.

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2008 04:42:04 | More by patobandito

thekevlarkid

Maryland

3.6/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Off the tap at Lady Falconburgh's in Durango, Colorado. Poured into the pint glass an ever so slightly hazy brown color with ruby highlights. Two fingers of tan head, good lacing and good retention. Great looking overall. The aromas were sweet malt, dry grains and a nuttiness. The flavors were sweet at first then the bready malt and nut flavors (chestnut?) kick in. Dry finish as the sweet malt fades out. The body is medium to light and perhaps just a bit watery but the carbonation is good and it lends itself to being quaffable. A good session brew.

Serving type: on-tap

09-07-2008 01:19:21 | More by thekevlarkid

paulthebeerguru

Florida

3.4/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

snifter. rich brown mahogany color with some ruby tones. good lacing and good retention. some nutty tones from the sweet malts, light hints of molasses. great flavors, sweet at first, but a dropoff in the end. mostly molasses and chestnuts. medium to low body. light to mild carbonation level. smooth and creamy. very well-balanced. this is a very drinkable brown ale.

Serving type: bottle

07-31-2008 04:01:13 | More by paulthebeerguru

SIRIUS2

North Carolina

3.93/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Served on-tap at Tyler's Taproom in Apex, NC in a Ska Brewing pint glass.

Arrived to the table dark brown, seemed a bit hazy but hard to tell in the light, with about 2 fingers of light brown head. Good retention that gave way to some fine lacing all the way down the glass.

That happy nutty woody malty nut-brown smell was present at first sniff but really let loose a little with a bit of a swirl. Nice sense of caramel comes about on the nose, albeit light.

Mellow and modest, a solid flavored nutty malt is the first to arrive as the senses as you begin to take this in. As it glides around the mouth, you start to notice the complexities a little bit more, like some light hop bittering without the hard hop taste, some light chocolate tones, and some relatively light carbonation that helps provide for a relatively creamy texture. The finish is a little bit more of that chocolate, but it's sort of bitter chocolate that sort of just fades away.

This is some decent brown! It goes down easy, just short of creamy, and is just so mellow that it seems like it would go with so many things. I can see this as a good session brew. If your into browns, check this one out. Pretty good.

Serving type: on-tap

07-14-2008 23:55:06 | More by SIRIUS2

cvstrickland

North Carolina

3.78/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12-ounce bottle poured into a shaker pint glass yields a deep, dark clear garnet body capped with a finger of pale ecru foam that retains at a sheet and leaves thin wisps of lacing.

Smell is spicy, sweet malt with a rich grainy note.

Taste is sweet and juicy with a husky, bready note. Crisp, toasty, and a bit tannic, the drink screams "Brown!"... whatever that means...crunchy, nutty, with a nice dry finish.

Superb drinkability and flavor place this beer among my favorites from Ska. The drink is crisp and refreshing.

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2008 22:16:33 | More by cvstrickland

tgbljb

Pennsylvania

3.63/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured a hazy deep reddish-brown color with massive creamy tan head. Goos retention and nice sticky lacing.

Smell is light with a midest nutty character.

Taste is fairly bland. I just cannot find much flavor, eith good or bad. A bit of dryness at the end, but only very little.

Thin in the mouth with a rapidly disappearing taste.

Very middle-of-the-road. Needs to be a bit more aggressive.

Serving type: bottle

06-24-2008 20:50:01 | More by tgbljb