Old Town Brown - Natty Greene's Pub & Brewing Co.

ClarkPinnock

North Carolina

3.65/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Have had this from a bottle and on tap. Not surprisingly, it is much better on tap.

Pours very dark, nearly opaque with a 1/2-1'' of head. Smell captures notes of caramel and chocolate. Taste is similar, with the faintest notes of coffee. Not too bitter, with a decidedly sweet finish.

Has a full mouth feel yet little carbonation. Perhaps this is reflective of the style, but this beer came across as flat--which detracted from it.

Certainly drinkable and enjoyable. The type of beer that one visits once or twice a year.

Serving type: bottle

09-12-2010 20:33:57 | More by ClarkPinnock

krausenman

North Carolina

3.68/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A-The beer poured a clear dark brown color and was capped with a tan head of foam that quickly changed to a lacey ring.

S-The beer had an aroma of dark roasted malt. It had little to no hop aroma.

T-At first, you can taste the malt sweetness that is followed by the roasted coffe and chocolate type flavors. The beer ends with a bitterness that lasts as you swallow.

M-With a low level of carbonation the beer has a lighter body.

D-Old Town Brown turned out to be an enjoyable brown ale but it lacked character and was punctuated with an abundence of roasted malt flavor that detracted from the overall flavor.

Serving type: on-tap

07-05-2010 22:21:34 | More by krausenman

russpowell

Oklahoma

4.13/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours an effervescent caramel/chestnut color with a pinky of mocha colored head. Not much head retention or lacing

S: Toastyness to the nth power, some toffee

T: Much toastyness, a kisss of brown sugar & nuttyness, plus some herbal hops up front. Dryness, mineral hoppyness & toastyness blend together as this warms. Finishes dry with toffee sweetness & toastyness & just a whisper of astringency

MF: Light/medium bodied, fairly low carbonation

Pretty sessionable, nice example of a well put together English brown. Was slightly better on draft IMO

Serving type: bottle

06-26-2010 02:31:30 | More by russpowell

farrago

New Jersey

3.75/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Simple head of cream white, gets to about half a finger, loose and swift to dissolve, Cherry wood colored liquid, reddish hues link brown to orange zinc, clear but not exactly transparent. The nose is light in terms of weight but super-loaded with caramel, toffee, molasses, chocolate pudding, cherry and black grape fruit, not much else although you get a swipe of scones and then a quick herbaceous blast. Medium-bodied, bottom heavy enough to gain traction across the palate, particularly as the carbonation is slight. More sweetness, brown sugar, molasses, caramel, milk chocolate, doesn't reach an oppressive state. The nuttiness sweet as well, not candied though. Apricot and yellow apple join the cherry, grape fruit, mixed complexion. The hops like field straw or hay, not green nor bitter. Faint metallic accent lingers at the end. Easy enough to drink, little pisses you off or, conversely, holds your attention.

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2010 03:37:10 | More by farrago

rebel1771

Florida

3.15/5  rDev -13.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours a nice dark brown color with an off white head that fades quickly.

S: Strong roasted malt character with chocolate aroma right up front.

T: Flavor of pumpernickel dominates with a slightly charred nutty flavor at the end.

D: Decent brew, not my favorite though.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2010 23:39:07 | More by rebel1771

hoegaardenhero

California

3.18/5  rDev -13.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

a: just the most minor wisps of foam on an amber-brown body; really unfortunate that it is completely headless; a lot of bubble movement on the top

s: sweet syrupy grape; some light chocolate; some biscuit; the thick syrupy scent is definitely the most powerful

t: sweet syrupy grape is also most prevalent in the taste; some chocolate and malt balls on the back end; very light coffee; dry wheat

m: very fizzy and a pretty cloying; a very non-english brown mouthfeel IMHO

d: ok; not the best natty greene beer and one of the least enjoyable brown's i've ever had

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2010 01:11:08 | More by hoegaardenhero

MrStark

North Carolina

3.88/5  rDev +6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a nonic pint glass.

Appearance is clear deep brown with a pretty small off white head that dissipated quickly.

Smell is fairly sweet with malts of caramel and chocolate. A pleasant aroma.

Taste is is similar to the smell with a nice chocolate malt presence as well as some caramel and nutty earthiness as well. Quite a mild hop bitterness in the end. Its not a particularly complex flavor but good nonetheless.

Mouthfeel is a little on the thin side for me with a mild amount of carbonation.

Drinkability is good. It goes down nice and easy and would be something I would like a s a session beer. Not an amazing example of the style but still pretty good. I'm pretty sure this finishes out the beers available from Natty's in bottles for me and I have to say I'm pretty pleased with my local brewery. I have to stop in soon and try the others they have on tap.

Serving type: bottle

12-09-2009 00:52:19 | More by MrStark

mikesgroove

South Carolina

3.93/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Had the chance to try pretty much the entire lineup from Natty Green's and I just do not pass up the opportunity to try these things.

Nice pour here and about what I would expect. Light brown in color with a small off white head on top that faded out quickly and left only light lacing on the glass. Nice aroma of molasses and brown sugar on top of some decent malts. Warming brought out some nice sweet notes as well. Smooth even flavor here. Clean with hints of brown sugar and molasses as well as an herbal bitterness toward the back of the palate. Little light on the body for me but it was still very drinkable.

Overall a nice little sessionable brown ale, little light on the body but pretty big on the flavor. Would not mind going after this one again one day, but dont know if I would seek it out.

Serving type: on-tap

09-20-2009 22:50:29 | More by mikesgroove

Onenote81

North Carolina

4.1/5  rDev +12%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Had this on tap at the First Street Draught House in town. I've had this in bottle form, but this is a first on tap. Came out a dark brown with ruby edges and a good 1-inch tan head on top. Retention was fair, but there was tons of sticky lacing on the glass edge. Smells like molasses, brown sugar, toasted bread, and roasted nuts.

The mouth was creamy and smooth with a touch of carbonation on the tongue. The brown sugar that I found in the scent is also in the flavor. This is a pleasantly sweet, roasty Brown Ale. Bitterness is low. Plenty of malty goodness in this beer. I much preferred this beer on tap. Recommend.

Serving type: on-tap

08-11-2009 17:20:26 | More by Onenote81

FloppyDog

North Carolina

4.15/5  rDev +13.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Poured into a standard pint glass. A clear deep amber brown with a finger high off white head. Definitely filtered.

Aroma of chocolate malt up front along with a faint hoppiness that is really overpowered by the chocolate.

Taste is more of the chocolate malt, with a nice balance of hop bitterness that shows up in the middle of the sip, but fades back to chocolate after it goes down.

Overall, a light to medium bodied super easy drinking brown ale that I could drink no matter what the temperature is outside. Not too flavorful that it fills me up quickly, but still plenty of flavor to be delicious.

Serving type: bottle

08-06-2009 03:59:58 | More by FloppyDog

JohnGalt1

Idaho

3.98/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz received as a bitchin extra from Onenote81.. Thanks Jon!! This is a new to me brewery... Poured into my shaped SA glass.

1" lite tan head dies back fairly quickly with a good cap and a brew that is deep brown and then just brownish red when held to a light..

Aroma is a little toffee and just a bit of a nutty maltiness... as expected for the style.. just enough going on to keep it interesting..

Flavor again has a good amount of nutty maltiness with a shotgun of lite caramel... a fairly large toasty element mid palate... as it warms a bit of chocolate emerges.. and possibly some diacetyl too... just a tad buttery.. but that's all good.. so far.. this is a nice English brown that is sorta surprising me.. even is sorta minerally too.. I like it.

the body is lite/medium with a good carbonation..

It's not often that I get a chance to try a good American Stance on such an established style.. but I am pretty impressed.. I would love to check out more Natty Greene beers... Now I just have to remember to look for them!! No kidding.. You want my Deschutes or Grand Teton locals.. let's do business :-)

Thanks again Jon on the super trade!

Serving type: bottle

07-01-2009 08:33:19 | More by JohnGalt1

SimpleM

North Carolina

3.83/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a bottle.

I liked the color of the beer, darker than most browns I have tried. Not much head, disappeared quickly, and no lacing to speak of.

Aroma was pleasant, but too weak to identify what the smells were akin to.

First instant of taste is quite good, but then it kind of goes bland. I waited for the bitterness of the hops on the back end and basically just kept waiting. I'm still waiting...

Mouthfeel seems to be the best thing about this beer to me. It is as full and satisfying as any brown I can remember.

Drinkable? Yes. Choose it as a regular? Not me.

A good, if simplistic brown ale. I like the fact it is 4.5 abv. I am diabetic so I must limit both calories and alcohol. At least this one helps with the alc.

I keep trying browns to find one I really like, and am having trouble finding one I would buy a six pack of. Maybe brown is just not a style that I will ever really latch onto like I have reds and porters.

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2008 00:38:41 | More by SimpleM

PatrickJR

North Carolina

3.65/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Had this on-tap at a Ruby Tuesday in High Point, served in a pint glass.

A - Deep brown, with some light shining through on the edges. Half inch or so of foam never really goes away, with some moderate lacing.

S - Not much to smell. Faint caramel and buttery aromas.

T - Quick chocolately burst leads into a deep caramel flavor that dries out somewhat mid palate. A creamy, buttery flavor kicks in late palate along with just a touch of earthy, slightly floral hops. Finishes fairly clean with minimal bitterness.

M - Very smooth and medium bodied, moderate carbonation.

D - A great beer with food, though not too sure I'd session this for a night. A little more off balance than other offerings from Natty Greenes.

Serving type: on-tap

08-13-2008 05:56:19 | More by PatrickJR

Durge

Connecticut

3.73/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This one has a heavy dark brown, mahogany, nearly opaque appearance. It shows a thin tan head and some lacing. I note subtle whiskey oak and raisin scents. It is fairly aqueous with tingly carbonation and a pleasant charcoal raisin flavor. Some winelike qualities. Nutty and fairly drinkable. A bit like some stouts, more so than the popular brown ales.

Serving type: on-tap

05-03-2008 03:04:27 | More by Durge

bboven

Texas

3.78/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Growler brought to a party, left in the fridge for three days.

Dark brown, clear body. Big head but fades quick and leaves no lacing.

Aroma is caramel and biscuit, the basic profile for the style, but nothing extraordinary.

Flavor has a lot of breadiness and caramel. Pretty good, really. I've had better, but not many.

Carbonation held up like a champ after three days, it was right where an English brown should be.

Good example of a brown ale. Nothing spectacular or outstanding, but a great basis.

Serving type: growler

02-27-2008 04:16:32 | More by bboven

cbleary

North Carolina

3.9/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This is a good american brown ale. It poured nicely with a deep brown color and a humble head. It had a pleasing moderate hop bitterness which gave way into a nutty malt finish. It's a bit less sweet than a lot of brown ales I have had, but this isn't a bad thing. It was quite drinkable and satisfying.

Serving type: on-tap

02-07-2008 18:12:21 | More by cbleary

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

3.95/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

"Integrity without knowledge is weak and useless, and knowledge without integrity is dangerous and dreadful."

--Nathanael Greene

Pecan brown with orange highlights... that becomes dark scarlet when sunlight is permitted to filter through the glass. The golden khaki colored crown looks very nice and indicates a well-brewed ale. An abundance of lace is further evidence.

The nose has more 'oomph' than beer of this style normally evinces. In particular, it's more dark malty, with an impressive amount of Hershey Bar chocolatiness. Who am I to question the use of 8 different malts when the result is this wonderful?

Old Town Brown delivers on the palate as well. I love the expert use of malt and hops, the interplay between bitter and sweet. This beer is what happens when a brewer uses quality ingredients, uses enough of them, and uses them in well thought out proportions.

Like the nose, the flavor profile is dominanted by bittersweet chocolate. It also contains baked nuts and a herbal-spicy English hoppiness (U.K. Progress) that is more aggressive than expected. The hoppiness is great, but a touch more malt sweetness would improve things even more.

Given the sheer amount of flavor, I'm surprised that the body/mouthfeel isn't a bit bigger. Hopes that it would firm up with warming haven't being realized. Even a subtle creaminess would have boosted this score in line with the others.

It's easy to see why Old Town Brown won a silver medal in the English Brown Ale category at the 2006 GABF. It's a quality brown that doesn't do anything new and different, it just does the expected things very well.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2008 13:59:15 | More by BuckeyeNation

sgraham4

North Carolina

3.7/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

NAtty Greene's has got some good beers out and its about time they started bottling them. This is a decent brown ale that has a roasted aroma with a bit of chocolate. It tastes just about as good as it smells. Certainly an awesome brown ale, but not the best i've had. While i really like that Natty Greene's is bottling beers now, they are better on tap.

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2008 02:15:19 | More by sgraham4

uncggop06

North Carolina

4.53/5  rDev +23.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

First batch of Natty Greene's bottles found at a local Harris Teeter. I've been waiting for this for quite some time, and I'm glad that I'm not disappointed.

Not much to the initial head and what was left dissolved fairly quickly, though a thin ring lingered through the glass. The beer looks great, nice light brown.

Smell is of sweet roasted nuts, just perfect. The same comes through in the taste, a wonderful peanut butter flavor with a smoky background, finish is all peanut butter, delicious!

I think something is lacking in terms of mouthfeel since this isn't bottle conditioned (oh, I wish it were!).

I have yet to compare the bottled offerings back to back with the pub poured versions, but I'm sure they will stack up well.

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2007 23:16:33 | More by uncggop06

atsprings

North Carolina

3.9/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a deep brown almost black with a thin head that diminishes to a ring. The aroma was of dark malts with a hint of chocolate, a tad weak. The taste was very good for a brown ale, chocolate, nuts, and a hint of caramel. The beer was light and refreshing and quite enjoyable.

Serving type: growler

05-14-2007 04:22:51 | More by atsprings

timtheenchanta

South Carolina

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

Tightly bubbled light tan one finger head atop a light brown body with some red shining through. Thin sheets of lacing down the glass after each sip but it doesn't hold for more than about ten seconds.

Rich roasted toffee nose that's a bit nutty. Almost like a hazelnut cup of joe.

Similar taste explodes on the tongue. Thin slightly watery body that leaves a heavy toasted nuts taste on the palate.

Good beer from a great brewpub but it could use a little more body.

Serving type: growler

11-13-2006 02:51:53 | More by timtheenchanta

MSchae1017

Georgia

3.88/5  rDev +6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This beer was tasted in pint glass from the growler. THANKS TO TIMTHEENCHANTA FOR SHARING!

This beer pours a translucent brown with a creamy tan head that holds nicely without much lacing. The smell is roasted grains and slightly nutty. The taste is exploding with tons of roasted grains and nutty flavor with some hints of chocolate and coffee flavors. The mouthfeel has a medium-full bodied with smooth carbonation. Overall, a very drinkable brown. One of the best out there. Its not terribly complex but its definitely tastey.

Serving type: growler

11-13-2006 02:26:49 | More by MSchae1017

JBStith

North Carolina

3.63/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Natty Greene's Old Town Brown was a descent example of an American brown, but I've had better.

A: Good medium brown color with a bit of haze. Moderate head, retention, and lacing.

S: Nutty and malty with slight hops. Very dry smell.

T: Similar to taste. Nutty, dry flavor with decent hops and bittering. Not a very strong malt backbone which mad is taste a bit thin and unbalanced.

M: Again, a bit thin for a brown ale, but not bad.

D: Drinkability was good. Not too heavy to have a few.

Overall, a descent American Brown Ale. I have several better versions of this style, but this one is not bad. I would have this again on occasion, but Natty's Amber is similar, but better choice.

Serving type: on-tap

06-21-2006 14:34:30 | More by JBStith

oberon

North Carolina

3.93/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a meium brown but with a few lighter notes near the bottem of the pint glass with pretty thin head,aroma is lightly sweet of chocolat a touch of nuttiness.Taste is very smooth lightly sweet but not overdone I picked up even a little caramel, no earthiness or nutty tones seemed to be more a northern England style brown then a nut brown.Very quaffable for the the style in my opinion a solid brown in my opinion.

Serving type: on-tap

08-07-2004 13:03:07 | More by oberon