Firestone Walker Bravo (2017 Vintage)

The Stats
Style: American Brown Ale
ABV: 13.2%
Current Ratings...
- Beer Advocate: 4.3/5
- RateBeer: 3.86/5

"We proudly present the 2017 Vintage of Bravo, our Imperial Brown Ale aged in retired American oak bourbon barrels. Although Bravo was the first strong ale brewed for our Anniversary Ale blending program over ten years ago, it has yet to see its own bottled release, until now. Balancing rich toasty and chocolate malt flavors with a gentle balance of noble hops, Bravo is brewed to showcase barrel flavors with massive bourbon barrel notes that morph as the beer warms in the glass."

Pours a beautiful mahogany red with a dirty, murky body and a finger of almond-colored head.

They didn't half-ass the barrel aging on this one as the bourbon is plentiful and sticky sweet. There's a small nutty flavor with oak along with a Barleywine-esque toffee and caramel.

The first impression on the taste is just like the aroma: Big bourbon. The oak barrel lends some subtle char, but nothing too extreme or tobacco-like. Some quad-like dark fruits show up with plums and raisins coming to mind and those toffee and caramel flavors aren't too far behind. I'm actually picking up a decent hop presence here as well as bitterness pulls a Scruff McGruff and takes a bite out of me. I got a tiny bit of nuttiness on the nose, but there none on the taste and there's not a lot I find in common with a typical Brown Ale, but hey, since this is better than your typical Brown Ale, I'm not going to bitch and moan.

Mouthfeel is full and heavy, but not syrupy or sludgy. It has decent carbonation which helps move the body along. I wouldn't guess this was over 13% and there is no alcohol to be found aside from a small, boozy warming sensation on each sip.

Bravo has long been a component to the Firestone Walker Anniversary Ales and I'm glad FW has given it it's own time to shine. While not a Brown Ale in your typical sense, this barrel aged monster packs in tons of flavor while not being tough to drink. Combining characteristics of both English and American Barleywines with a pleasant hop bitterness, this one has earned it's spot in the series.

Rating
9.2/10

Tree House Bear

The Stats
Style: American Brown Ale
ABV: 6.4%
Current Ratings...
- Beer Advocate: 4.13/5
- RateBeer: 3.79/5

"Nearly four years in the making, Bear is Tree House brewer Brendan’s recipe and his first scaled commercial batch. It has all the characteristics of a classic English Brown Ale with a distinct American twist. Bear pours a nearly opaque dark brown with a sticky caramel colored head. Aromas of toffee, caramel, chocolate, and earthy hops prep the palate for the wonderful flavor to come. We taste toffee, brown bread, caramel candy, varied nuttiness, and a melange of dark fruit. The earthy hops dance throughout and are balanced beautifully by a brown sugar sweetness. Delicious. Bear is one of the best food beers we have ever had - it pairs brilliantly with nearly everything… including nothing! A lovely and unique example of a brown ale and one we are quite proud of Brendan for creating! Brewed in honor of those who leave a lasting and influential impression on our lives."

Pours pitch black into the glass, but glows a deep mahogany red when it sits. I got less than a finger of khaki-colored head.

Shows signs of a classic porter on the nose with notes of dark coffee, but it also has some nuttiness with touches of molasses and wood. A nice malty quality rounds it out.

Dark fruits are more prevalent on the taste as raisins and figs come out first which add a quad-like feeling to this. The malts are what shine brightest for me as does an earthy hop presence with a good amount of bitterness. I don't think they used smoked malts in this, but I am definitely getting a smokey flavor reminiscent of sitting next to a bonfire. It isn't on a Rauchbier level of smoke, but it is easily noticeable. Nutty qualities are subtle, but still detectable, but I wish they were bolder and contributed more flavor. Concentrating hard enough, I do get a dessert-like chocolate syrup mixed in with everything else. Is it weird to say it tastes like the Fall? Because that's how I'd describe it.

Mouthfeel is silky and smooth. It's light on the carbonation, but that helps create the mouthfeel. Some of those malt flavors overstay their welcome, but I can let it pass.

Brown Ales aren't really known for blowing wind up your dress, but this offering from Tree House has a bit more complexity that what you'll find on your local shelves. I like the dark fruit component as well as the abundance of smoke and char. It's a nice change of pace from Tree House's hazy juice bombs.

Rating
8.0/10

Wormtown Blizzard of '78

The Stats
Style: American Brown Ale
ABV: 6.0%
Current Ratings...
- Beer Advocate: 4.1/5
- RateBeer: 2.93/5 (3 ratings)

"The storm by which all storms are measured. Our winter offering pays tribute to those who were there and those who have endured hearing about it over and over again. We created a classic English Style Brown Ale with fresh roasted coffee beans added from Acoustic Java to give Blizzard of ’78 a rich, smooth character that you will enjoy when hearing more stories of walking through 27 inches of snow, uphill, blah, blah, blah."

Pours a dark mahogany red with two fingers of an off-white, oatmeal-colored head.

There's a really nice coffee bean aroma with nuttiness and some British ale yeast. It smells inviting.

A tasty dark iced coffee flavor catches me first with some coffee ground bitterness up front. I'm also getting something similar to a smoky flavor which reminds me of a good porter. Beyond that is some of the aforementioned British yeast and then there's some toasted malts and a taste of multi-grain bread or Cheerios. On the back end and finish, flavors of raisins and figs come to life with a small dollop of the bitter coffee.

Mouthfeel is relatively calm with some noticeable carbonation, but overall it is smooth. There's no alcohol presence (not that I'd expect any) and there's no unpleasant lingering flavors to speak of.

In my experience there's not much you can do to make a Brown Ale exciting. While Blizzard of '78 isn't a panty dropper by any means, it is still a solid example with the coffee giving it an edge over other standard Brown Ales on the market. As memorable as the actual Blizzard of '78? No, but I'll still pick it up again next year.

Rating
8.3/10

Woodstock Inn Double Pig's Ear Brown Ale

The Stats
Style: American Brown Ale
ABV: 8.40%
Current Ratings...
- Beer Advocate: 3.78/5
- RateBeer: 3.48/5

A cranked-up version of their standard Pig's Ear Brown Ale, Double Pig's Ear is my first foray into Woodstock Inn Brewing. It is brewed with Cascade, Mt. Hood, and Willamette hops and was, frankly, just something I grabbed off the shelf on a whim.

Pours dark brown with shades of ruby red and burgundy. I poured aggressively and got less than a finger of khaki head which disappeared quickly and left no lacing.

There's almost a weird, sticky molasses or sap character on the aroma. It's not unwelcome, just unexpected. Following that are sweet malts and a slight roastiness.

This is a lot sweeter than I had anticipated. Sweet, sugary maple and molasses hit me first followed by a bitter coffee roastiness and roasted malts. A slight nuttiness and something similar to dark roast coffee grounds are also present. I'm caught off guard by such a large molasses and sap component, and at times, it's coming off as slightly stale and even metallic, but it also has the taste of fresh oats.

Is this brewed with oats or oatmeal? I got that on the taste, but that would also account for a relatively creamy mouthfeel. At 8.40%, this does have that molasses-esque thickness, but no trace of alcohol or any booziness. The lingering spruce and mild metallic taste tend to linger, but the intense roasted character does help to combat any unpleasant characteristics.

Double Pig's Ear shares some attributes of upper echelon Brown Ales, but some of the flavors presented don't mesh too well. The sap and pine make things a little too sticky when added to the nuttiness and roasted malts. Each of these flavors work well in other brews, but here, they feel like a head-on collision of disjointed flavors. While some individual characteristics are enjoyable, I just don't think the total package came together that well.

Rating
7.0/10

Shmaltz/Terrapin Reunion Ale '14

The Stats
Style: American Brown Ale
ABV: 8.0%
Current Ratings...
- Beer Advocate: 3.74/5
- RateBeer: 3.59/5

I must admit I knew nothing about this beer the day I walked into the store and saw it sitting on the shelf. I couldn't resist an ale brewed with toasted coconut, coffee, vanilla, cinnamon, chocolate, and cocoa nibs. I mean, come on! This sounds like an orgasm in a glass!

Pours nearly jet black, but holding it up to the lights shows a dark mahogany glow with some ruby red. Gave off a finger of off-white, khaki head.

It smells incredibly nutty with big vanilla notes. A lot of roasted coffee and just hints of cocoa.

The taste is almost identical to the smell. There is a huge, nutty flavor on the taste - almost like almonds. Coconut is in the background, but vanilla is almost as big as the toasted notes. There are small hints of roasted coffee and the chocolate is a little bitter like dark chocolate, but this is really just a nutty-flavored ale.

For such a sweet beer, the flavors aren't cloying and it actually finishes rather smooth. It's not too thick or thin and has a good balance of heavy flavor and easy drinkability.

Reunion Ale '14 is a sweet, flavorful, nutty brown ale with plenty of other flavors thrown in to keep you drinking. As a brown ale, it's one of the better ones I've had. It's right up there with Samuel Smith Nut Brown Ale with it's intense, nutty flavor, but it has extra kicks of vanilla and coffee. The 8.00% is hidden well and the smooth mouthfeel makes this an enjoyable treat.

Rating
8.6/10

Dogfish Head Palo Santo Marron

The Stats
Style: American Brown Ale
ABV: 12.0%
Current Ratings...
- Beer Advocate: 4.17/5
- RateBeer: 3.9/5

Brown ales have never blown me away. You may be able to find a pretty good one from time-to-time, but if a "word class" one exists then maybe you can tell me where it is. So, today we have Palo Santo Marron which is an imperial brown ale aged in Paraguayan Palo Santo wooden vessels.

Pours an extremely dark brown, bordering on pitch black. I get some ruby red on the edges. It had a minimal, light brown head that went away quickly.

A lot of wood on the aroma. I also pick up raisins and even a hint of cherry. Some slight vanilla and a miniscule booziness too. I don't pick up any nutty flavors associated with the style, nor is there any big hop presence, but there is a noticeable roasted malt aroma.

The same wood on the aroma is front and center on the taste. There's almost a molasses, syrupy sweetness and mouthfeel to this. This borders on smokey with such a strong roasted presence, but not anything close to a rauchbier feel. The wood has given this brown ale strong hints of vanilla and a slight caramel, but the latter is barely noticeable. Dark fruits, plums, and cherries become more prominent on the back of the tongue. The sweetness takes away any bitterness with hops being practically non-existent.

At 12.0%, there is a warming sensation on the finish, but in terms of any pure alcohol taste, I am glad to say that it isn't there. In terms of the style, this is much thicker than usual and it has such a robust flavor profile.

As mentioned earlier, the brown ale style is hit or miss. Palo Santo Marron is in the upper tier of brown ales with an array of complex sweetness and fruity flavors. Combining dark, fruity notes with a molasses and vanilla kick makes for a surprising and pleasant experience for your palate. As a 12.00% offering, this drinks lighter than it's abv while giving you a smooth and robust beer ideal for after dinner or enjoyed just on its own.

Rating
8.8/9

Rogue Voodoo Doughnut Pretzel, Raspberry & Chocolate Ale

The Stats
Style: American Brown Ale
ABV: 5.40%
Current Beer Advocate Rating: 3.48/5

Another entry in the collaboration series between Rogue Ales and Voodoo Doughnut brings us their Pretzel, Raspberry & Chocolate Ale. This is a Brown Ale brewed with pretzels and "natural flavors", which usually means non-authentic, but we won't know until we dive into it.

Pours a dark, dark brown bordering on black. Almost an amber/copper/brown color. I got about four fingers of head and then I had to let it settle down before pouring any more. For so much head, it leaves zero lacing.

The raspberries are at the forefront of the aroma. It doesn't smell like genuine raspberries either. Also getting a slight nutty flavor. I don't get a lot of chocolate, it's almost the ghost of any chocolate that may have previously resided in the recipe.

The taste is...interesting. How to best describe it? Hmmmmmm. As a kid going to the supermarket and on the way out you pass the candy machines. One of them was the hard, fruit-shaped candies of bananas, strawberries, grapes, and other fruit flavors. This is basically the beer version of that. That being said, while I do get the fake flavor of the raspberry, in general, I don't get anything else at all. No chocolate, no pretzel, and just a microscopic presence of raspberry. The beer itself is quite thin despite it's dark appearance with significant carbonation. I mean, for all of the flavors promised, they just aren't there. The pseudo sweetness that is present clings to the back of your tongue on the finish and has you exclaiming "blech!"

Pretzel? No. Chocolate? No. Raspberry? Barely. At the end of the day, the Pretzel, Raspberry & Chocolate Ale by Rogue is a mug full of nothing. Granted, it's not repulsive and worthy of a drain pour, but I would never describe it anywhere close to good. The flavors are non-existent and the ones that do show up to the party are about as authentic as a Ryan Braun urine test. Again, not cringe-worthy, but not worth your time either.

Rating
4.9/10