Brewed By: Lagunitas Brewing
Brewed In: Petaluma, CA
Type: Brown ale
ABV: 8.7%

What they say: “Our New Year’s release for the seasoned beer folks … Big, brown warmer with several types of crystal malt. No actual eyeballs can actually be found in the beer.”

Website: At least the “Are You 21?” screen doesn’t make you input your birthday. The site is packed, but not necessarily in a good way. There’s lots of writing, and it’s all tiny. The site opens with a basic “About” blurb and links at the top to the pertinent items. Clicking on the “Beers” link pulls up a page with the year-round beers up top, and the schedule for the seasonal 6-packs and bombers below it. I like the info, but everything feels crowded into the page, especially with all the small print. I also have to deduct some points for an embedded Quicktime video automatically opening up if you click on any of the beers to get more info on them.

Why this one, Show? It’s no secret that, despite it being more than a 30-minute drive away, I really like shopping at Julio’s Liquors. One of the best things about the place is the DIY “Wild Six.” Most of Julio’s selection of 12-oz bottles are priced by the six pack and also priced by the individual bottle, letting the customer purchase one of something they want to try. If you buy six singles, they discount each one. So, one Saturday some months ago I ventured out to pick the six strongest beers I could find in the store, creating BigShow’s Big Six Smix Pack. Oh yes. Six beers, all hi-test and rested in the cellar for a while, will be reviewed in the coming weeks. This series is in strength order, so let’s get to it!

First Thoughts:
Head: White, thin, good lacing.
Nose: Dark fruit.
Color: Ruddy brown.

Presentation (5): The beer comes in the standard Lagunitas bottle—short and squat. The graphic boasts a pale background, the beer name, brewery location, the ABV, and the little picture of the dog mascot. Lagunitas’ beers always have the name of the beer in huge letters. It establishes a brand identity, but unless you know the brand you may pass on this for something more flashy. 3

Originality (5): It’s a brown ale. There’s really not much to add here. Maybe if actual eyeballs were involved… 2

Body (10): Being a brown ale, the body has an almost syrupy quality to it. There is virtually no carbonation, but each sip still feels like a mouthful. It winds up being pretty heavy, but still feels lighter than, say, a Guinness. Holding the sip in your mouth leaves a little tingle, due to the hop bitterness. 7

Taste (10): A lot of brown ales tend to have the same flavors. In this beer you get a big malty figgy/datey/fruity flavor, followed by a slight hop bitterness in the finish. This beer tastes good, but the sweetness could become too much after even one bottle. Then again, if that’s your thing, then this beer is for you. While a lot of Lagunitas’ offerings tend to be on the bitter side, this is the opposite end of the spectrum. 8

Efficiency (10): At 8.7% ABV and a not-bitter taste, this definitely grabs high marks here. It wouldn’t take too many of these to put a nice figgy glow on you. 8

Versatility (10): The sweet taste might cut into the versatility here. A sweet brown ale would balance the flavors of spicy roast meats, though. The high ABV wouldn’t make this a “six for the game” beer unless you were getting a ride home. I’ll put this as something good to grab one of while out at a craft beer bar, but not something to make a night out of. 7

Final Score: 35 – Good Beer

Brewed By: Brooklyn Brewery
Brewed In: Brooklyn, NY
ABV: 7.5%
Type: American Brown Ale

What They Say: I got this in a growler and, in fact, I’m not sure if it was bottled at all. I don’t see anything on their website proper, but they have a lengthy blog post with a similar theme as the Black Ops. The relevant highlight is as follows: Anyhow, they say that back in 2007, a small amount of Dark Matter was created alongside Black Ops, but very few people had an opportunity to taste it. The Brooklyn Brewing Team decided that this shortage was unfortunate – plenty of Dark Matter for themselves, but not enough to share with all their friends. So last autumn they decided to recreate Dark Matter and open up the Brooklyn Barrel Room to a wider world..

Website: I’ve mentioned in other Brooklyn reviews that I’m a fan of their website. We can leave it there.

Why I Picked It: A recommendation from the Big Show, followed by a drunken sample at Rattle n Hum, plus a sighting of it at the Whole Foods Growler station. That’s pretty much the universe telling me it’s time to sample. Sadly, a combination of circumstances (including a trip to central New York and a fresh, once-a-year growler of Wagner Valley Maple Porter kept this growler in my refrigerator for almost two months before I finally got to it.

–

Presentation (5): So far as I know, this is draught/cask only. (N/A)

Originality (5): Maybe it’s increasing awareness on my part, but it seems like Brooklyn is attempting to grab a small corner of the “we do crazy stuff with beer” market currently cornered by Dogfish Head, which makes it even more strange to me that Mario Batali went to Maryland (Dogfish) and Sonoma Valley (Russian River) for his new Eataly Birreria restaurant instead of across the river to one of the Brooklyn brewers. Regardless, in this case, not only did Brooklyn decide to age stuff in bourbon barrels, but they decided to take the bourbon barrels that they previously aged the Black Ops in and use them again to see what happened. Can’t really go wrong there. 5

Body (10): The beer is an opaque brown with a very small head. The carbonation is incredibly soft and stays entirely out of the way of a smooth, creamy mouthfeel. The odor is almost entirely bourbon, with a consistency bordering on a porter. I usually imagine “brown ales” to be really thin and heavily carbonated (Newcastleish). That isn’t the case here at all… the barrel-aging entirely changes the characteristics of the ale… I’m not quite sure if it’s for the better though. 7

Taste (10): The flavor here is a lower-keyed Black Ops. It looks like they took a recipe — possibly their standard Brown Ale recipe — and just decided to see what happened. The flavor is a blast of bourbon and vanilla from the barrel with hints of alcohol around the edge. Most of the brown ale flavor is killed by the barrel, with nearly all the flavor coming from the barrel’s previous residents. Since the flavor is so similar to Black Ops, which I loved, it’s hard for me to deduct points for it here. The problem is this comes across as a slightly less powerful version of that beer. I like Black Ops as it is… I don’t know if I need a brown ale that tastes like it, too. The bourbon and vanilla also combine to form something that might be a touch too sweet for me and there’s not any carbonation or bitterness to tone it down. 8

Efficiency (10): It’s hard to argue with a 7.5% ABV for a regular-priced growler. Whole Foods is sadly moving on to a graduated pricing scheme with their growlers. Instead of $8.99 across the board for 64 oz, they’ve started to change the price based on the ABV and adding a cheaper 32 oz version for the wusses of the world. In this case, the alcohol seems a little more noticeable than the Black Ops and the sweetness is a little tough to take after awhile. The ABV is high enough that I got multiple sessions from one growler, but by the third I wasn’t looking that forward to it. 6

Versatility (10): Sadly, low. This is never going to be something non-snobs would enjoy. This is, generally, one of those Dogfish-Head type experimental things that folks like me can’t wait to try, but aren’t going to get out of the snob-subculture. Someday, when I have my man room in my 4 bedroom house in the suburbs with 3 kegerators, I’d love to have this in one of them. Unfortunately, the folks who would drink it would be limited to other writers on this site and maybe some of the readers. 4

The Snob Sez: A relatively decent brown ale with flavors that get lost in the barrel. Glad to try it, but not sure if I’d go out of my way to get it again.

Final Score: 30 (of 45) = 33 (of 50), good beer.

Brewed By: Matt Brewing Company
Brewed In: Utica, NY
ABV: 6.0%
Type: Brown Ale

What they say: This authentic Brown Ale is brewed with All-American malt, pacific northwest hops, and traditional ale yeast. It’s [sic] smooth malty character is complimented with a touch of chocolate malt and hoppy aroma. Look for a sweet, malty, chocolaty taste with a balanced hop bitterness resulting in a full flavored but smooth drinkable beer.

Why I picked it: The final beer in the Adirondack Trail Mix. The six pack is one of my oldest stand-bys when I’m looking for a variety.

–

Presentation (5): Kind of a weird choice as they use the same watercolor as the ESB. I can’t decide if I should give it a 4 because I gave it a 4 before or a 2 for duplication. It seems unfair to give this one the 2 since I’m relatively certain this beer has been around longer. 4

Originality (5): It’s a pretty standard brown. Nothing more, nothing less. 3

Body (10): This seems like the grandfather of the chocolate lager they included in the 12 Beers from a few years ago. This is one of those strange beers that isn’t quite as thick as the chocolate and the malts would make you think. Really, it’s a great thin body with an excellent touch of carbonation with a bit of manliness added by the chocolate malts. 8

Taste (10): The whole idea of “chocolate stouts” are becoming played out, so I’m finding ales and lagers that work with heavy stout/porter flavors to be somewhat fun. The chocolate malt is the most obvious ingredient here. It carries the initial taste and the aftertaste and does it quite well. If I had one complaint — if they wanted to make an ale with a distinctive chocolate taste, they should have just gone for it instead of being subtle. I’d guess that’s what eventually led to Chocolate Lager. 7

Efficiency (10): Most anything I can say about the flavor short of “undrinkable” would be counteracted here by the very efficient 6.0% ABV. It packs quite a punch and the relatively pleasant flavor makes for an efficiency superstar. 9

Versatility (10): Sadly, the flavor is a little too heavy and complex for things other than a sipping beer. It’s not quite so heavy as to kick the versatility in to the tank entirely but it doesn’t get any favors. Also, I’m pretty sure this is only available in the Trail Mix and the new What Ales You? sampler. 6

Final Score: 37 (of 50) – Really good beer

Brewed By: Karl Strauss Brewing Company
Brewed In: San Diego, California
Type: Belgian-Style Brown Ale
ABV: 6.3%

What They Say: “Fullsuit is brewed with the changing seasons in mind. Firm toasted malt and roasted nut flavors are underpinned by a hint of vanilla that comes from aging the beer on French oak. Belgian ale yeast adds a peppery, fruity character to the beer’s slightly dry and warming finish, making it perfect for the (kind of) cold Southern California winter.”

Website: At this risk of running afoul of any web-designing beer elitists out there, I freaking love the Karl Strauss site. Yes, the home page is a little blocky, but it’s clean and easy to read. The “Brews” page not only shows the full assortment of beers by their names/types, but it also offers up a visual of what’s inside the bottle. I know it’s not the same as seeing a pour in front of you, but it’s still a nice touch. The “Eats” tab takes you to maps and menus of their six Southern California restaurants (get the beer-brined pork chops and thank me later). And, the obligatory “Who We Are” and “Beer Gear” areas aren’t at all intrusive.

Why I Picked It: The first time I had Karl Strauss (Amber Lager) was during my last semester of college at San Diego State. Two friends and I finished two pitchers in our on-campus pub, right before our “Marketing 471″ midterm. In the pantheon of bad academic ideas, this isn’t as high on my personal list as you might think. I got a “C” on the exam and, like steroids and baseball, no one really knows the true impact of BAC and test-taking. Anyways, I fell in love with the Karl Strauss brand back then. While I don’t drink it much anymore, I’ll always find time for one of their seasonal releases.

—

Presentation (5): Isn’t it standard operating procedure for “winter seasonal” offerings to at least hint at winter on their label? I get that the average high in San Diego this time of year is 66 degrees, but the drab all-brown look didn’t work for the local baseball team in the 1980s and it’s hard to get behind it now. 2

Originality (5): Even the most conservative accounts estimate that brown ale was being brewed in England as early as the 19th century. Some go as far back as the 1600s. Anything this old and brown is usually honored with a cardboard cutout stapled to the wall inside a second-grade classroom during Black History Month. That doesn’t make it original. Sorry, Harriet Tubman. 1

Body (10): A rust-colored pour with minimal head and lacing, Fullsuit doesn’t hold up better or worse than any other brown ale out there. That’s not an insult — it’s aesthetically pleasing in a pint glass, but with an ale’s thinness and level of carbonation. 6

Taste (10): There’s a toasted spiciness here that hits the tongue immediately. That gives way to slightly bittersweet vanilla notes which never really take over the taste, but should’ve been stronger and/or stuck around longer. If Karl Strauss could’ve combined this flavor tweak with a more substantive mouthfeel, I’d have gone higher with my score. 7

Efficiency (10): It’s hard to imagine someone doing epic damage to a six-pack. It’s plenty smooth and goes down just fine, but the bitterness — while not at all pronounced — really lingers. Fullsuit is one of those beers that you’d start your night with, but not spend an entire evening. 6

Versatility (10): It’ll take about half a bottle for the extremely casual beer drinker to appreciate Fullsuit. I’m not trying to paint an overly-complex picture of a relatively simple brew, but no one will ever confuse this with $2.00 Bud Lights during your league’s bowling night. Karl Strauss is arguably the most recognizable brewery name in San Diego, so a little reliance on the locals’ brand awareness could get this beer into a Chargers playoff party. 6

Grade: 28 (out of 50) — Good Beer

What they say: “Forget about the car companies, this is the original hybrid, a cross between a Scotch Ale, an India Pale Ale, and an American Brown. Our Indian Brown Ale is well-hopped and malty at the same time (magical). The beer has characteristics of each style that inspired it; the color of an American Brown, the caramel notes of a Scotch Ale, and the hopping regiment of an India Pale Ale. We dry-hop the Indian Brown Ale in a similar fashion as our 60 Minute IPA and 90 Minute IPAs. This beer is brewed with Aromatic barley and organic brown sugar.”

Website: Very nice site. Everything is laid out well; clicking on “The Brews” brings you to the entire list. Each beer can then be clicked on for even more information. Easy to navigate, and best of all: no Enter Your Age splash nonsense!

Why this one, Show?: I bought a six-pack of Indian Brown with which to make a loaf of beer bread. Since that only takes one bottle, I had five more to review from. Somehow, but not surprisingly, this is the last bottle.

First Thoughts:
Head: Pours up thick, and very off-white.
Nose: Woody, caramel, chicory.
Color: So brown it’s black.

Presentation (5): Dogfish Head’s labels for their year-round selections are nearly the same: the logo and beer name at the top, against a background of barley, with a short paragraph of info. At the bottom is the ABV. Consistent in brand recognition, but it’s not going to catch your eye over something flashier. 3

Originality (5): Brown ale. Not too much else you can say. The Dogfish twist is put on this one, but the style is a classic. 2

Body (10): This is a big beer. The only thing that keeps this beer from being a stout is the taste—it’s heavy, thick, and fulfilling but lacks the bittersweet coffee/chocolate flavors indicative of stouts. Brown ales should be full-bodied, and this does not disappoint. 9

Taste (10): This is where this brown breaks out from the normal. There’s a sweet start of molasses, which seamlessly moves into a nice dry, woody finish. Being a Dogfish Head offering, there is a good amount of hops put into this, but the malt and the brown sugar offset it and prevent this beer from tasting like a bitter twig. 9

Efficiency (10): While this beer clocks in at a very nice 7.2% ABV, the boldness of the body may prevent most snobs from making an evening out of this one. Padding your night with a few of these would go a long way, and the sweetness makes it a good go-to for beer snobs and newcomers alike. 8

Versatility (10): This is not something you’re going to want to consume six of in a night, no matter how much of a snob you think you are. The big body and bold flavors just do not make for mass consumption. This beer also finds a nice home in recipes, as well as a nice pairing with foods with big tastes—smoked BBQ, roasted spiced meats, and hearty sandwiches. 7

Final Score: 38 – Really Good Beer

What They Say: Taking an India Ale to the next level, Saranac India Brown Ale has the malt backbone to carry the hoppiness you expect in an India Ale. Carefully selected malts from North America and Europe are decoction mashed to highlight their character and the brew is complimented with generous amounts of citrusy Columbus, Cascade and Centennial hops. Cheers!

Website: Saranac passes my muster for a good website. Navigation on top, everything easily noticeable and findable without much work. Well done, guys.

Why I Picked It: Part two of the 12 Beers of Winter series. This is another new beer making its debut in the 12 Beers. We’ll say this replaces Oatmeal Stout since they’re trying to sneak the same label painting past us. Quick aside, this is one of the reasons I love Saranac’s Winter and Summer Samplers. They actually use it to debut new stuff. The 12 Beers Of Summer this year will debut FOUR new beers. Compare this to Sam Adams’s sampler packs which offers two Boston Lagers and two Sam Lights. This almost makes up for the decision to drop from one each of 12 beers to two each of six beers. Don’t they realize that having one each in a 12-pack could get me through THREE MONTHS of columns?

—–

Presentation: Saranac goes for the brown label here with a autumn looking brown scene with a lovely little stream with the mountains in the background. In the foreground is two cute lil bears. 3

Originality: I am sure someone else has done this beer. The idea of “let’s take an IPA and mess with it and try to make it beer” can’t be new. Regardless, I’m pretty sure it’s the first time I’ve seen someone market something as an India Brown Ale, so points there. 3

Taste: It’s funny how things work out. I was really excited by the Vanilla Stout and ended up indifferent to it. I was really not excited about the IBA and loved it. The deep maltiness totally counteracts the brutal hoppiness that makes me hate IPAs. The hoppiness is still there, but it isn’t the first, last, and only taste. All the stuff I like about browns is enough to kill off the hint of pine-coney awful that I don’t. 7

Body: This beer’s body isn’t setting the world on fire. It’s thin and hoppy like you’d expect from an India-style Ale but has the brown malt’s strength. The problem I have is too much of it sticks around too long because of the India Style. I’m not a huge fan of the dry-mouth IPA factor and this has all that combined with dry-mouth brown ale feature. Not a huge fan of either, but points for trying. 6

Efficiency: The beer is a sneaky 6.0. Sneaky because it’s really tasty and really easy to drink and it’s right on the edge of being a Big Beer. The problem is the India style hoppiness is present enough to give you that annoying IPA dry-tongue. The strong ABV isn’t quite enough to counteract the lingering IPAness, but it’s close. 7

Versatility: If anything, this beer would make a good punchline if you could buy it in a six-pack. You could bring it in to a room of snobs and when they ask you about your IPA, you can laugh at them and tell them you don’t drink that crap. Then you can laugh maniacally and reveal that you actually have an IBA and smugly tell them if you wanted a pinecone, you’d go outside and eat one. 6

Final Grade: 32 (of 50) – Good beer.

What They Say: Turbodog is a dark brown ale brewed with Willamette hops and a combination of pale, crystal and chocolate malts. This combination gives Turbodog its rich body and color and a sweet chocolate toffee-like flavor. Turbodog began as a specialty ale but has gained a huge loyal following and has become one of our flagship brews. This ale pairs well with most meats and is great served with hamburgers or sausages. It is a good match with smoked fish and can even stand up to wild game dishes. Turbodog is also great for marinating and braising meats and cooking such things as cabbage and greens. Colby, Gloucester, Cheddar and Blue cheeses go nicely with Turbodog. It’s perfect with spicy Louisiana jambalaya or Spanish paella. Some even like it paired with chocolate!

Website: For me, this is what I think a business website should look like (save for the completely useless “put in your birthdate” splash page. Completely top down design, everything is arranged where your eyes naturally look for it. The contact info info is in the upper right, prominent logo in the upper center, and the top with descriptive sections names that lead to useful information. Their design people and I have apparently read the same books on web design.

Why I Picked It: I was at a bar called Jake’s Dilemma in New York City. One of my friends said “you have to try this — it’s the best beer I’ve ever head.” A love affair was born.

–

Presentation (5): I’m not a huge fan of their six-pack container. I get that the fully enclosed sixpack is their thing and it makes for a unique presentation but unique presentation doesn’t necessarily mean good presentation. Moderate points for effort even if the overall design of the Turbodog bottle is a little more boring than some of their others. 2

Originality (5): I can’t remember having any beer that not only claims a toffee flavor as their primary selling point, but actually delivers on it while making it awesome. I’m sure there is a beer somewhere that tries to duplicate this flavor, but I can’t imagine anyone doing it better. 5

Taste (10): It’s like drinking a Heath bar… and I mean it in the best way one can mean that. Beers that use chocolate forget (voluntarily or otherwise) chocolate’s finish is bitter. They rarely use anything to offset it. Abita uses whatever they use to create a toffee flavor that amazingly breaks up the bitter chocolate malt flavor. It prevents the chocolate from being too heavy or cloying and lightens the flavor. It’s right on the border of being too much toffee flavor, but it doesn’t quite get there. 8

Body (10): An extremely dark body pours in to a nice, thin head. The lack of foam and the lack of anything on the side of the glass belays a pleasant, thick beer. The beer coats the entire inside of your mouth in toffee goodness and sticks around. While I normally don’t like this, Turbodog’s flavor is such that it isn’t bothersome. Besides that point, it manages to be hearty without being filling. If I have a minor knock, the same thing that makes it great to pair with food makes it a problem to drink alone. It hangs out on the tastebud just a bit too long. 9

Efficiency (10): It’s a flagship brew so it’s cheap. It’s a heavy brown ale so its ABV matches its weight. Its ABV is over 5.5%. And it’s completely delicious. It’s the definition of quiet efficiency. 10

Versatility (10): You may have noticed I don’t talk much about pairing beers with foods and other such things in this space. That kind of reaches a level of beer snobbery that I’m not comfortable with quite yet. However, Turbodog is the only beer I’ve tried cooking with. It’s awesome in chili and is a ridiculously good base for a steak or burger marinade. The bittery toffee/chocolate flavor pairs amazingly well with almost any red meat. Besides that — it drinks really well. 10

Final Grade: 45 (of 50) – Great beer.

Brewed By: Tommyknocker Brewery
Brewed In: Idaho Springs, CO
Type: Brown Ale
ABV: 4.5%
Awards: 2000 World Beer Cup Gold Medal

What They Say: A delicate amount of Maple syrup is added to each barrel of our award winning Maple Nut Brown Ale to impart roasted sweetness. This addition balances the nut flavor produced by Munich caramel and chocolate malts used in the brewhouse, producing a drinkable dark amber ale with a relatively low alcohol content.

Website: It looks like something thrown together on a free Angelfire site in 1996 (complete with wood paneling and jagged lines) and kept it. The information is fine, but it looks very low rent. Perfectly acceptable, though.

Why I Picked It: It was on the draught list at the unbelievably awesome Sunset Grill & Tap in Boston. The maple caught my eye.

—

Presentation (5): I love Tommyknocker’s labels. Each beer has its own different little picture. This particular one has a mischievous lil lawn gnome pouring a bucket of syrup in to a barrel of beer. The label on the neck also informs you of what, exactly, a Tommyknocker is: Tommyknockers were mischievous elves who slipped into mining camps with the Cornish miners in the 1800s. 5

Originality (5): I’m prepared to be proved wrong, but is there any other brewery that adds maple to their beers? Especially an ale? And, if not, how are Magic Hat, Long Trail, or Otter Creek (the Vermont breweries for you non-Northeasterners) not on this yet? Idaho of all places has to come up with your ideas? 5

Taste (10): The maple is glaringly obvious. Regardless of any other stuff they might mention on the label. It’s the first thing you taste when it gets in your mouth and the last thing you taste when it goes. I can’t blame them for the marketing as it’s called “maple ale” and they say that maple syrup is added to every barrel. Unfortunately, it’s a bit too sweet to work. 5

Body (10): The best of this beer is the body. It’s a thin and undercarbonated ale. It smells like maple syrup and holding it in your mouth, you get an entire head full of maple syrup. I really can’t fault them for much. They promised a beer that whole-heartedly would remind you of maple syrup they delivered. 8

Efficiency (10): A “relatively low” ABV coupled with a very sweet taste translates to low efficiency. 3

Versatility (10): Also unfortunately low. The beer is too sweet and not strong enough to be useful in most situations. You won’t be able to make a night out of it and you certainly will never have more than two or three of them at a sitting. The best way to enjoy this particular beer is to have one in their variety pack. Apart from that, it’s not something you’ll drink every day. 3

Final Grade: 29 (of 50) – OK beer.