Brooklyn Brewery Brown Ale

[Paradox]

I don't think Brooklyn Brewery Beer is distributed all over the US (it may be though) so I thought I'd share some pics and impressions with you of some of their 'core brand' brews I recently purchased.

Tonight we had their Brown Ale. I enjoyed it and Stacy really enjoyed it compared to other brews we have had recently. Oddly enough it has some hop bitterness to it, but in this style I really like it allot. For some reason I just cannot get past the bitterness in IPA's. It poured a nice dark almost mahogany<-(?) color. Not too thick and not too thin, it had a nice balance of 'roasted ingredient' taste (a little chocolate taste was present) and a very palatable bitter finish. This is one of those beers that you could have one too many of rather quickly, especially when served very cold.

Just in case anyone wants to check out Brookyn Brewery's Website, here's a link. Oddly enough, it is located only a few blocks from where I grew up in Brooklyn... Though I moved from there when I was about 13.

[Paradox]

Stacy and I tasted this beer the other night and let me say she wasn't impressed but she downright does not like IPA's... I cannot blame her though, she loves beer probably more than me but just not bittery ones. For me on the other hand, I liked BB's version a bit more than others I have had.

The nose was very nice and I almost want to say I tasted a bit of citrus in it. To me, BB's IPA is not as bitter as others I have tried and that's probably why I like it a little bit more.

I have said before that I do like Pale Ale's though and at Jeff’s suggestion I picked up a bottle of Samuel Smith's Old Brewery Pale Ale and hope to try it this weekend while watching the game. I like Saranac's Pale Ale and unfortunately, Brooklyn Brewery does not make a Pale Ale. I really would like to have tried one from them... Oh well.

[Gillman]

I have had the Brooklyn EIPA numerous times. The citrus you mentioned is a characteristic of American-grown hops, especially Cascades. Many call the taste "grapefruit pith" or "piney". In my opinion, while many people enjoy this flavour, it is not an ideal hop for this type of beer. I like it when the beer is drunk chilled and when the hop is there but does not dominate. Ballantines XXX shows in my view an excellent use of Cascades. So does Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, quite widely available on the East Coast. But generally I like British-grown hops in pale ale or India Pale Ale. They have the right earthy, floral nose and flavour which are ideal for this type of beer. Some beers in the U.S. are brewed with imported English hops and approach the English template. They are often hard to find, though. Often by reading the label one can get a sense of whether an English palate is being aimed for. Imports only give an approximation of the true English ale palate, even the imported draft English beer (e.g., Bass Draft) which are pasteurised as are most of the bottled imports. (As beer and whisky writer Michael Jackson wrote classically in 1977, "pasteurisation kills stone dead all the life and spirit of the true English bitter"). Samuel Smith Pale Ale is a good product but doesn't really taste like English local draught (real) ale. Ditto the bottled and imported draft Fuller's or Young's beers from London, good beers again but rather pallid against the local draught versions. I am sure many East Coast micros make a good English-type pale ale or IPA (the dividing line can be hard to draw sometimes). One can experiment, ask questions. A Philadelphia brewery, Yard's, makes superb English-type beer. So does Geary of Maine.

Gary

[Gillman]

Mark, I wonder if English hops are used in this beer, or English varieties grown in America. Does the neck label say? I think a lower hop rate is one reason you may enjoy this beer better than its stablemate, EIPA, but the hop variety may explain it too..

Gary

[Paradox]

Thanks again for the very interesting and informative information Gary. At least I know I wasn't a bit crazy tasting the citrus in there! Grapefruit pith is a good way to describe it; at least that's how I recall it to a degree. I'll have to look for and try sometime the Ballantines XXX you spoke of. While I was stationed in California a few years back, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale was a huge thing, as I am sure it still is out there. All the other 'dorm rats' loved it but I never quite found what all the excitement was over. Some time has passed since then and I think I need to try revisiting it. I did buy Sierra Nevada Stout, Porter and Wheat a few weekends ago but still have not had time to try them. I left out their Pale Ale but I think I'll add some of it to the mix as well. Here's to experimentation and I am sure, many questions!

[Paradox]

It says it uses Cascade Hops Gary, as well as some others...

Malts: two-row pale malt, caramel malt, chocolate malt, biscuit malt, wheat malt
Hops: Cascade, Willamette and Northern Brewer

Could it be because I see they use wheat malt, or do most brews use wheat malt in some way or another? I know that my fav brews are wheat ones, particularly Blue Moon, Saranac Belgian White and Brooklyn Brewery's Weisse Beer.

[robbyvirus]

There was a fascinating article in the "Dining Out" section of today's NY Times where they interviewed one of the founders of the Brooklyn Brewery. He was talking about how beer brings out a lot of flavors in some foods better than wine does, and how certain beers (the India Pale Ale was mentioned) go really well with certain foods. A fascinating article, well worth reading. (You can read NY Times articles for free at www.nytimes.com).

[Gillman]

Wheat malt is used in British-style beers usually for head retention and would not affect flavour greatly. Cascades and Williamette are American hop varieties. Northern Brewer is an ale hop that is grown in various parts of the world and would impart a pleasant bitterness. I think the use of the numerous dark malts and the particular balance and level of the hop mix in the Brooklyn Brown clearly give a satisfying result. I have enjoyed the Brooklyn beers, particularly this one and the brewery's stout which has won numerous awards, the East India Pale Ale is less a favorite however. The Sierra Nevada beers are all high quality and the Pale Ale gets a good balance. Indeed experimentation is the key. There are many variables apart from hop variety so it is hard to generalise, yet many American pale ales seem oriented to that big citrus flavour you mentioned and it is one I find hard to come to terms with unless carefully handled by the brewer. Nothing "wrong" with any of these beers, it is all a question of taste, but just to see the range of flavors I'd try some imports and domestics that offer the English palate of pale ale based on English hops such as Fuggles and Goldings. There are a number of bottle-conditioned beers, both local and imported, that come quite close to the local English draught taste. Fullers 1845 is one from England. Black Sheep from Yorkshire is another which I believe is unpasteurised although filtered. I mentioned Yards and Geary and there are many more U.S. made English-type pales and IPA's. Anyway, a world of flavors to try!

Gary

[Gillman]

This is a very good point. Some beers are good for sipping with food whereas one might find that sipping a few on their own gives less satisfaction. I could see the Brooklyn EIPA going well with barbecue, say. Brooklyn is a classic craft brewery and brewer Garrett Oliver has done much in particular to promote the combination of beer and food, he has a recent book on the subject which is very interesting.

Mark had asked about wheat beer and again that is one I prefer to accompany food generally as opposed to drinking on its own. I find it goes well with fish of all kinds. Recently I had a Brooklyn wheat beer in Manhattan with chowder and other seafood and the combination could not be beaten.

Gary

[jeff]

Nice review Mark. I only wish I could find any of the Brooklyn Brewery offerings down here. I have never been much for "brown beers." I tend to gravitate toward either strong IPA's or Porters and Stouts. I do enjoy the Goose Island Hex Nut Brown Ale though.