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.

[jeff]

Leslie and I have really enjoyed the Sierra Nevada Wheat bear while munching on olives and various soft cheeses. I'm not a big fan of wheat beers. Usually I pick up on an overpowering bannana flavor that I find displeasing, most of all in the Flying Dog wheat Of course this would turn out to be Leslie's favorite style of beer

[jeff]

Gary, Mark et all,

Here is a helpful resourse for understanding the differences in the flavoring and bittering components of the various hop varietals: Hops 101

[Gillman]

Thanks, Jeff, excellent rundown of hops, their uses and attributes. Under "varieties" the flavour of each is noted with accuracy (note he mentions "grapefruit" under Cascades, a common descriptior for this hop type). Of course each brewer's approach will determine the flavor profile. Hop type is one factor albeit an important one. I find with Cascades, too much is not always a good thing. In current beer lingo, I am not a "hophead", not for this variety at any rate. However when used sparingly and when the beer is served well-chilled and carbonated, I find Cascades-hopped beer quite good. I mentioned Ballantine XXX as an example, which is not a microbrewed beer but has been around for 100 years or so. To me it gets the use of Cascades just right. Widely available in the Northeast and especially New York although I think it is brewed now in the south by SAB/Miller somewhere (hard to keep up with all the changes in label and brewey ownership). Just to bring beer and whiskey into relation, the current All About Beer magazine (published out of Durham, NC) has an article on microdistillers, these being a dozen or so small restaurant-distilleries or free-standing operations out on the West Coast. None actually make a bourbon as yet but are experimenting with various barley and other spirits. No doubt a bourbon will follow before long but interesting that thus far these operations make scotch-type whisky, vodka, gin, and fruit spirits, nothing from a bourbon mash.

Gary

[jeff]

I, on the other hand , am a certified "hop-head" The more the better! While I do enjoy the "grapefruitiness" of the cascade hop, I tend to prefer IPAs brewed with Centennial hops, i.e. Bell's Two-Hearted Ale. They seem to impart a more floral flavor and aroma to the beer which I find to my liking.

[Paradox]

Thanks for the link Jeff, seems I will have some educational reading once I get home from work.

[Paradox]

Since many of us do enjoy beer as well as bouron, including women like Bettye Jo, my wife, etc, I was planning on bringing some beer with me to KY this year to be enjoyed at the gazebo... Maybe I'll have to bring a vareital 6pack of Brooklyn brews for you to try! I'd like to hear your opinions as well Jeff. You bring one of those two hearted ales though since I still have not found that here.

[Paradox]

Recently I had a Brooklyn wheat beer in Manhattan with chowder and other seafood and the combination could not be beaten.

Now that sounds like a great combo Gary. Stupid question, but even though you were in Manhattan, what kind of chowder were your enjoying; Manhattan or New England? I tend to like Manhattan better, but I think I could go for a bowl of NE with a nice Brooklyn Wheat beer...

[Bob]

I've got a "few" beers laying around at most times. I'll bring some along as well. Some of you may have tried the Southhampton Burton Ale that I brought last year. I'm trying to get that again, as I thought that was a wonderful British style ale.

Bob

[boone]

Hey! Please bring a few of those to my party. That would be a nice "extra" along with all the other "goodies" I will admit that I have not tried alot of other beer's...I live in a small town and the selection is Fall's City (j/k) Coor's, Sterling, Bud...etc....

To get a big selection I would havta travel to Louisville,---a 100 mile round trip for me...

Bettye Jo

[Bob]

I'm with you Jeff, cause hops make me "hoppy"! Some of my favorite hop head beers include: Victory Brewery's Hop Devil, Sierra Nevada's Celebration Ale (available during the holidays), Anderson Valley's Hop Ottin' IPA, Weyerbacher's Hop Infusion; Tupper's Hop Pocket Ale; Magic Hat's Blind Faith IPA, Brooklyn's East IPA, Grant's IPA, Greene King IPA. All of these are wonderful beers IMHO. There are lots of other styles I like as well, but when in doubt, I'll grab a hoppy brew anytime!

Bob

[Gillman]

Manhattan of course! It was at the Grand Central Terminal oyster bar and restaurant in the basement.

Although, I could see that Brooklyn Wheat going well with cream-based chowder too.

I had two beers, that one and Chimay White (from Belgium), both on draft, and all I can say is, both were great but the 8% Chimay threw me for a loop on the buzz, I had forgotten how potent it can be. Chimay White is not a wheat beer but rather a Triple-style beer but it went well after the Brooklyn Blanche (I think is the formal name of the Brooklyn Brewery's wheat beer).

Gary

[Paradox]

I've got a "few" beers laying around at most times.

Let me say that Bob's beer bottle collection puts my bourbon collection to shame! I do remember that beer you brought last year Bob as Stacy had some, and it was very nice. Please do bring some more this year!

[Paradox]

Don't you worry Bettye Jo, we'll make sure you get to try a little of all the Brooklyn styles. We'regoing to have to seperate half the gazebo for a night! One half bourbon drinkers and the other half the beer drinkers.

[Paradox]

I have grown very fond of wheat beers and this is yet another one to add to the list. Stacy does want me to say though that she likes this wheat beer the least when paired against Saranac's and Blue Moon brews. I on the other hand like it because it is different and stands out from the others. It pours a hazy/cloudy dark yellow color with a nice head. The nose on this one really says yeast, as does the taste. Of all the beers I have had to date, this one has a real yeasty flavor almost like the smell of bread dough. I get a tiny bit of sweetness and an under note of bananas in it as well. All in all a great beer from Brooklyn Brewery and one I will definitely buy again. I still prefer Saranac's Belgian White a little more, but this one being different tasting makes for a nice change of pace.

[Bob]

Mark,

I agree that the Brooklyner Weisse is a great beer. I'll have to say that it is currently my favorite domestic wheat beer though. It has surpassed the Blue Moon brew in my book. I like the Saranac's as well, but they rate below Blue Moon. I still have very fond memories of the Celis White beer. Has anyone had the good fortune of trying it while it was available? It was the BEST wheat beer I've ever had. Unfortunately, Miller bought the Celis brewery and ultimately closed it! I guess they wanted to continue to just make the same old High Life

Bob