Brooklyn Brewery in Brooklyn, NY

I almost forgot about this beer. As another one of the finds in the Midwest that is much harder to come by in Montana, the Brooklyn Brown Ale was another beer I took notes on upon tasting, liked quite a bit, but completely forgot about until now. And for as much as I loved Brooklyn’s Black Chocolate Stout, and for how I was just slightly above indifferent toward Brooklyn’s Local 2, I was curious to see how much I would enjoy the usually mediocre brown ale category entry. No matter how hard I try, finding a sessionable and unique brown ale is just really tough. It’s starting to look like it’s the equivalent of ordering a pale ale at the bar: I know what I’m getting into; I know I’ll most likely be disappointed; and I know that it will take something special in the flavor to blow me away. Yes, I’m a skeptic. Yes, I tried the Brooklyn Brown anyway.

Pouring a dark brown color with some subtle accents of red mixed in, the Brooklyn Brown Ale didn’t put out much of a scent, and even somehow smelled just a tad watery. How a beer smells watery, I do not know, but take a whiff of the Brooklyn Brown and you’ll probably understand. The lacing and creamy head made me reconsider the light smell, though. The taste was a little more promising, with a good bitter hit up front that quickly broke away toward a sexy and smooth malt finish. Further sips didn’t reveal a whole lot more than what was initially discovered in the beginning. This is a rather unadventurous beer that has some nice opening and closing moments, but who wants to watch a three minute play or listen to a two minute Grizzly Bear album? Not me.

So my dislike for brown ales continues to gain more ground with the Brooklyn Brown. All that being said, if you want a lighter dark beer that has a lot of drinkability connected to it, be my guest. It’s definitely a step up in flavor from many pale ales or other brown ales I’ve had, but the taste just isn’t quite there for me yet. I’m still looking for an adventurous and striking brown ale, and I’m more than open to suggestions. However, I think for a while I’ll be passing on any nut browns or brown ales I see.