New Holland Hopivore Wet-Hopped Harvest Ale

New Holland Brewing Company
Holland, MI

APPEARANCE: 2.25/3
Nice, deep copper-brown color. Off-white head that fades.

AROMA: 3/4
Woody/nutty/citrus, some grapefruit. Nuttiness is dominant, some brown sugar notes.

TASTE: 7/10
Hop/Malt Balance: 3/4: Very woody. Nutty. Honey-roasted nuts, hop bitterness.
Aftertaste: 2/3: Roasted bitter up front, hop bitterness lasts.
Mouth-Feel: 2/3: Dark, roasted honey-nut flavors. Effervescent. Bitter on back of the tongue.

OVERALL: 2/3: Roasted nuttiness—we would classify it as a hoppy brown. Lots of malt, could use more hop bitterness

TOTAL: 14.25/20–I'll Try A Pint

NOTES:
Matt: It grows on you—nutty, malty, needs more hop bitterness. Not bad.
Ben: A nutty, dark, bitter beer (dark in flavor, not appearance). Lots of bitter, honey, roasted nut flavors. Different, though best in small doses.

Boulevard Lunar Ale

Boulevard Brewing Company
Kansas City, MO

APPEARANCE: 2.25/3
Slightly reddish tint. Decent head, fades quickly. Slight haze.

AROMA: 2.75/4
Fruity and floral. Sweet. Bubblegum notes. Very little hop. Unique.

TASTE: 4.5/10
Hop/Malt Balance: 2/4: Malty, little hop.
Aftertaste: 1/3: Yeast flavors come through. Slightly woody, faint bubblegum. Sour, weirdly metallic aftertaste.
Mouth-Feel: 1.5/3: Watery, weakly carbonated. Weird.

OVERALL: 1.5/3: You can tell it's a Belgian yeast. Complex flavors include a harsh metallic aftertaste. Is it a brown? A Belgian? A bottle of rusty nails? You tell me.

TOTAL: 11/20–Anything Else On Tap?

NOTES:
Matt: I'd call it forgettable if it weren't so odd. The harsh aftertaste is unappealing, and it lacks the nuttiness I prefer in a brown. Again, Boulevard is capable of so much better.
Ben: Surprising that this is one of their regulars. Not a favorite–Boulevard has much better offerings. I'd rather see one of their seasonals replace this in the regular lineup.
Note: Boulevard classifies Lunar as a dark wheat ale. We've seen it referred to as a brown and a dunkelweizen as well, so, whatever.

Sierra Nevada Tumbler Autumn Brown Ale

Sierra Nevada Brewing Company

Chico, California

APPEARANCE: 3/3
Deep mahogany. Big cream-colored head. Crisp. Pretty!

AROMA: 3.5/4
Coffee notes, caramel, chocolate. Roasted nuttiness notes. Little hop aroma.

TASTE: 8.75/10
Hop/Malt Balance: 3.5/4: Hoppy, roasty, malty. Similar to a porter. More hoppy than a typical brown.
Aftertaste: 2.5/3: Bitter from the middle to end. Sweet and malty up front that fades nicely to a bitter finish. Crisp roasted flavor.
Mouth-Feel: 2.75/3: Full mouth feel. Dark caramel notes. Roasted nutty flavors - hazelnut? Subtle smokiness. Grassy hop feel.

OVERALL: 2.75/3: A dark hoppy brown. Almost could be considered a porter. A good Autumn beer.

TOTAL: 18/20–Keep 'Em Comin'

NOTES:
Matt: As good a brown as I've had in a long time. Hoppy enough, smoky, full-bodied. Nice. Nice label too.
Ben: I'd buy a six. Something you'd enjoy around a campfire on a crisp October evening camping. This would be good paired with smoked poultry or a broccoli/potato/beer cheese soup.

Tommyknocker Maple Nut Brown Ale

Tommyknocker Brewery & Pub
Idaho Springs, CO

APPEARANCE: 2.5/3
Nice mahogany color. Crisp, clear. White, lasting head.

AROMA: 2.75/4
Some maple notes, some caramel, nutty roast.

TASTE: 7.75/10

• Hop/Malt Balance: 3/4: Malty–very little hop (appropriate to style). Nutty, sugary.
  
• Aftertaste: 2.5/3: Honey-roasted finish; subtle maple syrup/brown sugar at the very end.
  
• Mouth-Feel: 2.25/3: VERY nutty, very malty. Sweet hints. Needs more body (a bit thin).

OVERALL: 2/3
A little more maple would be nice, and more body as well; those two additions would make this a really good beer.

TOTAL: 15/20–Pour Me Another

NOTES:
Matt: A good twist on a brown; didn't go quite as far as it could have, but a good start.
Ben: A good brown, but where's the maple? Would like to see this as a porter. Anyway, a nice variation on the standard brown.