April 19, 2009
I suppose that this bar serves its community well with its decent selection and a cask item, but aside from the semi-comfortable surroundings, it was a little better than average to me. I liked the clam special that was running when I showed up yesterday. I also noted most of the mainstream craft brews were present in the darkened place.

January 12, 2009 [ Updated January 22, 2009 ]
Cozy, friendly, comfortable place with two small tv’s. Great place to hang out, usually on the quiet side. Downfall is the taps are not that carefully selected and out of the 15 relatively few will surprise or excite. They always have a cask ale or two, and their cask festivals, thrice annually, are awesome and not to be missed. Owner will put some food out usually, from a local restaurant, which is quite generous.

November 4, 2007
The Brazen Head is really all about the beer everything else is atmospherics. The TVs are mostly a distraction (unless a big game’s on) but thankfully they don’t add up to a sports bar ambience. The tap selection, including a couple of casks, is always well thought out. The service varies quite a bit depending on who’s working, but it’s generally good. The food, it must be pointed out, is not from any menu but rather the freebies the owner puts out to attract peckish happy hour and Sunday drinkers. All in all, an appealingly laid-back place that will do karaoke one night, jazz the next, and a food-and-beer festival on the weekend.

October 1, 2007
A divey bar right around the corner from the bars/stores of Cobble Hill. Long wooden bar with a small patio in back. Usually a decent selection, although not the greatest. Good prices though and they have a real commitment to cask ale. The cask ale fests are not to be missed.

August 30, 2007
decent service. not really much of a place, kinda small. regular old time NYC bar. the patrons and staff are not particularly friendly. they aren’t assholes either. they have some really decent beers. i had a nice hop angel on cask. being that the area is so flush with the nouveaux riche, you might think a little better could be done.

May 28, 2007
Cute old friendly pub that is more a pub for locals than a beer-tourist destination. The long bar sits about 20 people and there’s about 25 more seats in the place. About 15 taps with a mix of local micros and boring stuff (Stella, etc.). The day I was there the music was very old stuff, like golden-age-of-radio type of oldies. Nothing special but a cozy place for a quiet chit-chat while drinking a pint of local micro.

April 10, 2007
Basically my "local hangout," along with Waterfront a few blocks over. Selection of two hand pumped casks and several micros that are decently selected if not particularly rare or exciting. There’s frequent rotation of kegs and each new one is dated on the slate of fare. While there’s no food they do put out free wings on Mondays and cheese and crackers on Wednesdays. Friendly service. Overall unassuming and unpretentious. A cozy place to drink and finish up extra work. Watch out for the cask festivals, which are always a fun time.

February 27, 2007
Went to the Cask Ale Festival. They had all the cask ales in the back, otherwise they had an ok selection. It is a small cozy place with a nook in the corner. Got some free pretzels out of it!

November 7, 2006
Went to the cask festival this last Saturday, and enjoyed the quiet tavern atmosphere for a couple hours. The place is nothing special really, just cozy and friendly, which is refreshing sometimes. Selection at the cask festival was quite interesting, and definitely worth a detour. Without the cask festival (which they do 3 times a year I think), I think this place would be very average for craft beer lovers. Merely a neighborhood hangout.

November 6, 2006
Attended the 10th Triannual Cask Ale festival on Saturday. I enjoyed the bar before the crowds hit, the service was good and the cask handlers were excellent and entheusiastic. The garden out back was nice before it got crowded. I returned later in the day and didn’t enjoy the experience as much due to the crowd, but the establishment rates as average but worth another try in the future.