Drakes Hoppy Ass Brown

Small khaki head recedes quickly, but not fully. Body is clear but appears somewhat opaque due to such dark tints of teak and cherry woods. Sweet but aggressive and assertive piney hops lead in the aroma. Some dried bready malt and citrus is noted, mostly just very hoppy however. Trace amounts of flower bed are sensed as well. Flavor is loaded with velvety malts, much unlike the preceding aroma. Seems like multiple malt and yeast strains. Still hoppy, but amazingly balanced now. Incredibly refreshing taste is unexpected and delightful. Quite the unique brown ale. Finishes dry and warming. Mouthfeel is spiky and medium bodied, coating.

Bottle shared at the Columbus Tasting V, three bottles showed up which I thought was kinda funny. Brown pour with an off-white head. Nice aroma of pine, citrus coupled with some light sweet malt...pungent as all hell. The flavor though seemed to have a bit more balance when it came to the hop to malt ratio which was kinda odd given the pungent hop aroma. Medium bodied, bitter throughout with sweet malt notes evening it all out with a nice hop punch in the finish.

Courtesy of aspidites and stoutlover72. Dark ruby/brown and a small, frothy tan head. Nose of fresh, floral, poisonous hops and subtle toasty malt. All hops in this one. Malt steps it up a bit in the flavor, more toastiness and a hint of brown sugar. Medium body, more carbonated than balanced. Brown IPA, and very tasty.

2006 bonus bottle from Stoutlover72 drunk on 3/8/07
My first bottle of Drakes. It’s been a long time coming. Fantastic appearance. One of those beers that initially looks like it’s going to pour a small, rapidly dissipating head, but then the head just keeps growing even after you’re finished pouring. Sloppy lacing all over the glass and very strong retention complete the picture. Head is a light coffee-brown atop a very dark tan body with some slight maroon-mahogany tints on the edges. Clarity is high with some light sediment left at the bottom of the bottle.
This was definitely one of the more unique beers I’ve had in terms of contrast between aroma and flavor. The aroma is dry, moderately bitter, floral and citric hops with a splash of pine tar, lightly juicy, but mostly crisp and dry. It leaves almost no trace of malt sweetness or even dark malts. Just a pinch of coffee aroma with warming, with a little bit of crusty brown bread. Definitely smells like an IPA and I wouldnt even guess the beer to be dark if I was smelling it blindly. Perhaps a bit too dry and leafy, overall, for my preferences. I’d like a bit more juiciness or fruitiness from the hops. But it’s still very sniffable and well-done.
Flavor. Wow, this is 180 degrees different than the aroma would suggest. Deep, deep, sumptuous maltiness for a brown ale. Rich chocolate, caramel and coffee notes all collect on the palate, with a very creamy, malty texture. Hops don’t dominate, yet are apparent enough in the flavor, without adding any overdone bitterness/acidity. Lightly juicy floral notes and some soft citrus tones all help add complexity and give it a distinctly West coast feel. Crunchy coffee and vanilla notes with just a slight bit of molasses dryness continue on the finish, with soft pale malt sugars lingering as well. If all Drakes beers are this well-malted and balanced in flavor, I’m in for a treat. No alcohol/flaws noted.

Bottle courtesy of hopdog! Poured a lovely shade of hazy burnt plum/light-ish mahogany with a majestic, well-retained beige head and some tiny floaties. The nose was spot-on for the beer’s namesake... fresh pine and citrus on top of nutty and caramel sweetness... aggressive yet soft... great combination!
Bitter pine graces the tip of the tongue before transitioning smoothly into a sweet middle of nutty malts, bittersweet chocolate, some darker fruit and figs... citrus rises and the pine returns for a triumphant, rather bitter finish... sweet, refreshing, and it left me wanting more! Excellent stuff!

Handbottle from Moejuck. Hoppy Ass nose, pumelled with pumello and pine, kiwi seeds and wet sacks of grain. Craigy head. Good balance between soft, oaty, roasty flavor, with tropical fruit type hops. Palate is very soft and drinkable, though the alcohol % seems like its probably pretty high.

note: The Drakes was not a handbottle, I double evac filled it on a one head filler for rating purposes.
-aspidites

Pours with a deep brown body with reddish tinting topped by a thin to medium thick head with some lacing left behind. It’s slightly sweet and malty with a slight fruitiness and a bitter, piney hop note. Meidum bodied, smooth and a touch dry.

This was a unique "chance" bottling from a stoutlover72. I really appreciate the chance to taste this one. 12 oz, pour was a dark brown, large tan foamy head. Nose is kind of hoppy, like a APA, if you close you eyes, but the body is very dark and very little light gets through. The taste is sweet and malty like a brown ale, but the is a very distinct hop presence that make this a very interesting brew. Thanks