Great Lakes Cleveland Brown Ale

Brewed by Great Lakes Brewing Company
Style: Brown Ale
Cleveland, Ohio USA

I love the Fall, it has to be one of my favorite times of the year, and football season is a big part of that. And what goes better with watching football than a good beer? Nothing in my opinion, beer and football go hand and hand. The good people of Cleveland Ohio are truly blessed. While their football team may not be so hot these days, the city of Cleveland does have a brown they can be proud of. That brown would be Cleveland Brown Ale, from the Great Lakes Brewing Company. This is a delicious, malty, nutty, hoppy brown ale. This would be an American brown ale by style vrs a tradition British one such as New Castle. American brown ales have a more assertive hop character in flavor and aroma, and have a bit more roast than their British inspirations. Cleveland Brown Ale pours to a deep brown chestnut color with a nice white head, and a soft carbonation. The nose has some nice nutty malt aromas, a touch of roast, and really fragrant, piney, citric hop aromatics. The palate starts with a bit of sweet malt flavor and a touch of fruit, then leads into some nice nuttiness, and a little roast. This beer finishes with more sweet and nutty malt character, then explodes into a long, dry, citric, bitter, hop bite. Really a well done beer, and flavorful beer. Plenty of good malt and hop character in this beer. Cleveland Browns fans, don’t despair, here is one brown that will always score a touch down!!

Okay I am a huge Brown’s fan, so obviously I am a bit of a Homer on this one, but what a great beer. I’m sorry to hear it is technically no longer availible as i just got some here a few weeks ago. It speaks of a tired city that is waking up. The beer is a bit sleepy, but knows it will do well in the long run. An underdog beer you can count on.

This is a fabulous beer. It is darker in color than most brown ales, with a nice lasting tan head. The aroma shouts roasted malts, and alot of malt. But the flavor has more hops than expected. The malt is very smooth, and may have some coffee involved. The aftertaste is very sharp but not bitter. This is a great fall time beer.

No longer available since the NFL wants licensing royalties from the name. Warm, sweet flavor.

A rich roasted nutty aroma that draws you closer to reveal more malty scents along with a dose of floral hops. Medium brown body producing a nice settling head and very good lacing. Medium bodied, rich and malty with an assertive bitterness. Extremely robust flavor chock full of nuts, toast, mild coffee and those wonderful floral hops. Great brown, I’m glad to have finally been able to enjoy this at the brewpub.

Shared by beervirgin at Cbus 9. Pours a dark brown color with a smallish tan head. Aroma is caramel, slight chocolate, some toffee perhaps. Flavor is caramel, chocolate, molasses. Palate is medium bodied, medium carbonation, finishes sweet. This was a very nice surprise for a style that rarely impresses me.

Good beer. Great companion to a Browns game - a very handy accomplice to the whole football game persona. Fairly malty, it combines well with stadium food (hot dogs, etc.).

On tap @ the brew pub 9/19/07, served in a shaker pint glass: Coppery brown, clear, w/ a light beige lasting medium sized head. Very light roasted barley note w/ strong toasty and bready a subdued caramel and light floral hop aroma. Very balanced aroma, malty and very pleasing. Flavor is well balanced overall! Caramel, bready, toasted malts, clean, not terribly estery, and hints of roasted barley in the flavor. Vague earthy hop in the semi dry finish, malty aftertaste. Ligher medium carbonation, medium body, smooth m/f. Overall a very palate pleasing, easy drinking beer. Could be a session beer if not for the 6% ABV. Definitely malty, but well balanced all around w/ great malt complexity. No offfense to Great Lakes, a really highly enjoyable beer, but maybe not worth 10.00/ bomber.