Smuttynose Old Brown Dog

Brewed by Smuttynose Brewing Company
Style: Brown Ale
Portsmouth, New Hampshire USA

Got this in a trade. The aroma leads you to expect a sweet malty flavor, but the flavor is actually roasted malts and richer than I anticipated.

12 oz bottle from Oak Tree. I still can’t believe Ive been rating for two and half years and somehow I never rated this one. As far as brown ales go this is a solid one. Aroma has lots of chocolate malts, some underlying brown bread and sour oranges. Flavor is malt forward with some slight syrup, dry bakers chocolate, toast. Carbonation is on the strong side and finishes with a good dose of astringency. Solid beer but hey it is just a brown ale after all.

This beer is almost blood red with a touch of brown. There’s a tiny bit of light brown head that disipated quickly. The aroma is sweet with chocolate malt. The flavor is very smooth and rich. Chocolate and coffee tones with a slight hop tartness. There seems to be a bit of alcohol in the finish. The mouthfeel is velvety smooth. It simply glides down the throat. This was a very good brown ale. I would put in my top 3 favorite brown ales I’ve ever tried.

Pours ruby red with a tan head. Really nice. Notes of toffee, brown sugar, coffee. Sticky mouthfeel. Refreshing , tasty, definitely a beer I want to return to.

Poured from a 12oz. bottle into a pint glass. The color is a slightly cloudy red with a foamy white head. The smell is a toasty malt aroma, and a dark fruitiness. The taste is a nice malt sweetness, a bit toasty, and also has a carmel flavor as well. A nice well balanced beer. Nice and tasty.

The dog as man’s best friend is a theory rather hard to dispute. Though I am more of a kitty person, overall I love all animals. As iconic as the dog symbolizes friendship, there is man’s other best friend; beer. Yes, beer. Understanding this, Smuttynose took our two best friends and put them together is in a moment of pure genius. Enter their Old Brown Dog Ale, a rich and hearty brown ale graced by a gorgeous silky-brown toned Weimaraner on the label. All that’s missing is a dark study, studded worn leather chair, a pipe, and a gentleman having a glass while his faithful friend sleeps comfortably by his side. This is Florida though so I am omitting the fireplace.

Deep brown with a polished mahogany hue while ruby highlights glint and sparkle, creating a veritable jewel within my glass. A small head clings stubbornly to the top of his brew, but seemingly ignores leaving any kind of lacey trails to follow. His nose is rich with brown sugar, maple, toffee; and brown breads fresh from the oven for a full, robust profile. Hot chocolate powder and cocoa beans give him an earthy sweet finish while a hint of gingerbread and spice vie for my attention. Holding his nose together though from start to finish is the soft interplay of hot chocolate powder and cocoa beans. Chocolate is another one of man’s best friends, so I happily dive into Old Brown’s wet embrace for some sweet and sloppy kisses. Our first kiss is a bit of a surprise; soft, silky smooth, and lightly creamy with soft chocolate notes followed by maple, brown sugar, and gingerbread. Earthy licorice root and a chewy bready mouthfeel are in perfect balance. A faint whisper of lemon lingers in his finish while brown sugar and creamy nuts intermingle with the soft chocolate and cocoa currents. Old Brown Dog Ale is expertly balanced and hands-down one of the best brown ales I have quaffed. Not too light to be dull and boring, and not too heavy to turn him into a sipping brew instead of a sessionable one. Man’s best friend is made of this, and with a final flourish of cocoa, brown sugar and maple, gingerbread and spice, nuts, and lemon, I say farewell.

In the process of receiving this beer gift, Smuttynose Brewing was licensed for distribution in Florida by the fine folks at Micro Man distributing so now I can enjoy my Old Brown Dog Ale any day of the week. Just thinking about how enjoyable Old Brown Dog Ale was makes my mouth water and thirst for another.

light brown pour with a quickly disappeaing tan head...nice balance between bitter hops and sweet caramel-like malts

Not much head. Mahogany reddish brown. Dishsoap film on top. Cloudy with a thick haze. The smell is nutty with a mild roasted malt. Some molasses/toffee sweetness. Mild but nicely balanced. Very very mild coffee bitterness. Not bad. Nice caramel molasses sweetness at first sip. More bitter malty notes toward the end. Some grainy barley, with a bitter aftertaste. A tinge of alcohol, minor metallic taste. The feel is gritty and chewy, but also creamy and milky. Leaves a milky film. A nice, gritty brown ale. Full of flavors, though they are a tad on the rough/harsh side. Still, not bad.