Review – SmuttyNose Old Brown Dog

From SmuttyNose Brewing – Old Brown Dog has been cited as a classic example of the “American Brown Ale” style of beer. Compared to a typical English Brown Ale, Old Brown Dog is fuller-bodied and more strongly hopped. Old Brown Dog has been around for many years. It was first brewed in 1988 at the Northampton Brewery. In 1989 it won a silver medal in its category (American Brown Ale) at the Great American Beer Festival in Denver.

Smuttynose Brewing – Old Brown Dog – 12 oz. bottle ,part of the SmuttyNose Sampler Pack, 5.9% abv. , Purchased at Dawson’s Liquor – Severna Park, MD.

Appearance: Clear, reddish brown much like strong iced tea. 1/2″ tan head with mostly small bubbles; it dissipated rather quickly.

Aroma: Fairly mild with earthy and caramel notes.

Taste: This is very reminiscent of a good Oktoberfest, but slid down the malty – hoppy scale several notches toward hoppy. The same earthy flavors (perhaps a bit of minerals) come through with a slightly sour finish. If  you know to look for it, you can catch a fleeting hint of the chocolate malt mid-sip.

Mouthfeel: Clean and bubbly with a dry finish.

Overall: This is a very nice beer that can serve as both a refreshing, clean beer on hot summer days or a crisp, hoppy alternative for the aforementioned Oktoberfest.