Mikkeller is always produces interesting beers, and we have reviewed several of them in the past. I picked up the Jackie Brown on a whim, thinking that the plain label would mean it is a standard brown ale. After some research this may turn out to be a very interesting beer, as Mikkeller adds plenty of hops and plays with the malts a bit.
Another of the four beers I got from Hawaii, and the second so far to be reviewed, is the Koko Brown from Kona Brewing Company. As with the CoCoNut Porter from Maui Brewing Company, the Koko Brown is brewed with toasted coconuts. Kona is larger than Maui Brewing Company, and some of their offerings can be found on the East Coast.
For my birthday my girlfriend signed me up for a beer of the month club, delivering four different beers a month right to my door. The Pig’s Ear Brown Ale from Woodstock Inn Brewery is the first of those beers that I’m reviewing. In my opinion it’s approaching the end of “dark beer season” as it begins to warm up, so I’m getting in a few more Brown Ales before all the Wheat beers come out.
A good standard Brown Ale is something that I find hard to pass up, but when the brewer adds a twist I find it irresistible. Rogue has done this with their Hazelnut Brown Nectar, adding hazelnut aromas and flavors which should be an interesting addition to the sweeter malt elements that a Brown Ale normally brings to the table.
Recently, I picked up a four pack of the Dogfish Head Palo Santo Marron, one of their beers I’ve been wanting to try for a while. The beer is described as “[a] strong dark ale aged in 10,000 gallon barrels crafted from Paraguayan Palo Santo wood.” The vats that the beer is brewed in are the largest wooden brewing vessels built in America since before prohibition. At 12% ABV, this American-style Brown Ale should be nothing short of amazing, based upon the large fanfare it has.
