Sheephead Ale
Brau Brothers Brewing Co. LLC

Sheephead AleSheephead Ale
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From:
Brau Brothers Brewing Co. LLC
 
Minnesota, United States
Style:
American IPA
Ranked #3,287
ABV:
7.7%
Score:
82
Ranked #24,636
Avg:
3.63 | pDev: 14.33%
Reviews:
86
Ratings:
214
Status:
Active
Rated:
Jan 21, 2023
Added:
Mar 26, 2009
Wants:
  8
Gots:
  21
Sheephead is a bitter card game. It deserves a bitter beer. Brewed with loads of caramel malt and too many cascade hops, this crimson colored ale straddles the line between a malty amber and tongue bruising IPA.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by largemouthdmb:
Photo of largemouthdmb
Rated by largemouthdmb

4.5/5  rDev +24%

Nov 10, 2012
More User Ratings:
Photo of EvelynMcCultney
Reviewed by EvelynMcCultney from Illinois

1.66/5  rDev -54.3%
look: 1 | smell: 1.25 | taste: 1.75 | feel: 1 | overall: 2.5
Very lethargic looking. Nothing but the name enticed me about this beer. And the alcohol content. Could see this sheep giving you a real hangover. Tasted herbal almost-- but that also could be due to the fact that it was found in the alley. Not even the neighbors wanted it. All in all, glad I gave it a try. Cheers to alley beers.
Jan 21, 2023
Photo of chum_husk
Reviewed by chum_husk from Minnesota

3.18/5  rDev -12.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 3
12oz beer

This thing is pine upfront, with some caramel malt and booze in the middle, a slight sweetness all the way through, finishing very bitter with even more alcohol bite. It tastes closer to 5% than it's nearly 8% - which is a dangerous plus, I guess
Aug 20, 2022
 
Rated: 3.67 by Timmmmaaayyy from Pennsylvania

Aug 12, 2022
Photo of ChainGangGuy
Reviewed by ChainGangGuy from Georgia

3.86/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Appearance: Pours a hazy, amber-tan body with nearly an inch of off-white foam. Sparse lacing on the way down.

Smell: A smidge grainy with a veneer of classic deep crystal malt amidst toasted bread with supporting hop notes smelling of pithy citrus and leafy herbaceousness.

Taste: Toasted breadcrusts, a shmeer of crystal malt sweetness with a twinge of fruitiness with a thin backing of crunchy grains. A pop of tangy grapefruit, some citrus florals and resiny pine with a punchy amount of bitterness bolstered by a bit of alcoholic heat ultimately lending to a warming, bitter finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied with a bit of extra added richness about it. Medium-light carbonation.

Overall: Crystal malts? Any perceptible bitter whatsoever? What is this, 2007?!
Mar 23, 2022
 
Rated: 3.48 by jmbeerdude91 from Arizona

Mar 08, 2022
 
Rated: 2.84 by SouthCrescent from Pennsylvania

Feb 24, 2022
 
Rated: 3.31 by AAG from New York

Dec 31, 2021
Photo of barnzy78
Reviewed by barnzy78 from Illinois

3.52/5  rDev -3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
12oz bottle
is styled as an “American Bitter”
thanks to MaryLou & Kim!
L: amber body with a frothy tan head
S: grainy malt, caramel, piney hops
T: pungent bitter pine & grapefruit zest punishes the palate; malt provides a good backbone adding notes of caramelized grain, bread crust, brown sugar, and toffee
F: medium body, moderate carbonation, bitter pine lingers on the semi-dry finish
O: I get where they’re going with this one. It’s supposed to be very bitter and very malty, which it is. These flavors make me feel like I’m drinking a weak American Barleywine
Dec 08, 2021
 
Rated: 3.75 by 22Blue from Kansas

Dec 02, 2021
Photo of Captain69
Rated by Captain69 from Illinois

3.68/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
not sure if this is the right beer my bottle looks different and says sheephead ale american bitter / great bitter sytle alot of taste
Oct 22, 2021
Photo of RexInMinn
Reviewed by RexInMinn from Minnesota

1.49/5  rDev -59%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 1 | feel: 2 | overall: 1
Virtually unpalatable. About the only positive thing I can say about this is that it's got alcohol. Other than that it has no redeeming qualities as a beverage produced for the enjoyment of people Reminded me of prune juice. Maybe I got an old batch or a bad batch, but this is strongest I've felt about a beer in a long time. It did not taste "sour" in the sense that it had actually gone bad because it was kept unrefrigerated. It just tastes awful. I rarely buy a beer outside of Minnesota where I live, but I may not buy a Brau Brothers beer again for quite some time because of this one bad experience. I did have the Farm House Ale some time ago but it was more like a home brew, as I recall, very yeasty. So I shouldn't be surprised to be disappointed in their product once again.
Feb 04, 2020
Photo of GuyFawkes
Reviewed by GuyFawkes from Illinois

2/5  rDev -44.9%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2
From old, undated notes; poured from the bottle.

Clear rust color.

Almost no head; minimal lace.

Spiced cider nose.

Medium mouthfeel.

Watery apple cider flavor. Tastes like cheap wine. Drain pour.
Sep 19, 2019
 
Rated: 3.5 by COBEERHUNTER from Colorado

Jul 22, 2018
 
Rated: 3.58 by CanadianGinge from Texas

Jan 16, 2018
 
Rated: 3.76 by Abstractspirit from Rhode Island

Nov 18, 2017
Photo of donspublic
Reviewed by donspublic from Texas

3.86/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
poured into NB goblet, 1 finger creamy light tan head, nice retention and good lacing. Crystal clear reddish amber in the glass. Smells of caramel malt, and some dankish resinous hops. Taste is initially sweet malt, caramel, toffee, and some pine resin, middle has some citrus, floral and a nice bitter finish. Mouthfeel is good, malt forward beer with a goo hope profile. Nice drink
Sep 18, 2017
Photo of dbrauneis
Reviewed by dbrauneis from North Carolina

3.78/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
A: Pours a clear medium copper-ish amber in color with moderate amounts of active visible carbonation rising from the bottom of the glass and moderate burnt orange + golden yellow colored highlights. The beer has a half finger tall sudsy foamy beige head that reduces to a couple of small to medium sized patches of medium thick film and a thin ring at the edges of the glass. Light amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Just shy of moderate aromas of toasted + caramel malts with slightly stronger than moderate aromas of pine, floral, and spicy hops.

T: Upfront there is a moderate flavor of toasted + caramel malts with a light amount of caramel sweetness. That is followed by moderate to strong flavors of pine, floral, and spicy hops which contribute a slightly heavier the moderate amount of aggressive bitterness which lingers through the finish.

M: Medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation. Light to moderate amounts of dryness in the finish.

O: While it does not nicely fit into any specific style, I still found the beer to be enjoyable albeit with a pretty aggressive hop bitterness. Alcohol is well hidden.
Jul 31, 2017
Photo of metter98
Reviewed by metter98 from New York

3.53/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75
A: The beer is clear amber in color and has a light amount of visible carbonation. It poured with a short white head that quickly settled down, leaving a collar of medium-sized bubbles around the edge of the glass.
S: Light to moderate aromas of caramel malts are present in the nose along with hints of floral hops.
T: Following the smell, the taste has flavors of caramel malts and hints of floral hops with a slight bit of pine. There is a light to moderate amount of bitterness.
M: It feels light- to medium-bodied and slightly thin on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: This beer is mostly dominated by caramel flavors, but it doesn't seem really that malty on the palate as the hops mostly serve to cancel out the maltiness and provide the bitterness. It seems more like an English Bitter.

Serving type:
Jul 31, 2017
 
Rated: 3.38 by jebrew from Maine

Jul 21, 2017
Sheephead Ale from Brau Brothers Brewing Co. LLC
Beer rating: 82 out of 100 with 214 ratings