American Brown Ale
The St. George Brewing Company

American Brown AleAmerican Brown Ale
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From:
The St. George Brewing Company
 
Virginia, United States
Style:
American Brown Ale
ABV:
5.5%
Score:
87
Avg:
3.85 | pDev: 10.65%
Reviews:
32
Ratings:
37
Status:
Active
Rated:
Jan 21, 2014
Added:
Jan 19, 2006
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  2
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
 
Rated: 3.25 by Rmbr2 from Virginia

Jan 21, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by Cyrano41 from Virginia

Jun 17, 2013
 
Rated: 4 by cliff1066 from Virginia

Dec 11, 2012
 
Rated: 3 by avisong from Virginia

May 08, 2012
Photo of abrand
Reviewed by abrand from Illinois

3.3/5  rDev -14.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
12 ounce bottle obtained via BIF. Poured into a pint glass.

This pours a deep copper color with a small head up top. Smells of grains, some sugar, and caramel. Taste is pretty light but nice. Grains, toffee and malts on the palate. Mouthfeel is thin. Overall a nice beer.
Jan 27, 2012
Photo of TappaKeggaBrew
Reviewed by TappaKeggaBrew from Virginia

3.57/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
A: Pours dark brown, but with an anemic head ( a fault of most products from St. George...) No appreciable lacing.

S: Floral notes first. Then toasty malt. On the third, deep sniff, I could pick up hoppy notes.

T: Powerful sweet malt initially, yielding quickly to burnt grain. Bitter hops rounds it out, and grows even more bitter -- almost astringent -- in the finish.

M: Moist, but rather flat. Pretty "meh" to be honest.

O: Not as good as others from this brewer, IMO. Not quite a drain pour, but not worth repeating.
Dec 17, 2011
 
Rated: 4 by ROGUE16 from Delaware

Dec 07, 2011
Photo of Arithmeticus
Reviewed by Arithmeticus from Maryland

3.64/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Poured chilled in ale glass

A: OK carbonation; purplish black (like a porter); no head
S: pleasant caramel aroma
T: nicely sweet; roasted barley plays the biggest role; medium hopped; it does seem to play the role of a porter or stout

A good, solid beer from St. George.
Nov 01, 2011
Photo of engagechad
Reviewed by engagechad from Virginia

4/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
This beer was purchased as a single in a Dragon Pack from World Market in Charlottesville, VA - poured into tulip

Pours a beautiful mahogany brown with good head and good lacing. Smells like a perfect brown, complex hoppy roastyness like an am brown is supposed to be for me. Taste follows, a bit more on the malty end but it's a good one.

Overall this is the best brew from St. George that I have had. The others were lackluster. I would get this again
May 13, 2011
Photo of damndirtyape
Reviewed by damndirtyape from Ohio

3.93/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
12oz bottle (no date anywhere on bottle) poured into a Shaker pint glass.

Appearance: Vigorous pour gave a very dark, almost black beer, which shows some hints of ruby red at the edges of the glass when held up to the light. Head was nicely dense light tan foam about 1/4" thick , but this died down to give a thin film across the top and a ring at the edge. Persistent strands and big sheets of lacing noted.

Smell: With a swirl, the beer has sweet fruity notes - grapelike in smell. Otherwise the smell is faintly that of roasted and charred malts.

Taste: If the label didn't say "American Brown Ale" I would swear I'm drinking a porter or stout. Roasted malts with chocolate and coffee flavors dominate this beer the whole way through, with something of a mild citrus hop and bitter coffee/burnt sugar finish. Overall a beer on the sweeter side of things as the malt flavors dominate.

Mouthfeel: Good carbonation on the tongue and a creamy mouthfeel. Very nice combination.

Overall / Drinkability: Another beer from this company that went quickly. The flavors are not what I was expecting in a brown ale, but I'm not complaining mind you. It's just that this beer makes me think more of a porter. The beer's sweet flavor and creamy mouthfeel make me think this one would be a perfect dessert beer, but by itself....it's a little too sweet. Good, just a little much by itself. Still, a good looking and tasting beer.
Apr 03, 2011
Photo of MadTown1000
Reviewed by MadTown1000 from Virginia

2.77/5  rDev -28.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5
Pours a very, very dark brown, approaching black. Held up to the light, it's actually a very deep ruby red. Only maybe a quarter inch of creamy, stout-like foam. No apparent lace as the beer disappears.

Smell is sweet, with almost a maple syrup quality to it. The flavor doesn't match. There is some coffee-like sweetness, but it's overwhelmed by a strong smoky flavor. The malt tastes burnt. This could be good if it weren't for that, but as is I don't really want this stuff in my mouth.
Sep 20, 2009
Photo of likethetaste
Reviewed by likethetaste from Virginia

3.88/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Got this in a variety 6 pack from Farm Fresh.

Now this poured a very dark brown color. Almost black. Smelled richly of chocolate. Taste is pretty good with a slightly bitter aftertaste. The lager and pilsner from this brewery do not seem to be that good but St. George does a very good job on Porters and brown ale.
Dec 15, 2008
Photo of Seanibus
Reviewed by Seanibus from California

4/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
This is on the darker end of the Brown Ale spectrum, almost drifting into a porter.

Pours black with a lively white head. The smell i s dominated with roasted malt. The flavor is strong with roasted malt, chocolate, and dark cherry, with a little bit of bitterness. The mouthfeel is satisfyingly thin. Not bad, though more like a porter
Aug 09, 2008
Photo of Hojaminbag
Reviewed by Hojaminbag from Colorado

3.5/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Brown body with some slight ruby tinges. Light brown head about a finger in height, not a whole lot of retention or lacing.

Smells of some sweet malts mostly.

Tastes like a nice blend of malts, with chocolate and sweet molasses. A little bit of spicy/nuttiness in the finish. Light bodied.

Fairly drinkable.
Aug 05, 2008
Photo of bkilpatr
Reviewed by bkilpatr from Oregon

3.45/5  rDev -10.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a pint glass. 07/21/08.

Pours a dark mahogany brown color with about two fingers of tan head, which left no lacing. Aromas of toffee and chocolate malts.

Taste is very malty with lots of chocolate malts. Roasted nuts and some floral hops finish it off. Slight bitterness to the finish. Feel is a bit thin and watery, though I guess that's fairly typical of the style. Plenty of carbonation. Drinkability is pretty good. The ABV is low and it goes down pretty easily.

Overall not my favorite beer from St. George, but still good.
Jul 22, 2008
Photo of PhageLab
Reviewed by PhageLab from Virginia

4.19/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Poured into a pilsner glass.

A - Dark ruby colored brew that made a decent one tip head of froth. Decent retention and some spotted lacing.

S - Caramel malts and dark fruits make up the nose. Sweet and roasty aroma, very pleasant.

T - Sweet malty body with a perfect level of bitterness. There is a slight hop tinge near the end that dries and rounds this brew out nicely.

M - Light to medium bodied, moderate carbonation level, crisp, dry finish.

D - Very nicely crafted and enjoyable brew. This has quickly become a favorite brewery of mine. Highly recommended.
Apr 16, 2008
Photo of argock
Reviewed by argock from Virginia

3.79/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured from 12oz brown bottle into a clear pint glass. No freshness date.

A: Dark brown/cola colored with 1-2 finger light brown head and lots of lacing. Love the St. George bottle labels too.

S: Pretty underwhelming with most earthy hops aromas and a tad of caramel thrown in.

T: A really nice brown ale with slight charred flavor which melds micely with the sweet caramel and mild bittersweet chocolate/cocoa. It finishes with a strong hops bite to give a lot of character. It tastes like a subtle version of DFH Indian Brown Ale.

M: A little underbodied but very smooth and no sense of big carbonation others have disliked. Sweetbread aftertaste and a touch dry rather than chewy.

D: A very drinkable ale that keeps the trend of solid and sometimes spectacular brews from St. George.
Mar 15, 2008
Photo of Riverwarrior
Reviewed by Riverwarrior from Kentucky

4.32/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
S = This beer had a very nice sweet caramel aroma.

T = The taste had a mild caramel, chocolate malt flavor with a hint of roasted nuttiness coming through.

MF = It was crisp and smooth with medium carbonation.

The finish was very nice with only a small hint of hops bitterness which quickly disappeared and left a sweet bread taste to enjoy.

I will certainly buy this again.
Jan 21, 2008
Photo of oelergud
Reviewed by oelergud from Virginia

4.5/5  rDev +16.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Dark brown glass bottle, classic style with the usual St. George label, this one on a golden background.
Opaque brown deep ruby body. Tan head of small to medium body. Good retention and great lace.
Sweet dark bread scent, really good and inviting.
Light mulch and sweet malts.
Burnt and roasted malts, heavy and strong. Just a hint of nutskin. Good hop presence and a mild aftertaste of roasted hops.
Full body with little coating and a slightly dry finish.
This is a very drinkable brew. Tasty and strong without being overwhelming.

-Oelergud
Jan 19, 2008
Photo of Phocion
Reviewed by Phocion from Minnesota

3.88/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours a dark brown with a slight copper hue. Small but retentive frothy beige head. Lots of bubbles throughout the glass.

Very warm and malty aroma. Lightly roasted biscuity, caramel and bread-dough malts with just a subtle hint of nuttiness which increases as it warms and also a touch of floral hops.

The flavor is fairly mellow and excellently balanced. I'm picking up a hint of chocolate I didn't catch earlier in the nose and a bit of piney hoppiness.

Fairly thin body but a lot of carbonation. Very crisp with a decent flavor profile. This would definitely make an excellent session beer.
Jan 06, 2008
American Brown Ale from The St. George Brewing Company
Beer rating: 87 out of 100 with 37 ratings