Paradigm Brown Ale
Kelsen Brewing Company

Paradigm Brown AleParadigm Brown Ale
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From:
Kelsen Brewing Company
 
New Hampshire, United States
Style:
American Brown Ale
Ranked #11
ABV:
7%
Score:
94
Ranked #2,842
Avg:
4.22 | pDev: 9.72%
Reviews:
39
Ratings:
165
Status:
Active
Rated:
Mar 19, 2023
Added:
Mar 01, 2014
Wants:
  23
Gots:
  44
par·a·digm \per-ə-dīm\ an outstandingly clear or typical example.

There are only a few moments in life where an opportunity arises that may possibly change the way you view the world. This is one of those moments. What you have in your hand is an outstandingly clear or typical example of what an American Brown Ale should be. Paradigm Brown Ale is a highly hopped brown ale that transcends the characteristics found in many examples of the style. The wonderful hop aroma will be apparent the second you pop the cap. Your first sip will present you with frothy foam and the taste of delicious chocolate malt that is more typical of a darker colored beer. The malt flavors will carry the hop bitterness through the entire sip and it finishes with a smooth texture that leaves your mouth watering for more. At this moment your view of the beer world has changed forever.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by NHSTEVE:
Photo of NHSTEVE
Rated by NHSTEVE from New Hampshire

3.35/5  rDev -20.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

Apr 29, 2016
More User Ratings:
Photo of Siriusfisherman
Reviewed by Siriusfisherman from New Hampshire

4.39/5  rDev +4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Pours a hazy brown with a foamy off-white head. Good lacing. Aroma has some big citrus and pine resin hops that are backed up by nutty, chocolate notes. Hop flavor hits right away on the sip, big resinous flavors with some rich roasty, caramel flavors from the malt and a rustic yeastiness. A firm bitterness and dry finish balance things out. A very unique beer that is totally my style. I love hoppy, dark beers. I think calling this a brown ale is pretty spot on. While it definitely is knocking on the door of IPA, the hop flavor and bitterness manages to stop just short, and the malt character is spot on for a brown ale. Great Beer.
Mar 19, 2023
 
Rated: 4.84 by Mcb99d from Massachusetts

Aug 26, 2022
 
Rated: 3.25 by LAM01833 from Massachusetts

Jul 31, 2022
 
Rated: 4.25 by tonystanhope from Florida

Apr 04, 2022
 
Rated: 4.25 by Bogdawg from Massachusetts

Feb 10, 2022
Photo of Sludgeman
Reviewed by Sludgeman from District of Columbia

4.03/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Served in a plastic solo.

Almost a brown IPA. 4.0

A - Pours a black opaque with a nice almost fluffy one-finger light brown head. 4.5

S - Aromas of slightly sweet maltiness. I also get that dried fruit aroma in this beer like the porter. Maybe their yeast? Strong aroma - all very evident 4.0

T - More hop than malt. Roasty bitterness along with some herbal, resiny hoppiness and even some vinous qualities and nice sedate sweetness. 4.0

MF - Medium light body, with a almost dry finish. Some sweetness in the finish but we’ll balanced by the roasty bitterness. A bit of a bite on the palate. 4.0
Dec 04, 2021
 
Rated: 4.88 by hopley from Massachusetts

Sep 29, 2021
 
Rated: 4 by atlbravsrno1 from Maine

Aug 21, 2021
Photo of Phoodcritic
Rated by Phoodcritic from Michigan

3.58/5  rDev -15.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Rich aroma. The aftertaste is a bit too astringent for a classic brown ale.
Jul 27, 2021
Photo of PMakowski
Reviewed by PMakowski from New Hampshire

4.18/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
16 oz can poured into glass
Look - shockingly, it's brown colored. Thick foamy head is slow to dissipate.
Smell - Not a whole lot here, per the style. Roasted malts and some sweetness. Creamy coffee.
Taste - Well, the aroma was a bit tame but the beer pops with flavor. Lots of coffee and almost burnt chocolate malt. In the middle, there is a noticeable hop presence, which is a nice change up. Carbonation is medium and body is medium. Sweet but not as much as many other brown ales.

Overall, very impressed. Lots of coffee flavor, almost a coffee porter style. It's smooth and easy to drink. Will look for again if buying a brown ale. Grade is an A-
Dec 29, 2019
 
Rated: 4.23 by DruC4 from Michigan

May 29, 2019
 
Rated: 4.16 by Pippuri from New Hampshire

Dec 19, 2018
 
Rated: 4.21 by KMcGrath from Massachusetts

Dec 03, 2018
 
Rated: 4.5 by 1971bernat from Virginia

Sep 04, 2018
Photo of Lone_Freighter
Reviewed by Lone_Freighter from Vermont

4.49/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Poured into a glass mug.
The appearance was a thick mostly dark brown color with a thin off white foamy head dissolving at a decent pace. Mild foamy lace.
The aroma had a fantastic meshing of roasty nuts, slight coffee bean with roastiness, toast, grassy hops and a sweet earthiness.
The flavor meshes the bitter, earthy and grassy hops to a sweet smokey to coffee and milk chocolatey taste. Seems to lead with the milk chocolate in the aftertaste.
The mouthfeel was about medium bodied with a fine in between quality of being sessionable and being sipping. Carbonation felt on par. ABV seemed as promised by the brewer. Very nice smooth and roasty finish.
Overall, what a wonderful brown ale. Seems to start somewhat American in style but somehow parallels itself to an English styled one as it warmed.
Aug 28, 2018
Photo of Holderness
Reviewed by Holderness from Massachusetts

3.46/5  rDev -18%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
L — Pours a very dark, turbid brown body that allows almost no light to pass through and contains a good amount of floaties. Massive four-finger light tan head produced with fairly gentle pour. Great retention and lacing
S — Grassy hops, barley malt, caramel, gentian root, hint of smoke
T — Smoke, ash, earthen/resinous hop, caramel, slight brown sugar sweetness
F — Medium mouthfeel, medium+ carb. The hop bitterness isn’t too overbearing but it’s definitely there
O — A nice, hoppy brown ale that would pair great with wild game or steak

70/100
Aug 08, 2018
 
Rated: 4.25 by jprudhomme7 from New Hampshire

Jul 20, 2018
 
Rated: 3.9 by Wizzman from Massachusetts

Jun 14, 2018
Photo of sulldaddy
Reviewed by sulldaddy from Connecticut

3.98/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Picked up a 16 oz can of this beer and its been in my cellar for a few months. Pouring at cellar temp into my snifter. The beer pours a rich dark brown color with no light passing through the glass. A creamy beige head foams up to 4 cm and fades slowly to a thick island on the surface and a clingy edge layer. Each sip leaves a few chunks of island lattice on the sides of my glass.
The aroma is some malt notes with chocolate and brown sugar notes and no real hop presence. Overall the aroma is fairly mild and honestly doesnt enhance the experience too much for me.
Flavor is generally sweet and malty with chocolate notes and some brown sugar and a little bit of a roasted hit. I dont get much of any hop presence here either. Did the hops fade in my can, I didnt sit on this long enough to have the hops disappear, but Im not finding any profile to speak of in my can.
The physical traits are average body and average carbonation and smooth texture. Easy drinking beer.
This is a decent brown ale, with well hidden ABV and is very drinkable.
I had higher hopes as Ive heard great things about Kelsen, maybe that tainted my experience as I like the beer, I jsut wasnt blown away.
Jun 11, 2018
Paradigm Brown Ale from Kelsen Brewing Company
Beer rating: 94 out of 100 with 165 ratings