Old Brown Dog
Smuttynose Brewing Company
- From:
- Smuttynose Brewing Company
- New Hampshire, United States
- Style:
- American Brown Ale
Ranked #110 - ABV:
- 6.5%
- Score:
- 88
Ranked #18,852 - Avg:
- 3.93 | pDev: 10.94%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 1,021
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- May 04, 2026
- Added:
- May 07, 1998
- Wants:
- 146
- Gots:
- 586
SCORE
88
Very Good
88
Very Good
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.
30 IBU
30 IBU
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by cjgiant:
Reviewed by cjgiant from District of Columbia
3.73/5 rDev -5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
3.73/5 rDev -5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Revisit 2/2017:
Little better head. Not as dark fruity, more of the English bitterness, toast, and a hint of fruit. Feel is light but smooth, taste is toast that doesn't quite hide a berry like flavor.
Upped overall .2 points to 3.73.
Bottle best by 7/5/15 (so a bit of age, and this review might reflect that):
Pours almost like a barleywine... hazy amber to auburn brown, with a nice amount of tan head, lasting. Nose surprisingly follows suit: candied date, fig, a bit of chocolate caramel. I like the smell, but seems awfully strange for a brown.
The taste starts with a bit of the dark fruits in the taste, but does get back to "its roots" mid taste. English hop bitter notes on top of a nutty (and slightly chocolatey) malt flavor. As the beer warms, the dark fruit turns a little tart, and the earthy, deep roasted nut notes grow just a bit.
I tasted some potential in this beer, but as mentioned, it seems muddled with the characteristics of a barleywine, which I am not sure is caused by age or not. I could easily see this being between .1 and .2 higher if a fresher beer fits the style better.
Jun 28, 2015Little better head. Not as dark fruity, more of the English bitterness, toast, and a hint of fruit. Feel is light but smooth, taste is toast that doesn't quite hide a berry like flavor.
Upped overall .2 points to 3.73.
Bottle best by 7/5/15 (so a bit of age, and this review might reflect that):
Pours almost like a barleywine... hazy amber to auburn brown, with a nice amount of tan head, lasting. Nose surprisingly follows suit: candied date, fig, a bit of chocolate caramel. I like the smell, but seems awfully strange for a brown.
The taste starts with a bit of the dark fruits in the taste, but does get back to "its roots" mid taste. English hop bitter notes on top of a nutty (and slightly chocolatey) malt flavor. As the beer warms, the dark fruit turns a little tart, and the earthy, deep roasted nut notes grow just a bit.
I tasted some potential in this beer, but as mentioned, it seems muddled with the characteristics of a barleywine, which I am not sure is caused by age or not. I could easily see this being between .1 and .2 higher if a fresher beer fits the style better.
More User Ratings:
Reviewed by MutuelsMark from Kentucky
3.85/5 rDev -2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.85/5 rDev -2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Pours a rusty brown in color with tiny graphite colored head. Nose is bready and malty. Taste is similar to nose, bready and malt flavor comes forward. Easy drinking beer.
May 04, 2026
Reviewed by 17Beer from Connecticut
3.82/5 rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
3.82/5 rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
12 oz bottle. Pours a clear red brown with a nice buff head and lacing. Smells of brown bread and some dry chalk notes. Mild malt sweetness gives way to a bite of hops in the middle and then comes back in the malty finish. Full bodied for a brown. Really nicely balanced. Very drinkable.
Jan 31, 2026
Reviewed by elNopalero from Michigan
3.86/5 rDev -1.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.86/5 rDev -1.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Toasty and tasty.
Pours as expected. Malty, on the sweeter side, with caramel notes.
(Backfilling some missing reviews with notes from 2011 I recently uncovered.)
Nov 10, 2025Pours as expected. Malty, on the sweeter side, with caramel notes.
(Backfilling some missing reviews with notes from 2011 I recently uncovered.)
Reviewed by harrypowers from Massachusetts
3.87/5 rDev -1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.87/5 rDev -1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Clear brown, small head and light lacing.
Smells and tastes of toasted malt and caramel.
Medium light body with very light carbonation,
Relatively light, unbitter but not cloy, plesant brew
Aug 13, 2025Smells and tastes of toasted malt and caramel.
Medium light body with very light carbonation,
Relatively light, unbitter but not cloy, plesant brew
Rated by ttoadee from Texas
3.9/5 rDev -0.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
3.9/5 rDev -0.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
RB transfer
Aug 11, 2025
Reviewed by Sinfull from New York
3.88/5 rDev -1.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
3.88/5 rDev -1.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Clear, brown color. Thin, off-white head. Aroma of bread and caramel malt. Same notes in taste, moderate malty sweetness. Seems like nothing special, but everything is in perfect proportion in the taste. I really enjoyed it.
Jun 25, 2025Rated by SheepWBY from New Jersey
4/5 rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4/5 rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
good with gumbo
Aug 14, 2024
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