Longboard Brown
Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery

like others, this is from the la jolla location. and the beer is very good. its got a beautiful crimson color in the right light, less brown as it is red, lighter in color than a lot of american browns. beautiful inch of tan head on it too, airy and delicate looking for the style. it smells nutty and dry, less of the sweeter chocolate, more of an earthy slightly roasty middle, simple but distinct too, often the mark of a good beer, especially in a common and classic style like this. i get a little chocolate malt in here, more more of a special toasty red type, dry still, hints of almonds, cocoa, and bread crusts. only medium bodied, everything about this feels lighter than most, and its super dry in the end, brightly carbonated, and really clean as they go. not what i was expecting in a brown ale from a chain, but its really well done, one of the best i have had from these guys in any location. sometimes its the beers you expect the least from that turn out to be the most impressive, and thats definitely the case here. this is a great brown ale, without anything standing out specifically, the whole thing is just super well done.

 

 

 

 

 

5/14/2012

On tap at Rock Bottom La Jolla.

A: Dark brown with a reddish hue. The beige head rises an inch above the liquid.

S: Caramel blends with earth, a strong nutty character, and a dash of chocolate. There's a light toasted presence.

T: Nutty with a pleasant blend of caramel and chocolate. Low earthy bitterness with a moderate sweetness.

M: Medium body with moderate carbonation. The mouthfeel is soft and creamy.

Overall: A really nice English brown. As I input this review I'm looking at the 2012 WBC winners list and see that this beer won gold in the English-Style Brown Category. Nice.

 

Draft pint at the LaJolla Rock Bottom location, served in a British pint glass. Dark brown to black with almost no head. Roasted chocolate and coffee malt aroma. Taste follows aroma. This seemed to me more of a Porter than a Brown Ale, almost identical to Deschutes Black Butte Porter.

On-tap at Rock Bottom Long Beach

A: The pour is not quite brown, maybe a really dark amber color with an off-white head.

S: A fair amount of yeast to the nose threw me off a little bit. Overall, though, it's fairly nutty with a mild earthiness. Toffee and caramel flavors. As it warms up, the nuttiness comes through more and more.

T: Decently sweet without being overwhelming. A mild earthiness and bitterness from the hops. Nice and malty with toast, bread, and some toffee. The nuttiness is there on the flavor as well.

M: Medium in body with a moderate carbonation and a slight creaminess.

O: I was thrown off a bit by the nose at the first sniff or two, but this beer proved itself to be pretty solid.

Had on tap with lunch today at the LaJolla location.

Beer poured a chestnut color with a decent tan head.

Nose was a hint of citrus and malt.

Taste was very well balanced, malt base with hints of chocolate. Hop finish was stong enough to make this very interesting.

Mouthfeel was fresh and lively on the palate.

Drinkability was good. Initially it did not look and smell like an exciting beer but the flavor of this beer was good to the last sip!

I've been drinking this beer for years now from this restaurant. Always a great full bodied beer at 6.3% abv. God only knows how many times I've gone in there to have 2-4 20oz mugs of this stuff. I think it's one of the best beers they have to offer.
Looks dark brown with a small head which does dissipate rather quickly while drinking. Tastes like raisins and coffee - which might not sound appealing, even to me, but it works! Smell is similar.

Had it at the Long Beach Rock Bottom location.

On cask at Rock Bottom La Jolla.
Also available on tap, but this was their special cask ale that night.

A very dark pour, nearly black at first look, but it is really a very dark brown with reddish tints. Good lacing with a very light, wispy off-white head. Nice aroma of roasted malts with a bit of hops. The flavor is similar, but it has a very light, watery feel to it. Light roasted malt aftertaste. Served a bit too warm for even a cask ale, I think. I'm wondering if this might be better on tap, as I really wasn't too impressed.

This is a worthwhile beer. Pours dark brown like a porter. Aroma is all nuts and malt. Heavy caramel taste up front that fades nicely into hazelnuts and peanuts. Smooth mouthfeel with a lingering aftertaste. I don;t really go for brown ales, but this is pretty good.

Good and drinkable if unremarkable brown ale. It's an American brown-style so comparisons to Newcastle/Samuel Smith etc are undeserved in my opinion.

It's good for what it is and nothing more, and I have had plenty of worse American browns.

BTW, since this is a chain, I had this one at the Long Beach Rock Bottom.

on draft at brewery, consumed on 11/12/07.

Very dark brown, utterly clear. No active carbonation, almost no head.

No aroma.

Typical brown ale (Newcastle) flavor. Malty and sweet flavors mask any hops that might be there.

One dimensional.

Will not order again.

Longboard Brown definitely let me down. The aroma was great - nice thick malt smells with just a hint of hops. I was excited about this beer. Unfortunately the taste just dissapointed - something wasn't quite right here. It had a nice roasted flavor, but was too thin, and just didn't have the hops or malt bill to back up the roasted flavors.

A really good Brown Ale that has a lot of body. On draft, the head retention is initially good, but again wanes towards the end of the glass. A malty nose and tons of body. Hops are evident, but only fleatingly, the body of the beer is dominanted by the malt. Finishes well, a very smooth beer.

Sampled at the Long Beach, CA location.