Northern Hawk Owl | Right Brain Brewery
Brewed by:
Right Brain Brewery
Michigan, United States
rightbrainbrewery.com
Style: American Amber / Red Ale
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 5.80%
Availability: Year-round
Notes / Commercial Description:
No notes at this time.
Added by GRPunk on 01-21-2013
HISTOGRAM
View: Beers | Place Reviews
Ratings: 131 | Reviews: 20
3.61/5 rDev +0.8%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
Canned date of 08/14/17
Appearance - Slight haze on the pour and orange amber in color with an off-white, quarter finger width head. Sub-par retention results in a barren surface. No lacing.
Smell - Moderate aroma of caramel, toffee and a bit of underlying earthy bitterness.
Taste - Follows the nose. Caramel malt, lesser toffee and some earthy bitterness make for a simple, but balanced flavor profile. Faint traces of apple-ish character can be found lingering behind the more-sweet-than-bitter finish.
Mouthfeel - Medium-bodied with moderate caarbonation. Drinks easy enough with a slightly dry finish.
Overall - Decent drinking amber. Nothing to go out of your way to get.
683 characters
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
Canned date of 08/14/17
Appearance - Slight haze on the pour and orange amber in color with an off-white, quarter finger width head. Sub-par retention results in a barren surface. No lacing.
Smell - Moderate aroma of caramel, toffee and a bit of underlying earthy bitterness.
Taste - Follows the nose. Caramel malt, lesser toffee and some earthy bitterness make for a simple, but balanced flavor profile. Faint traces of apple-ish character can be found lingering behind the more-sweet-than-bitter finish.
Mouthfeel - Medium-bodied with moderate caarbonation. Drinks easy enough with a slightly dry finish.
Overall - Decent drinking amber. Nothing to go out of your way to get.
683 characters
3.74/5 rDev +4.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Poured from an undated 16 oz. can: deep amber with orange highlights and a foamy white head.
Very nice tangy and inviting aromas of malt.
This is certainly a malt-accented amber ale with hints of caramel and toffee, yet it never becomes cloying. According to the can label, this amber includes the malt, marris otter which is always a good sign. There is also a rich, fruity flavor that contributes to the mild hop profile.
The ale has a very clean but almost chewy mouthfeel with a lingering, faintly bitter aftertaste.
Overall, a very good amber ale; just below my favorite for the style.
597 characters
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Poured from an undated 16 oz. can: deep amber with orange highlights and a foamy white head.
Very nice tangy and inviting aromas of malt.
This is certainly a malt-accented amber ale with hints of caramel and toffee, yet it never becomes cloying. According to the can label, this amber includes the malt, marris otter which is always a good sign. There is also a rich, fruity flavor that contributes to the mild hop profile.
The ale has a very clean but almost chewy mouthfeel with a lingering, faintly bitter aftertaste.
Overall, a very good amber ale; just below my favorite for the style.
597 characters
3.75/5 rDev +4.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.75/5 rDev +4.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.43/5 rDev -4.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
3.36/5 rDev -6.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Pours light cloudy amber. Thin, foamy, short off white head fades quickly to a ring.
Smells caramel, light toasted malts and a hint earthiness.
Tastes Caramel malt, toasted, light nutty and earthy bitterness. Finish is semi dry with an earthy and bready linger. Lighter body and fizzy high carbonation.
304 characters
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Pours light cloudy amber. Thin, foamy, short off white head fades quickly to a ring.
Smells caramel, light toasted malts and a hint earthiness.
Tastes Caramel malt, toasted, light nutty and earthy bitterness. Finish is semi dry with an earthy and bready linger. Lighter body and fizzy high carbonation.
304 characters
2.74/5 rDev -23.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.25
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.25
3.74/5 rDev +4.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75
3.86/5 rDev +7.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
3.83/5 rDev +7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
I'm trying the Northern Hawk Owl at my bro-in-laws. It poured a clear amber with thin white head that is not leaving any lace. The scent had caramel malt. The taste was nicely balanced and easy to drink. There was caramel like malt base. The Mouthfeel was lighter in body with good carbonation. Overall it's a solid beer and worth a try.
338 characters
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
I'm trying the Northern Hawk Owl at my bro-in-laws. It poured a clear amber with thin white head that is not leaving any lace. The scent had caramel malt. The taste was nicely balanced and easy to drink. There was caramel like malt base. The Mouthfeel was lighter in body with good carbonation. Overall it's a solid beer and worth a try.
338 characters
3.71/5 rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.75/5 rDev +4.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.55/5 rDev -0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
1.95/5 rDev -45.5%
look: 3 | smell: 1 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2.25
16oz can with no date. Took a chance as I am out of town and want to try beers not available to me in Ohio.
Brown/red color with little to no head. Smells of...nothing! Well as it warms I am getting Granny Smith caramel apple. I am worried. Taste is NOT good. Sweet malt and old rotten apple. Mouthfeel is I don't even care. The taste is repulsive. Jesus this is close to a drain pour. Yep-down the drain it goes. Avoid this at all costs!!! Nasty.
448 characters
look: 3 | smell: 1 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2.25
16oz can with no date. Took a chance as I am out of town and want to try beers not available to me in Ohio.
Brown/red color with little to no head. Smells of...nothing! Well as it warms I am getting Granny Smith caramel apple. I am worried. Taste is NOT good. Sweet malt and old rotten apple. Mouthfeel is I don't even care. The taste is repulsive. Jesus this is close to a drain pour. Yep-down the drain it goes. Avoid this at all costs!!! Nasty.
448 characters
3.5/5 rDev -2.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.65/5 rDev +2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Great beer
10 characters
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Great beer
10 characters
4.4/5 rDev +22.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
3.9/5 rDev +8.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Bottled on Oct/8/2015.Pours into an imperial pint glass a dull amber with a thin quick to fade slight off white head atop.Caramel and toasted bread,and big fruity aromas really stand out,a pretty assertive malt forward nose.That caramel and toast are again assertive on the palate,a very bready,and earthy malt base makes for almost an ESB,or at least an American brewed one.I like this beer more than most of the others and Iam a hophead and still really enjoy this beer.
472 characters
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Bottled on Oct/8/2015.Pours into an imperial pint glass a dull amber with a thin quick to fade slight off white head atop.Caramel and toasted bread,and big fruity aromas really stand out,a pretty assertive malt forward nose.That caramel and toast are again assertive on the palate,a very bready,and earthy malt base makes for almost an ESB,or at least an American brewed one.I like this beer more than most of the others and Iam a hophead and still really enjoy this beer.
472 characters
3.49/5 rDev -2.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
From 16oz can with no date code. Seems to be the case with most Michigan breweries and not properly dating their product. Get with the times. Pours a murky, dark amber with a finger of head that settled to a thin cap. A little bit of lacing is left down the glass. Aroma is a combination of caramel and toast with fruity esters and maybe a bit of floral hops. The problem with a lot of amber ales is that they load up on so much caramel/crystal malt that they develop an artificial flavor. This beer largely avoids that scenario. The flavor is loaded with caramel however with more subtle hints of toasted bread, fruity esters, and a bit of floral hops. A bit of an artificial aftertaste but does not detract from the enjoyment of this beer. Body feels substantial for a relatively low ABV beer and it is very lifely in carbonation that adds to the enjoyment. The overall flavor of the beer is somewhat pedestrian but it has enough character to make this a better than average amber.
983 characters
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
From 16oz can with no date code. Seems to be the case with most Michigan breweries and not properly dating their product. Get with the times. Pours a murky, dark amber with a finger of head that settled to a thin cap. A little bit of lacing is left down the glass. Aroma is a combination of caramel and toast with fruity esters and maybe a bit of floral hops. The problem with a lot of amber ales is that they load up on so much caramel/crystal malt that they develop an artificial flavor. This beer largely avoids that scenario. The flavor is loaded with caramel however with more subtle hints of toasted bread, fruity esters, and a bit of floral hops. A bit of an artificial aftertaste but does not detract from the enjoyment of this beer. Body feels substantial for a relatively low ABV beer and it is very lifely in carbonation that adds to the enjoyment. The overall flavor of the beer is somewhat pedestrian but it has enough character to make this a better than average amber.
983 characters
Northern Hawk Owl from Right Brain Brewery
Beer rating:
3.58 out of
5 with
131 ratings
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