James (Belgian) Brown
2 Brothers Brewery
- From:
- 2 Brothers Brewery
- Australia
- Style:
- American Brown Ale
- ABV:
- 8%
- Score:
- +3 ratings needed
- Avg:
- 3.67 | pDev: 17.44%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 6
- Status:
- Retired
- Rated:
- Sep 01, 2013
- Added:
- Oct 31, 2010
- Wants:
- 0
- Gots:
- 0
NO SCORE
-
-
Well - its all about the funk.
The inspirational beer for James Brown was St Bernardus 12. But we wanted to funk things up by using a special Belgian Abbey yeast that we import as a live culture from the manufacturer.
We had used this particular strain of yeast in the Trickster Witbier and Rusty Pale Ale, and really like the funky ester profile (fruit driven yeast characters). Fermented at high temperatures with a concentrated pool of malt sugars and caramelised Belgian candy sugar, the James Brown has unique stone fruit, banana and bubblegum esters. These are played off against a caramel and chocolate malt base to produce a complex and delicious beer. It should be noted that JB is fermented with care to avoid detectable phenolic flavours and compounds.
Why is it so pricey? Imported live yeast, Belgian Candy Sugar and Federal
Government Excise Tax are all on the take.
Enjoy it in a balloon glass with plenty of head space and serve cool but not cold.
The inspirational beer for James Brown was St Bernardus 12. But we wanted to funk things up by using a special Belgian Abbey yeast that we import as a live culture from the manufacturer.
We had used this particular strain of yeast in the Trickster Witbier and Rusty Pale Ale, and really like the funky ester profile (fruit driven yeast characters). Fermented at high temperatures with a concentrated pool of malt sugars and caramelised Belgian candy sugar, the James Brown has unique stone fruit, banana and bubblegum esters. These are played off against a caramel and chocolate malt base to produce a complex and delicious beer. It should be noted that JB is fermented with care to avoid detectable phenolic flavours and compounds.
Why is it so pricey? Imported live yeast, Belgian Candy Sugar and Federal
Government Excise Tax are all on the take.
Enjoy it in a balloon glass with plenty of head space and serve cool but not cold.
Recent ratings and reviews.
Reviewed by heygeebee from Australia
2.43/5 rDev -33.8%
look: 1.5 | smell: 2.25 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.25
2.43/5 rDev -33.8%
look: 1.5 | smell: 2.25 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.25
From Warner's. No BB. Tho it does state 'Best Before the End Of Time' on the label. Ho Hum.
Pours and fizzes and leaves a dark brown liquid. No head, no lace, no film.
Aromas are muted, malt driven, caramels.
Taste is a little better but still dominated by sweet malts, brown sugar, caramel. Big flavour, but goes nowhere. As it warms, Belgian yeast , sugar flavours appear.
Mouthfeel medium bodied, lightly carbonated, cloying from the get go.
All the press I have read suggests 2011 brew. I am unsure if this a new batch or not... However, this beer goes nowhere, ESP for the ABV, and suggests freshness is an issue. Part Brown, part Belgian, but ends up neither.
Ho Hum indeed.
Mar 28, 2013Pours and fizzes and leaves a dark brown liquid. No head, no lace, no film.
Aromas are muted, malt driven, caramels.
Taste is a little better but still dominated by sweet malts, brown sugar, caramel. Big flavour, but goes nowhere. As it warms, Belgian yeast , sugar flavours appear.
Mouthfeel medium bodied, lightly carbonated, cloying from the get go.
All the press I have read suggests 2011 brew. I am unsure if this a new batch or not... However, this beer goes nowhere, ESP for the ABV, and suggests freshness is an issue. Part Brown, part Belgian, but ends up neither.
Ho Hum indeed.
Reviewed by dgilks from Australia
3.62/5 rDev -1.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.62/5 rDev -1.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Dark, dark brown colour with a small, smooth, light tan head. Good.
Rich and fruity aroma with some melanoidin and mild spicing. Light anise notes.
I don't really get this. It is slightly fruity, a little spicy, a touch tart, mildly malt. It is a little of everything but fails to be anything.
Medium body with moderately-high carbonation. A thin, drawn out line of acid adds a strange note.
This has many of the classic Belgian ale flavours that I was hoping for in this beer but it is also confused. There is a bit of everything going on here and the overall picture is one that doesn't really work.
Nov 17, 2011Rich and fruity aroma with some melanoidin and mild spicing. Light anise notes.
I don't really get this. It is slightly fruity, a little spicy, a touch tart, mildly malt. It is a little of everything but fails to be anything.
Medium body with moderately-high carbonation. A thin, drawn out line of acid adds a strange note.
This has many of the classic Belgian ale flavours that I was hoping for in this beer but it is also confused. There is a bit of everything going on here and the overall picture is one that doesn't really work.
Reviewed by LeonSammartino from Australia
3.96/5 rDev +7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
3.96/5 rDev +7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Really a very nice beer. I had the bottled version poured into a glass as a afterdinner treat.
It poured dark brown, with a creamy tea colour head. Surprisngly it didn't have a strong smell, it seemed to be keeping it all in the beer, It tasted of toffee, surprisingly smooth given it's about 9% alcohol.
It really was a great sipper, smooth and luxurious, very nice indeed
Feb 28, 2011It poured dark brown, with a creamy tea colour head. Surprisngly it didn't have a strong smell, it seemed to be keeping it all in the beer, It tasted of toffee, surprisingly smooth given it's about 9% alcohol.
It really was a great sipper, smooth and luxurious, very nice indeed
Reviewed by CrazyDavros from Australia
3.78/5 rDev +3%
look: 2 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4
3.78/5 rDev +3%
look: 2 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4
Pours dark brown with a tiny head.
Nose shows loads of chocolate, banana, golden syrup, coffee and creme brulee. Very sweet... incredibly so. Like a chocolate/coffee liqueur.
Similar flavours but more roasty character rather than just an overload of syrupy sweetness. Too much alcohol shows though.
Body seems a little watery for these flavours.
Jan 03, 2011Nose shows loads of chocolate, banana, golden syrup, coffee and creme brulee. Very sweet... incredibly so. Like a chocolate/coffee liqueur.
Similar flavours but more roasty character rather than just an overload of syrupy sweetness. Too much alcohol shows though.
Body seems a little watery for these flavours.
Reviewed by laituegonflable from Australia
3.17/5 rDev -13.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
3.17/5 rDev -13.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Pours a very dark oaky colour, almost black really, with ochre head sunk to retain a modest film. Lace is very beautiful; dense and sticky. Not much else to report because body is dark enough to hide anything else; maybe a bit too dark for a 'brown ale'; this is porter-dark.
Smell is very fruity and sweet; lots of banana, bubblegum aromas with rich sweet chocolate and caramel notes, a hint of jaffa and light cherry in there as well. Very intriguing nose, lots of complexity. Not sure if it's all what I want but since they're bizarrely calling this a "Belgian Brown Ale" I'm willing to give it the benefit of the doubt.
Taste has lots of darkish malts on the front with brown sugar and chocolate. Descends into strong bubblegum flavour on mid-palate which I'm not a huge fan of, and has become too strong from the hints on the nose. Touch of mint on the back, and maybe some orange peel but yeah, it's that big fruity bubblegum flavour dominating and I find it oversweet and, to be honest, weird. There is a strong tingly spicey sensation as you drink, possibly overattenuated and just Belgian yeasty, but I fear it matches quite poorly with the particular fruit flavours present in this beer. Leaves my mouth feeling oddly sweet and dry. In that order.
Yeah, points for drinkability though as the alcohol is well hidden. It's also mild enough to be enjoyed. I just find the flavours a hodgepodge and the beer doesn't make a lot of sense overall.
Nov 01, 2010Smell is very fruity and sweet; lots of banana, bubblegum aromas with rich sweet chocolate and caramel notes, a hint of jaffa and light cherry in there as well. Very intriguing nose, lots of complexity. Not sure if it's all what I want but since they're bizarrely calling this a "Belgian Brown Ale" I'm willing to give it the benefit of the doubt.
Taste has lots of darkish malts on the front with brown sugar and chocolate. Descends into strong bubblegum flavour on mid-palate which I'm not a huge fan of, and has become too strong from the hints on the nose. Touch of mint on the back, and maybe some orange peel but yeah, it's that big fruity bubblegum flavour dominating and I find it oversweet and, to be honest, weird. There is a strong tingly spicey sensation as you drink, possibly overattenuated and just Belgian yeasty, but I fear it matches quite poorly with the particular fruit flavours present in this beer. Leaves my mouth feeling oddly sweet and dry. In that order.
Yeah, points for drinkability though as the alcohol is well hidden. It's also mild enough to be enjoyed. I just find the flavours a hodgepodge and the beer doesn't make a lot of sense overall.
Reviewed by tobeerornottobe from Australia
4.5/5 rDev +22.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.5/5 rDev +22.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Tried on-tap at the Local Taphouse in Darlinghurst on 30/10/2010. On the menu this beer is classified as a Belgian Brown Ale, but given that this style is not available on Beer Advocate, I decided to style it an American Brown Ale instead.
A: Fantastic head - creamy and pillowy, white colour with tinges of brown. Beer itself is a very dark brown colour, even black, almost looks like an Imperial Stout.
N: Big hit of banana and caramel maltiness.
T: Banana follows through from nose but there is a mild bitter spiciness present too.
M: Smooth and creamy, perhaps a bit too over-carbonated but otherwise very good.
I'm really quite impressed by this beer, a style that doesn't really seem to exist. The 8.8% ABV is is well disguised. I suppose I expected the beer to be more syrupy but it has some lovely complexities matched with easy drinking.
Oct 31, 2010A: Fantastic head - creamy and pillowy, white colour with tinges of brown. Beer itself is a very dark brown colour, even black, almost looks like an Imperial Stout.
N: Big hit of banana and caramel maltiness.
T: Banana follows through from nose but there is a mild bitter spiciness present too.
M: Smooth and creamy, perhaps a bit too over-carbonated but otherwise very good.
I'm really quite impressed by this beer, a style that doesn't really seem to exist. The 8.8% ABV is is well disguised. I suppose I expected the beer to be more syrupy but it has some lovely complexities matched with easy drinking.
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