Brown Ale
Upslope Brewing Company - Lee Hill

4.1/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

On-tap at Tempe Tavern, Tempe, AZ:

Pours deep brown with a thin head that doesn't hang around long. Spotted lacing sticks.

The smell is robust - caramel, toffee, brown sugar, chocolate, some coffee.

The taste is of brown sugar, chocolate, caramel. There is a touch of roast, but more of the balance to the sweetness comes from an earthy undertone. Long finish.

It is on the fuller side of medium-bodied.

A great example of a brown ale. It is smooth and easy to drink a few of these! An enjoyable brown ale!

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4.02/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Best by 11/29/18. 12 oz can poured into Calusa mini snifter.

Toffee pour folds into a deep brown color with a tall fluffy beige head of 2 fingers, with lace destroying the glass. Great stuff.

Holy smokes! Tons of brown sugar and chocolate on the nose. Silky chocolate milk and chocolate mousse. Coffee beans. Decadent; dessert-like.

Flavor brings forth some really nice chocolate-y notes with undercurrents of caramel and brown sugar. Piney hop bite stings from underneath that knocks the beer off-kilter a bit.

Creamy mouthfeel, really nice. Good carbonation level about medium. Medium bodied.

Overall, a very solid brown ale, highly recommended. The stabbing piney hop note is the downer of this beer, but the surrounding sweetness makes for a great sipper.

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1.39/5  rDev -64.6%
look: 4 | smell: 1.75 | taste: 1 | feel: 1.25 | overall: 1

This looks like a brown ale. I LOVE reds and browns. Unfortunately, the similarity to a brown ale starts and ends with the appearance. The flavor is all IPA - an overabundance of hops accentuated by mild to moderate souring, without nuance. There is barely a hint of malt. The mouthfeel is thin and the aftertaste is slightly astringent. No head to speak of. If you are a fan of overly-hopped IPA but want to look like you have a broader range to your tastes, drink this. If you are a fan of brown ale, stay away.

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4/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz. Can

Pours a nice dark brown color, pretty nice carbonation, with a nice small thick/creamy off-white head, which leaves some sticky lacing behind. The nose is malty, with some chocolate/toffee, nutty. The taste is malty, nutty, chocolate/toffee. Medium body, with a nice little dry/bitter finish. Overall, a tasty brew.

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3.98/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Pours a deep brown with red highlights and a one finger off white head that disappates quickly. Aroma is classic english brown ale with caramel, toffee, biscuit, light roast and earth, and floral hops balance. Taste follows with caramel, toffee, biscuit, brown sugar, earth, and a bit of spice, with a nice floral hop balance. Mouthfeel is medium and just a bit oily, with some mouthcoating dryness. Overall, this is a very good brown ale, english style all the way with a few American tweaks.

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3.81/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Served on tap in a pint glass

Appearance – The beer is served a deep brown color with a one finger head of off white foam. The head has a moderate level of retention, slowly fading over time to leave a light level of lace on the sides of the glass.

Smell –The aroma of the brew is strongest of nice roasty smell mixed with aromas of caramel and molasses. Along with these aromas comes some lighter notes of coffee and chocolate along with a little bit of nut.

Taste-The taste begins with nice toasted bready taste that has a moderate showing of caramel and molasses upfront. The caramel and molasses decline a bit in intensity as the taste advances with some coffee and cocoa tastes taking their place. All the while a bit of nuttiness joins the taste profile and in the end the combination of flavors ends up leaving a roasty and not too overly sweet taste to linger on the tongue.

Mouthfeel – The body of the brew is average with a carbonation level that is rather low. For the roasty and light nut tastes of the brew the feel is rather nice and creates a fairly easy drinker all while still highlighting some of the nice flavor notes.

Overall – This was a rather enjoyable brown ale. It had a smooth and roasty flavor, all while not being over the top in sweetness. Rather tasty.

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4.49/5  rDev +14.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pour is a very dark brown with foamy head and lacing is very long. Smells really nice, warm malt with nuttiness, some hops and little citrus mixed in there. Taste is very nice, bready feel with a good malt balance, little mix of hops and citrus round it out for a smooth and enjoyable beer. The finish is very clean, little malt and hops remain with a slight dryness. I am very impressed with this beer, nice flavor profile.

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3.89/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Look: Dark chocolatey brown with a fluffy, tan head that lingers
Smell: Good... nutty, roasty, malty, toffee and crunchy coffee beans
Taste: Sweet, roasty coffee ground flavor, some toffee, minimal hopping. Definite roasted malt bill, they did a great job on this one.
Feel: Intermediate-Heavy - for a brown ale, this is a bit heavy. Viscous with a smooth finish.
Overall: I like it. This could be a go-to brown ale for me.

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3.92/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

L: Pours a dark brown mahogany color, with a nice white head that slowly dissipates, and lots of lacing around the glass.

S: Lots of roasted dark malt, very little hop noticeable, some sweetness, but overall the majority of the aroma is the roasted dark malt.

T: Lots of roasted dark malt, a light mineral note, some earthy nuttiness, and a light hop bitterness in the finish.

F: Fuller body, with lower carbonation

O: Aroma is a little one-dimensional, but overall a very nice beer.

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3.96/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Deep cuprescent brown, quite clear. Cap of brownish tan foamy fluff, excellent retention, okay lace. As the can says, aromatic. Strong porter-like roasty toastiness, subdued cocoa, little nuttiness to speak of, with metallic and earthy hop notes. To the taste, metallic throughout, decently boozy as well, toffee-sweet and smoky-tart roastiness and earthy to leafy to spicy hops strongest as it lingers and then finishes. Nice rich brew, lighter side of full-bodied, teases with prickles but ultimately jam-packed with fine creamy suds, very tight seductive smoothness combined with quenching crispness, not distractingly astringent. This is an amazing Brown Ale, Porter-like, even compared to actual American Porters.

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3.83/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Brown and murky pour; tan 2 finger head; nice lacing on glass. Smelled like burnt brown sugar and brown bread crumbs. Tastes like brown sugar, nuts, caramel malt, and a hint of hops in the aftertaste (only detectable when it warms up a bit). Pretty standard medium/full body on this bad boy. I like it. It's a great winter beer. Not as good as SN Tumbler brown ale, however.

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4.13/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Appearance: dark murky brown with an off-white foamy head. No sediments dispersed.

Smell: sweet malt, caramel, vanilla ice cream. Very inviting and decadent.

Taste: instantly sweet and finishes sweet. Very candy like - picked up notes of caramel, vanilla, malt, and a subtle bitterness that taste a little like pecans. The flavors are very rich and satisfying. It all comes together really well and finishes smoothly.

Mouthfeel: medium-bodied and perfect carbonation.

Overall: this is one of the best brown ales I've had. The flavors are in perfect balance and with no dominant taste profile taking over. I appreciate that this brown ale is not overly masked by hops.

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2.55/5  rDev -35.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.75

Truncated quick notes:

A: Head is about 3.5 inches wide. Foamy and frothy and off-white/khaki. Body is oddly not brown, but actually amber. Clear and clean, with no visible yeast.

Sm: Bready malts. Cream. Caramel. Brown sugar. Hints of restrained cotton candy hop character. Bread crust.

Aromatic intensity is average.

T & Mf: Taste is off-putting, actually, with worrisome hop dominance and strangely uneven brown sugar sweetness. The caramel and cream gets buried beneath the hoppiness. Ugh.

No nuttiness, toffee, etc. This isn't much of a brown ale.

Texture is uneven - coarse at points, smooth at others. Likewise for dryness/wetness. Medium-bodied and overcarbonated. As unpredictable as the taste, to the detriment of the beer as a whole.

A muddled mess of a brown ale build. This never tastes like it has much of a clear intention behind it. I'm not sure what they were going for, but outside of style conventions it's not terrible.

O: A swing and a miss from Upslope, a brewery that often does better work. I wouldn't want another, and it's far from the worst I've had in the style, but it really just doesn't meet fundamental style guidelines. I will revisit it in future if only to go into the detail it deserves, but based on this can, it's definitely well below average. To its credit, though, the brown sugar does work to a degree - and I think brown sugar in a brown ale is a great idea. The execution just isn't there.

Low C-

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3.75/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Pours a nice caramel brown with a bubbly brown head. Aroma is rich offering some brown sugar, caramel, and nutty and roasty offering some chocolate tones. Flavor follows suit with some mild hoppy bitterness in the finish. A medium bodied, active mouthfeel. Overall, a nice brown ale and probably the best thing I have yet to try from Upslope.

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3.8/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Out of a can, best by 10/10/15. Into a pint glass.
L: Deep brown with a huge tan head that lasted until the last drop. 4.5/5
A: Molasses, caramel malts, and bread. Very malty and appealing. 3.75/5
T: Quite bitter. Prominent chocolate malt or roasted barley, giving it a little bit of a stout-like taste. Not very sweet. 3.5/5
M: Excellent smoothness and carbonation. 4.25/5
O: A rich, malty, bitter brown ale. Quite good.

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4.31/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

Pours dark brown with beautiful three finger head.
Smells of light roast with some sugary sweetness.
Taste is light roast followed by sweetness and finishing with a very mild herbal hop finish.
The mouthfeel is light to medium which is a little lighter than I want in a brown ale.
Overall this is a very good beer from an extremely under rated brewery. If your ever in Colorado give it a try you won't regret it.

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3.74/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

The label of this beer lists brown sugar as an ingredient. A moderate pour from a 12 oz can into a 10 oz Pilsener style sampling glass produces about a ¾ inch head of a light tan color. The head is sticky and notably creamy looking. The beer is a rich, moderately dark yellowish-brown.

The malty aroma evokes dark bread with a little molasses. A good deal of nutty bitterness asserts itself in the flavor, with accents of butter, molasses, oak and dark fruit. The finish is dry but with lasting nutty bitterness. The body is medium.

This is a fine example of a brown ale that is becoming all to rare on local shelves. This beer is not available in my immediate area but was purchased in Sheridan, Wyoming at Star Liquor for 8-something a sixer.

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4.1/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Clear brown colored ale with a medium sized light brown colored head.

Smells of molasses and patent malt with a good coffee and chocolate aroma too.

Starts out fairly sweet with a good roasted barley and chocolate flavor. Medium level of bitterness. Molasses becomes a little stronger as you drink it. The taste is similar to a mocha coffee sweetened with black strap molasses. Not a lot of fine nuances come with this beer it is just a very solid brown ale.

Mouthfeel is good.

Overall a tasty and surprisingly easy to drink Brown Ale. This beer has no defects.and makes an excellent example of the style for reference.

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4.48/5  rDev +14%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.75

Look: Medium/dark brown with a nice head

Smell: Malty

Taste: Malty, mildly hoppy.

Feel: Heavier than a lager but lighter than a porter. Very smooth.

Overall: Well, it's my favorite beer coming out of CO. It's a go to for me. I will stray off to stouts and porters from time to time but always end up back at Upslope with a brown ale.

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4.05/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Pours a clear, dark brown color. 2/3 inch head of an off-white color. Great retention and great lacing. Smells of strong roasted malt, sweet malt, hops, slight yeast, and a hint of alcohol. Fits the style of an American Brown Ale. Mouth feel is sharp and clean, with an average carbonation level. Tastes of sweet malt, caramel malt, hops, strong roasted malt, slight yeast, and slight alcohol. Overall, good appearance, decent aroma, good body, and blend.

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3.93/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at Old Chicago, Fort Collins. Poured a semi-opaque, brown color with a small, tan head. It smelled of hazelnut, chocolate and toffee. Nice, sweet chocolate and hazelnut taste with a good balance of bitterness.

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3.87/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

This brew was served from cans into generic pints. It showed an auburn coloring, letting up more shimmering hues or ruby when held directly to light. A one and a half finger tall head of crème brûlée colored foam topped the liquid. This showed nice retention into quilted patterned lace around our glasses. No haze or sediment was noted, and carbonation appeared to be lighter. The aroma wafted simply, taking form from brown and amber malts, sourdough bready dough, metallic yeast and nickel, vanilla, hazelnut sweetness, cheddar cheese mustiness, burnt brown sugars, browned plantains, dusty leathers, lime soda, and faint molasses stickiness. The flavoring to follow included big roasty brown and deeper chocolate malts, Cocoa Puff cereal graininess and chocolate dustiness, lactic acidity, smoldering campfire charcoal, tinny yeastiness, black cherry skins, willow bark bitterness, light marmalade sweetness, light soapy hop, green tobacco leaf, and iced chamomile tea. The body was medium, and the carbonation was high and tight, although the former thinned out a bit as the beer warmed up. The feel was otherwise more oily and slick, than creamy or frothy. Atop this was decent slurp and smack, with the mouth left wet, and the slightest bit dusted. The abv was appropriate, and the beer was easy to put away.

Overall, this beer was enjoyed amongst friends on our second night visiting them in Tempe, Arizona. What a welcomed recuperation it was following our nearly thirty hour drive. Actually, this was the first beer we got a chance to rate during this trip. We do wish that it would have been a local Arizona offering, but we were in such a hurry to get the festivities started, we grabbed damn near the first thing we came across. Well, this and some Modus Hoperandi, which served as a good back and forth paring for a simple, clean brown ale such as this one. The most surprising thing about it was the flavoring, which showed a heavy backbone of roast and smoke throughout it. Very nice. This wasn’t overwhelming in any sense though, as it was enjoyed by all, even our friends newest to the craft beer scene.

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4.25/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Appearance- Amber red color with a two finger foamy head produced.

Aroma- Roasted caramel and sweet/spicy brown sugar.

Taste- Upfront, the taste is very smooth with sweet caramel malts and brown sugar. Towards the middle the sweetness is balanced by a little bit of roasted malt and a earthy/spicy hop flavor.

Mouthfeel- Medium to full bodied, medium carbnonation, and a semi-clean finish.

Overall- I have typically liked brown ales, but this is the first that I can say I love. Would definitely get this frequently if it were available in my state(s). Great sweetness from the caramel malt and brown sugar and perfectly balanced by the roast malt and earthy hops.

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3.72/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Dark brown in color with minimal light penetration. A bit over half an inch of small bubbles form a tightly knit beige head. Heavy Brussels lacing. I smell chocolate and caramel notes. The flavor is primary caramel with some chocolate and toffee notes. The body is creamy and smooth. Drink by date was back on 12/7/14.

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4.25/5  rDev +8.1%

My regular complaint with brown ales is the pairing of a big, thick body with a plain, generically roasty character. This beer does exactly what I want: It finishes dry, the body isn't too thick, and there's a long cocoa and coffee bean and deeply toasted barley. It's big flavor and easy to drink for the strength. I'll have another.

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