Sweet Josie Brown Ale
Lonerider Brewing Company

Sweet Josie Brown AleSweet Josie Brown Ale
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From:
Lonerider Brewing Company
 
North Carolina, United States
Style:
American Brown Ale
Ranked #159
ABV:
6.1%
Score:
86
Ranked #19,997
Avg:
3.8 | pDev: 11.58%
Reviews:
122
Ratings:
581
Status:
Active
Rated:
Aug 25, 2023
Added:
May 07, 2009
Wants:
  24
Gots:
  152
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by BeerAdvocate:
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Reviewed by BeerAdvocate from Finland

3.94/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Toasted, Crust, Hay, Clean

Perfectly balanced, slightly chewy and toasty. Without a doubt one of the better American Brown Ales we have had in the long while. They have clearly nailed it for the malt profile it wields. Faint suggestions of coffee, chocolate, and toasted bread. Quite clean which only makes this brew more drinkable. Simple yet very impressive, this is what Brown Ales are about.

STYLE: American Brown Ale | ABV: 6.1% | AVAILABILITY: Year-round

Review from BeerAdvocate magazine issue #94 (NOV 2014)
Aug 25, 2015
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.95 by Jdells09 from New Jersey

Aug 25, 2023
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Reviewed by superspak from North Carolina

4.1/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
On tap at Rody's Tavern. Great head retention and soapy lacing on the glass. Ruby brown color. This is an awesome brown. Aromas and flavors of big caramel, brown sugar, brown bread/crust, toast, biscuit, nuts, cocoa, coffee, light char, wood, herbal, grass, pepper, and yeast earthiness. Bit of diacetyl and yeast fruits in the nose as it warms. Light to medium herbal, spicy, roasted bitterness on the finish. Medium carb and body. Very creamy/bready malts, some sticky hops. Light resins and chalky roast, lingering drying, no acrid/astringent. Very clean and rich on malts. Nice level of Munich and roast complexity. Almost on the brown porter level of roast, but really spot on American style otherwise. I will buy some cans for sure.
Jun 19, 2022
Photo of riptorn
Reviewed by riptorn from North Carolina

4.42/5  rDev +16.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Looks clear, mahogany, dark ruby highlights when held against a bright light, ½ finger head, reduces to a thin cap in about a minute
Aroma is roasted malt, brown malt, faint milk chocolate
Taste is more brown malt than roast, chocolate is less present than in the smell
Medium body, pleasantly bitter, mildly astringent

This is my favorite representation of a commercial Brown Ale. I have it year-round. For me, it’s as suitable in front of a fireplace in the winter as it is after mowing the lawn in August. When undecided at the store, I often end up with this in the basket.

Edited to add: After letting a partial glass sit undisturbed for a few minutes and then swirling, bready yeast aroma came through.
Jan 26, 2022
Photo of JimKal
Reviewed by JimKal from North Carolina

3.93/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
L: Pours a dark brown with a nice tan head. Nice lacing on the drink down.
S: Malty aroma.
T: Very malt forward with notes of chocolate. Some bitterness but in a good way.
F: Medium mouthfeel. It beat my expectations in this regard.
O: I wish I had tried this sooner. I really enjoy porters so I had stayed away from brown ales. For me, this reminded me of porters that I have liked. I do like that they have stamped the canned on date and this was only a few weeks old.
Jan 10, 2022
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Reviewed by lagrluvr

4.25/5  rDev +11.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Josie gives a nice little head, faint malty, chocolate aroma, and provides a canned on date, like a real pro. Every brewery should be required to do this, not a best by date, which tells me nothing...Anyway though this is a very good brown ale that we buy pretty often, because the light chocolatey aroma, and the light feel and drinkability which means it isn;t over sweet, night bright clean finish and highly recommended for brown ale lovers.
Dec 30, 2021
 
Rated: 4.24 by hockeypuck from Maine

Oct 28, 2021
 
Rated: 3.75 by SpaethJam from New York

Jul 23, 2021
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Reviewed by dribblespit from Pennsylvania

4.19/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Food lion used to carry this but stopped for whatever reason.

A brown ale that checks all the boxes.
Dark, sweet, malt.
Smells dark and malt.
Tastes like a brown ale, malty and smooth.
Jun 20, 2021
Photo of Singlefinpin
Reviewed by Singlefinpin from North Carolina

3.99/5  rDev +5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Drinking this at The Lonerider Brewery in Raleigh NC.
Poured from a tap into a pint glass.
Looks dark brown with a nice foamy head that dropped quickly leaving a thin cap.
Smells malty sweet.
Taste follows the nose nicely.
Mouth feel is medium for the style.
Overall a very nice example of a brown ale that I would definitely order again.
Apr 11, 2021
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Rated by gravity-shack from Georgia

3.95/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
great color and head. malty with a bite. unexpectedly good with a surprise finish.
Feb 11, 2021
 
Rated: 3.97 by biteme398 from New York

Dec 05, 2020
 
Rated: 3.93 by sirzekel from Georgia

Jun 17, 2020
 
Rated: 4.2 by takusan1000 from Washington

Jun 05, 2020
Photo of brentk56
Reviewed by brentk56 from North Carolina

3.85/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Appearance: Pours a clear coffee color with a wispy ecru head that coats the liquid; a few strands of lacing

Smell: Toasted brown bread with a hint of caramel; walnuts and a touch of chocolate

Taste: Toasted brown bread forward with hints of caramel and chocolate emerging; walnut flavors, through the middle, with a somewhat acrid, nutskin finish

Mouthfeel: Medium body with moderate carbonation

Overall: A decent, middle of the road, brown ale - you don't see these much any more
May 18, 2020
 
Rated: 3.76 by lsudduth from Ohio

Jan 10, 2020
 
Rated: 3.75 by lccrunchy from Pennsylvania

Dec 28, 2019
 
Rated: 3.92 by TrojanRB from Texas

Dec 18, 2019
 
Rated: 4.04 by Hockey_Fan from Maryland

Oct 30, 2019
 
Rated: 3.47 by GeorgiaBeerMoose from Georgia

Oct 27, 2019
Sweet Josie Brown Ale from Lonerider Brewing Company
Beer rating: 86 out of 100 with 581 ratings