The Brother
Fremont Brewing Company


Beer Geek Stats:
| Print Shelf Talker
- Style:
- IPA - Imperial
Ranked #618 - ABV:
- 8.5%
- Score:
- 92
Ranked #3,023 - Avg:
- 4.15 | pDev: 7.71%
- Reviews:
- 67
- Ratings:
- From:
- Fremont Brewing Company
- Washington, United States
- Avail:
- Year-round
- Wants
- 40
- Gots
- 36
SCORE
92
Outstanding
92
Outstanding


Notes:
Reviews: 67
| Ratings: 350
| Log in to view all ratings and sort
Reviews by DenverHopHead:
DenverHopHead from Colorado
3.98/5 rDev -4.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Aug 18, 2018
3.98/5 rDev -4.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Aug 18, 2018
More User Reviews:
kemoarps from Washington
4.04/5 rDev -2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
4/4.25/4/3.75/4
Amber pour, half finger white head with good retention and lacing.
Unique smell. Almost like a rainy flower garden. There's a touch of spiciness in there somewhere too, that evokes strong comparisons to calendula in my mind. It just so happens I grew up playing in my mom's garden and loved eating calendula, so I take that as a good thing. There's some juicy tropical fruits hiding behind this front.
Quite tasty. Not as pronounced or distinct as the nose might lead you to believe. Just enough sweet backbone to support the floral and spicey hops. Spicey bitterness slips for a split second into alcohol before righting the ship and reasserting itself as smoothe and drinkable. Finish is bitter and a bit bready.
Crisp and drinkable, as they tend to be. I look down and all of a sudden my glass is almost empty. Nice sweet/bitter lingering. Would love to try it on tap.
Sep 29, 2014
4.04/5 rDev -2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
4/4.25/4/3.75/4
Amber pour, half finger white head with good retention and lacing.
Unique smell. Almost like a rainy flower garden. There's a touch of spiciness in there somewhere too, that evokes strong comparisons to calendula in my mind. It just so happens I grew up playing in my mom's garden and loved eating calendula, so I take that as a good thing. There's some juicy tropical fruits hiding behind this front.
Quite tasty. Not as pronounced or distinct as the nose might lead you to believe. Just enough sweet backbone to support the floral and spicey hops. Spicey bitterness slips for a split second into alcohol before righting the ship and reasserting itself as smoothe and drinkable. Finish is bitter and a bit bready.
Crisp and drinkable, as they tend to be. I look down and all of a sudden my glass is almost empty. Nice sweet/bitter lingering. Would love to try it on tap.
Sep 29, 2014
stratusjeans from Washington
4.09/5 rDev -1.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Looks fantastic. Cloudy orange hue with foamy 1/2 inch head.
Smells of citrus.
Tastes crisp. Perfect for a hot summer afternoon. Lots if citrus and Pine and earth.
Coats your palate nicely with strong flavors. Lingering bitterness.
Not a balanced IPA. A hoppy bitter citrus piney IPA. One that I'll enjoy again.
Oct 18, 2014
4.09/5 rDev -1.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Looks fantastic. Cloudy orange hue with foamy 1/2 inch head.
Smells of citrus.
Tastes crisp. Perfect for a hot summer afternoon. Lots if citrus and Pine and earth.
Coats your palate nicely with strong flavors. Lingering bitterness.
Not a balanced IPA. A hoppy bitter citrus piney IPA. One that I'll enjoy again.
Oct 18, 2014
mactrail from Washington
3.93/5 rDev -5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Golden amber color with an enthusiastic head in the tall Blanche de Chambly glass. Tangy and spritzy mouthfeel. Flowery, gardenia scent.
Sweet, crazy hoppy. It's like a tangerine float with hoppy Seven-Up. Moderately bitter but overflowing with hop flavors and aromatics. Warm malt, sweet yet zingy. Enough acid to balance the orange marmalade taste. A candy-like flavor-- what are those things-- Cotlets? Except without the powdered sugar, but very deeply fruity.
A thoroughly pleasing big IPA that is quite sippable in the style of a liqueur. From the 12 oz can purchased at the tasting room in Fremont, Seattle.
Aug 11, 2014
3.93/5 rDev -5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Golden amber color with an enthusiastic head in the tall Blanche de Chambly glass. Tangy and spritzy mouthfeel. Flowery, gardenia scent.
Sweet, crazy hoppy. It's like a tangerine float with hoppy Seven-Up. Moderately bitter but overflowing with hop flavors and aromatics. Warm malt, sweet yet zingy. Enough acid to balance the orange marmalade taste. A candy-like flavor-- what are those things-- Cotlets? Except without the powdered sugar, but very deeply fruity.
A thoroughly pleasing big IPA that is quite sippable in the style of a liqueur. From the 12 oz can purchased at the tasting room in Fremont, Seattle.
Aug 11, 2014
hreb from Washington
4.22/5 rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
22oz bottle served in a curved glass. Beer pours pale golden in color, off-clear, with a moderate white head. This IPA has a crazy big floral aroma. The bottle claims one BILLION IBUs; well, we'll see about that, but judging from the volume of the aroma, there are a hell of a lot of dry hops in here. Really this is an insanely good aroma for a bottled beer. Flavor has a distinct sweet note on the front of the palate, which is quickly balanced out (and then some) by a massive onslaught of resinous hoppage. Clearly the brewers struggled hard to make sure the eventual consumer would find some balance in their one BILLION IBU beast. It's still a stupid hoppy, and with the correspondingly high final gravity this could have ended up kind of syrupy and gross. But I think thanks to the use of wheat and Vienna malt, it actually kinda works as a Summer Imperial IPA (hah).
Aug 04, 2015
4.22/5 rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
22oz bottle served in a curved glass. Beer pours pale golden in color, off-clear, with a moderate white head. This IPA has a crazy big floral aroma. The bottle claims one BILLION IBUs; well, we'll see about that, but judging from the volume of the aroma, there are a hell of a lot of dry hops in here. Really this is an insanely good aroma for a bottled beer. Flavor has a distinct sweet note on the front of the palate, which is quickly balanced out (and then some) by a massive onslaught of resinous hoppage. Clearly the brewers struggled hard to make sure the eventual consumer would find some balance in their one BILLION IBU beast. It's still a stupid hoppy, and with the correspondingly high final gravity this could have ended up kind of syrupy and gross. But I think thanks to the use of wheat and Vienna malt, it actually kinda works as a Summer Imperial IPA (hah).
Aug 04, 2015
EdwardAbbey from Washington
4.5/5 rDev +8.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
This brew is aptly named. Like a lot of brothers, it comes across as big, brash and even somewhat overbearing. It pushes you around a little, but always--and this is the important part--with good intentions. It is not, in the end, unloving or unkind, and it is even a bit (but just a bit) tender. In other words, it's a pretty great brother, and one you feel lucky to have after everything.
Sep 12, 2015
4.5/5 rDev +8.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
This brew is aptly named. Like a lot of brothers, it comes across as big, brash and even somewhat overbearing. It pushes you around a little, but always--and this is the important part--with good intentions. It is not, in the end, unloving or unkind, and it is even a bit (but just a bit) tender. In other words, it's a pretty great brother, and one you feel lucky to have after everything.
Sep 12, 2015
spoony from Colorado
3.74/5 rDev -9.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
From a 12 oz can (canned July 20, 2015) to a tulip. Reviewed from notes dated August 9, 2015.
A-The beer is very murky, but not opaque. It is apricot in color with about one and one-half fingers of dense, off-white head. The foam is sticky with good retention and some nice lacing.
S-The aroma is hugely hoppy and pretty bitter (even for a IIPA). The bitterness is tempered by a sweet aroma of canned peaches but the overall impression is more pungent and earthy than juicy or fruity. I sniff a bit of medicinal alcohol in there. Intriguing.
T-The taste is similar to the smell, but less inviting. There is a lot of bitterness here and the flavor of powdered aspirin comes to mind. Beneath the bitterness is a bit of melon fruit, but also some off-putting onion and garlic notes that mix with the citrus and pepper flavors. Malts are mild, but a little sweetness of honey and caramel provides some balance.
M-The body is medium to heavy with a slightly cloying, oily, syrupy characteristic. Carbonation is mellow.
O-This one didn't blow me away. I kept getting whiffs and tastes of onions and garlic with my tropical fruits. I'm not sure what hops are used here, but I couldn't get into it. The hop mix may work for others better than it worked for me.
Sep 12, 2015
3.74/5 rDev -9.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
From a 12 oz can (canned July 20, 2015) to a tulip. Reviewed from notes dated August 9, 2015.
A-The beer is very murky, but not opaque. It is apricot in color with about one and one-half fingers of dense, off-white head. The foam is sticky with good retention and some nice lacing.
S-The aroma is hugely hoppy and pretty bitter (even for a IIPA). The bitterness is tempered by a sweet aroma of canned peaches but the overall impression is more pungent and earthy than juicy or fruity. I sniff a bit of medicinal alcohol in there. Intriguing.
T-The taste is similar to the smell, but less inviting. There is a lot of bitterness here and the flavor of powdered aspirin comes to mind. Beneath the bitterness is a bit of melon fruit, but also some off-putting onion and garlic notes that mix with the citrus and pepper flavors. Malts are mild, but a little sweetness of honey and caramel provides some balance.
M-The body is medium to heavy with a slightly cloying, oily, syrupy characteristic. Carbonation is mellow.
O-This one didn't blow me away. I kept getting whiffs and tastes of onions and garlic with my tropical fruits. I'm not sure what hops are used here, but I couldn't get into it. The hop mix may work for others better than it worked for me.
Sep 12, 2015
VashonGuy from Washington
4.25/5 rDev +2.4%
I don't have a lot to add to other reviews, but I can't resist quoting from the text on The Brother 12 ounce can:
"The Brother is the first of our Imperial Series and is inspired by our desire to thank Brothers everywhere. Without our Brothers, we would have taken the blame for everything as children, wouldn't have know the inside of an ambulance, and never understood the fear a good ghost story can cause a young child. This Brother is appropriately big, intimidating, and unbalanced with unrestrained quantities of hops for a head slap of beery ferociousness. ... Because Brothers Matter.
IBUs: 1 billion"
Lovely beer.
Nov 10, 2014
4.25/5 rDev +2.4%
I don't have a lot to add to other reviews, but I can't resist quoting from the text on The Brother 12 ounce can:
"The Brother is the first of our Imperial Series and is inspired by our desire to thank Brothers everywhere. Without our Brothers, we would have taken the blame for everything as children, wouldn't have know the inside of an ambulance, and never understood the fear a good ghost story can cause a young child. This Brother is appropriately big, intimidating, and unbalanced with unrestrained quantities of hops for a head slap of beery ferociousness. ... Because Brothers Matter.
IBUs: 1 billion"
Lovely beer.
Nov 10, 2014
Wasatch from Colorado
4.12/5 rDev -0.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
12 oz. Can
PKGD: 06/10/19
Poured into a Tree House glass a pretty nice clean/clean dark golden orangy color, pretty nice carbonation, with a pretty nice thick/creamy one-finger plus off-white head, which also leaves some pretty nice sticky lacing behind. The nose is hoppy, malty, with a pretty nice citrus complex (orange, tangerine, pineapple, mango), pretty nice piney. The taste is pretty nice hoppy, malty, with a pretty nice citrus complex (orange, tangerine, mango, pineapple), pretty nice piney. Medium body, ABV hidden very nicely, with a nice little dry/bitter finish. Overall, this is a pretty tasty brew. Nice to see it around here.
Jul 12, 2019
4.12/5 rDev -0.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
12 oz. Can
PKGD: 06/10/19
Poured into a Tree House glass a pretty nice clean/clean dark golden orangy color, pretty nice carbonation, with a pretty nice thick/creamy one-finger plus off-white head, which also leaves some pretty nice sticky lacing behind. The nose is hoppy, malty, with a pretty nice citrus complex (orange, tangerine, pineapple, mango), pretty nice piney. The taste is pretty nice hoppy, malty, with a pretty nice citrus complex (orange, tangerine, mango, pineapple), pretty nice piney. Medium body, ABV hidden very nicely, with a nice little dry/bitter finish. Overall, this is a pretty tasty brew. Nice to see it around here.
Jul 12, 2019
jorgerod99 from California
4.19/5 rDev +1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Aug 22, 2015
4.19/5 rDev +1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Aug 22, 2015
Seattle_Suds from Washington
3.97/5 rDev -4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Jul 22, 2014
3.97/5 rDev -4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Jul 22, 2014
NWHopinator from Oregon
4.02/5 rDev -3.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Sep 03, 2016
4.02/5 rDev -3.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Sep 03, 2016
HoppySeb from Washington
4.06/5 rDev -2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured from a can into a Stone IPA glass. Pours a clean gold with a thick, quick forming snowy white head that dissipates quickly leaving behind beautiful foamy lacing. The aroma is quite malty for a DIPA, other than that - the characteristic West Coast and mostly PNW IPA aromas surface. Citrus, faint pine and a sweet caramel smell come forward, materializing as well as you taste the beer. Its bitterness is very light, leaving a mild and sweet aftertaste. Mouthfeel I would say is not as thick as other DIPAs but quite adequate for this brew. Once the head settles, theres little to no further carbonation present.
Overall - this is a very enjoyable beer and i'm glad Fremont decided to can it. Its greatly refreshing on a hot summer day. Aroma vaguely resembles Black Raven's Trickster.
I'll definitely be buying these while available.
May 01, 2014
4.06/5 rDev -2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured from a can into a Stone IPA glass. Pours a clean gold with a thick, quick forming snowy white head that dissipates quickly leaving behind beautiful foamy lacing. The aroma is quite malty for a DIPA, other than that - the characteristic West Coast and mostly PNW IPA aromas surface. Citrus, faint pine and a sweet caramel smell come forward, materializing as well as you taste the beer. Its bitterness is very light, leaving a mild and sweet aftertaste. Mouthfeel I would say is not as thick as other DIPAs but quite adequate for this brew. Once the head settles, theres little to no further carbonation present.
Overall - this is a very enjoyable beer and i'm glad Fremont decided to can it. Its greatly refreshing on a hot summer day. Aroma vaguely resembles Black Raven's Trickster.
I'll definitely be buying these while available.
May 01, 2014
Justdoit1234 from Minnesota
4.49/5 rDev +8.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Sep 06, 2015
4.49/5 rDev +8.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Sep 06, 2015
The Brother from Fremont Brewing Company
Beer rating:
92 out of
100 with
350 ratings
0 characters. We love reviews! Turn your rating into one with ≥ 150 characters.
Explain why you're giving this rating. Your review must discuss the beer's attributes (look, smell, taste, feel) and your overall impression in order to indicate that you have legitimately tried the beer. Nonconstructive reviews may be removed without notice and action may be taken on your account.
Close