Hughe Dunn Brown
Nail Brewing Australia Pty Ltd

Bottle #446 of 700. Aroma is brown ale on steroids, with plenty of alcohol warmth also evident. Despite the ABV kick, taste is smooth and woody, and a hint of molasses sweetness. Pours out clear dark brown with fast disappearing beige airy head. SmalI hint of dry nutty flavor lingers.

Recommended by Jeremy @ Black Sheep Newmarket this Imperial Brown is the best Imperial Brown Ale he’s had. Well the one to beat for me is Black Market Embargo Imperial Brown... which scored a massive 9.15/10 from me - that puts it at #22 on my all-time list. Not sure if Nail have the gumption to dethrone that, however I am, as always, happy to be surprised. Nail Oatmeal Stout being the only Nail I’ve reviewed and I wasn’t overly impressed by it - Oatmeal Stouts should be an easy style to ace. However that said: Jeremy @ Black Sheep has proven to have a great palate when it comes to wine and spirits, so I trust him when he recommends a beer, looking forward to this one.

Poured from a 330ml bottle into a Duvel tulip.

A: Deep black (getting dangerously close to Stout country there Mr. Nail) body with a mocha coloured head than quickly dissolves leaving a thin lace ring - which is perfectly acceptable at 8% ABV IMO. Regardless of whether it’s a Brown or a Stout, who cares if it looks tasty? 7/10.

S: Dark fruits thrown judiciously about with rhyme and reason - that reason being: Mmm, oooh yeah. Brown sugar, red coffee cherries, and touch of spirit round out a rich and bold aroma. It’s big and unyielding, and so far I can see why Jeremy is impressed by this - he seems to gravitate towards BIG beers. 8/10.

T: Dark fruits with a hit of coffee cherry and espresso begin transforming what was a classic Imperial Brown ale into an Imperial Baltic Porter... it’s very much in Imperial Baltic Porter country now... also, did anyone order a truckload of brown sugar? I have a delivery from a Mr, err, Nail... shall I return it to the postage depot? No, you’ll book in a dentist appointment then? Ok *signals to truck driver* dump it here *BEEP-BEEP-BEEP*. Tasty, but possibly requiring an Insulin shot afterwards. 7/10.

M: Medium and viscous bodied with a thin but dense carbonation - suits the style, which is clearly an Imperial Baltic Brown Porter Ale or IBBPA. 7/10.

D: I started getting a headache halfway through this - never a great sign, however when I wasn’t taking Ibuprofen tablets I did enjoy this beer. Probably won’t get it again - I need to cut back on these types of diabetes-inducing beers. Also Nail didn’t nail the style, typical of them being known for their Stouts that they produced yet another Stout to add to their collection of Stouts, which is also quite stout in size - pun, set & match Doc. 7/10.

Food match: Something chargrilled and steaky, perhaps steak.

 

 

 

 

Pours dark brown with a large head.
Nose shows bready and toasty malt along with a hint of banana.
Flavours include nutty, bready and toasty malt with some brown sugar, more banana and sharp booze.

Rating the non-limited version in a 330ml bottle.
Solid brew, lots of caramels and moderate hops. More US Brown style imho than English style.
Would be a good brew if it were, say 6%, but less so at 8% - leaves a bit wanting.

 

750ml heavy dark green bottle (#346 of 700) purchased from Oak Barrel in Sydney by my brother-in-law and given to me for Christmas. Yeah, he's alright.

Pours a deep, dark brown, almost black in hue, with flashes of red when held to the light. Head forms inconsistently: quite frothy on initial pour, but settling out to a filmy mess that leaves good lacing. Rather light body; there's some fine carbonation that swells through it, but it's quite lightweight. Looks decent.

Nose is a slightly musty brown bread basis, without a lot over the top to add complexity or richness. Oddly, there's a strange lemony character that dominates more than anything—it's odd and not all that good.

Taste is certainly better. Here there's a solid roasty malt basis that stays firm and driving throughout. There's still not a stack of complexity though. Light lemony hints come through again, some wavering toffee notes evanesce in the background. Feel is very light, slightly frothy and adds a fullness to the palate—it's one of the high points of the beer to be honest.

Overall, it's a solid brew. But only solid. For a beer that comes in an individually numbered bottle, I'm a little underwhelmed.

 

#458 of 700.

Dark mahogany with an immense beige head that swarms the glass before slowly collapsing in pillowy fashion with a few lace spots.

Nose shows conspicuos dark fruit sweetness with plasticy undertones. Dates, liquorice bullets and marzipan. Plenty of woody spices, mainly nutmeg and cinnamon. Some fruity hop presence, but hard to discern over the malt clamour.

Strong anise and dark fruits blended with milkshakey chocolate character. Very slight brandy notes. Unexpectedly drier than the nose due to a moderate roasty bitterness. Flavours fall a little flat after this bitterness hits.

Body is way thin, and the carbonation is more sedate than the appearance suggested. The bitter finish seems detached as a result.

Not an unpleasant beer by any means, but it lacks punch and body for an Imperial beer. Much prefer the standard version.

This is bottle 147 of 700 and this style is right up my alley an imperial brown ale and pour an impressive chestnut hue with a creamy two finger head and elegant clingy lacing everywhere,on the nose it's roasted chestnuts,ripe berries,a slight toastiness and a touch of chocolate,the mouthfeel I really like its medium and nicely carbonated and on taste I just want to immediately have another sip its very addictive with tastes of milk chocolate,dried fruits,earthy hops and finished with a nice nuttiness and overall it's definitely a winner and ill be buying some more cheers.