The Brown Note
Against The Grain Brewery
- From:
- Against The Grain Brewery
- Kentucky, United States
- Style:
- English Brown Ale
Ranked #44 - ABV:
- 5%
- Score:
- 85
Ranked #28,183 - Avg:
- 3.79 | pDev: 11.08%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 116
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Nov 30, 2025
- Added:
- Apr 23, 2012
- Wants:
- 14
- Gots:
- 131
SCORE
85
Very Good
85
Very Good
The brown ale to end all brown ales. Enjoy it, because there is no longer any reason to drink another. You’ve reached the pinnacle. A healthy blend of traditional British malts give this popular style a semi-sweet, biscuity, slightly roasted flavor. Oats thicken the mouthfeel, and a handful of specialty malts add complex chocolate, toffee, and caramel notes. The hops are mostly traditional, earthy British hops, but we cocked it up a bit with some Cascade late in the boil just to show those snooty Brits that we don’t approve of that Constitutional Monarchy crap.
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Reviewed by DraftMonger from Denmark
3.53/5 rDev -6.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 2 | overall: 3.75
3.53/5 rDev -6.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 2 | overall: 3.75
Copenhagen 11/9 2018. 47,3 cl can from Voldby Købmandsgaard Webshop. Drawing of chubby guy with dirty undies om the can.
Pours clear dark brown with a red hue and small off-white head. Settles as thin layer of foam barely covering the surface of the beer. Crawls a little bit of the side of the glass. Moderate lacing.
Aroma is intense, sweet and nutty. Caramel, nuts, brown sugar, roasted malts and biscuits.
Soft carbonation. Creamy, slightly thick, flat, soft texture.
Flavor is medium sweet. Followed by stronger bitterness. Aftertaste is bitter sweet. Lingering.
Very much on the sweet side - but not without a bitter bite. And a innovative can design.
Nov 30, 2025Pours clear dark brown with a red hue and small off-white head. Settles as thin layer of foam barely covering the surface of the beer. Crawls a little bit of the side of the glass. Moderate lacing.
Aroma is intense, sweet and nutty. Caramel, nuts, brown sugar, roasted malts and biscuits.
Soft carbonation. Creamy, slightly thick, flat, soft texture.
Flavor is medium sweet. Followed by stronger bitterness. Aftertaste is bitter sweet. Lingering.
Very much on the sweet side - but not without a bitter bite. And a innovative can design.
Rated by pathman from Ohio
4.25/5 rDev +12.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.25/5 rDev +12.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
09/27/24 draft @ ATG
Sep 30, 2024
Reviewed by mvanaskie13 from Pennsylvania
4.12/5 rDev +8.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4.12/5 rDev +8.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured into narrow imperial pint glass: color is brown, a little dense, head is tan with dense/fine head, head presents 1+ fingers thick, head lingers very well with a solid 1/4 inch top and lacing on the glass sides.
Smell is nutty, toffee, subtle cocoa, coffee, and earth, hops are low but light grass and herbal note.
Taste is a little sweeter with toffee, cocoa, coffee forward, nutty and biscuit middle tasting, earth, herbal and grassy hops.
Mouthfeel is lower/moderate carbonation, moderate sweetness, lower bitterness.
Overall an excellent english brown ale - maybe a little on the sweeter side, but solid malt depth through the aroma and flavor.
Dec 15, 2023Smell is nutty, toffee, subtle cocoa, coffee, and earth, hops are low but light grass and herbal note.
Taste is a little sweeter with toffee, cocoa, coffee forward, nutty and biscuit middle tasting, earth, herbal and grassy hops.
Mouthfeel is lower/moderate carbonation, moderate sweetness, lower bitterness.
Overall an excellent english brown ale - maybe a little on the sweeter side, but solid malt depth through the aroma and flavor.
Reviewed by ShrinerMcBitey from Florida
3.9/5 rDev +2.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.9/5 rDev +2.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
First I think it’s a porter not a brown ale. Tastes of chocolate, malt, biscuity, smoke. The smoke is a bit too harsh and lingers. I won’t buy again but that doesn’t mean it’s not a quality product that many others will enjoy.
Nov 18, 2023
Reviewed by Griffin2 from Virginia
3.79/5 rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
3.79/5 rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Poured from a 16 oz can into a shaker pint glass.
L - Pours a dark brown with a slight khaki head.
S - Smells of coffee and chocolate.
T - Tastes of bakers chocolate, coffee and nuts.
F - Medium to full bodied with carbonation on the lighter side.
O - I've been meaning to try this one forever, but rarely run into cans. It's a very tasty brown ale, despite the weird label.
Nov 14, 2023L - Pours a dark brown with a slight khaki head.
S - Smells of coffee and chocolate.
T - Tastes of bakers chocolate, coffee and nuts.
F - Medium to full bodied with carbonation on the lighter side.
O - I've been meaning to try this one forever, but rarely run into cans. It's a very tasty brown ale, despite the weird label.
Reviewed by AdmiralOzone from Minnesota
3.78/5 rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
3.78/5 rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Pours a clear deep dark brown with a reddish tint. Thick tan head leaves spotty lacing. Aroma is toasted caramel malt, roasted nuts, coffee and chocolate. Flavor follows the nose, a touch sweet up front. Feel is on the lighter side of medium bodied with ample carbonation. Overall, a fine brown ale with artwork on the odd side to say the least.
Aug 22, 2023
Reviewed by Dinglehacker from Wisconsin
4.49/5 rDev +18.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.49/5 rDev +18.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Poured tall can into shaker pint:
Look: Persistent creamy beige head, a surprisingly light, amber body.
Smell: Sweet nutty malts, cream.
Taste: Follows with a general roastiness, some suble hop spice. Roasted nuts as it warms.
Feel: Medium with a lil bit of carb bite.
If you prefer a more balanced, less hop forward brown from an American brewery, this is a decent example. Also, look at that art, man just l o o k.
Sep 24, 2022Look: Persistent creamy beige head, a surprisingly light, amber body.
Smell: Sweet nutty malts, cream.
Taste: Follows with a general roastiness, some suble hop spice. Roasted nuts as it warms.
Feel: Medium with a lil bit of carb bite.
If you prefer a more balanced, less hop forward brown from an American brewery, this is a decent example. Also, look at that art, man just l o o k.
Reviewed by Cdriver0414 from Kentucky
5/5 rDev +31.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
5/5 rDev +31.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
One of my all time favorite beers and definitely my favorite brown ale. Burnt toffee, chocolate, and caramel maltiness that is easy drinking yet packs a punch. Can't recommend this one enough
Mar 21, 2022
Rated by ckaplanmd from New York
4.55/5 rDev +20.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
4.55/5 rDev +20.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
love the smooth dark chocolate taste and feel
Jan 25, 2022
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