1687 Brown Ale
Charter Oak Brewing Co.
- From:
- Charter Oak Brewing Co.
- Connecticut, United States
- Style:
- American Brown Ale
Ranked #344 - ABV:
- 5.5%
- Score:
- 83
Ranked #34,101 - Avg:
- 3.62 | pDev: 11.6%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 24
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Oct 24, 2025
- Added:
- Jul 06, 2012
- Wants:
- 2
- Gots:
- 11
SCORE
83
Good
83
Good
Charter Oak's 1687 Brown Ale (this was the year the legend of the Charter Oak took place, and Wadsworth hid the document in the majestic Oak Tree - later to become know as The Charter Oak) is an American style which is slightly more robust than the traditional English Brown Ale. This beer will be brewed to a dark copper shade and be somewhat sweet and malty with distinctive toasted flavors from both our premium specialty roasted and chocolate malted barley, also allowing for a faint undertone of caramel. This style is lightly hopped for balance and this ale will prove to be a wonderful selection for a sessionable beer. Our medium-bodied, limited bitterness and hop aroma will make this an excellent choice.
30 IBU
30 IBU
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Reviewed by Spankyrightus from Maryland
4.04/5 rDev +11.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4.04/5 rDev +11.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
On draught at the brewery.
A dark brown pour, with a head that dissipates into a ring of foam.
Roasted caramel malt flavor dominates, sweet molasses, cocoa, toffee notes. Mild bitterness, slightly tangy on the finish.
Oct 24, 2025A dark brown pour, with a head that dissipates into a ring of foam.
Roasted caramel malt flavor dominates, sweet molasses, cocoa, toffee notes. Mild bitterness, slightly tangy on the finish.
Reviewed by sulldaddy from Connecticut
3.79/5 rDev +4.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.79/5 rDev +4.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Sampling a 12 oz can poured at cellar temp into my snifter. The beer was purchased two days ago, but the can has no date stamp.
Beer pours a dark cola brown with garnet highlights and a fizzy beige head foams up 1 cm and fades to a sturdy edge layer soon after the pour.
Aroma is mild roasted grains and some multigrain breadyness. A little bakers chocolate also shows up. Nose is pretty mild overall. No real hop character.
The first sip reveals a light to medium body with fine fizzy carbonation. Texture is a little slick.
Flavor is similar to nose, but a little fuller. I get more dark chocolate and roasted malt, maybe a little bit of a roasted almond flavor and some brown sugar. Again, no real hop character here either. ABV is hidden and beer drinks really easy.
Not a bad example of an under brewed style.
Nov 13, 2021Beer pours a dark cola brown with garnet highlights and a fizzy beige head foams up 1 cm and fades to a sturdy edge layer soon after the pour.
Aroma is mild roasted grains and some multigrain breadyness. A little bakers chocolate also shows up. Nose is pretty mild overall. No real hop character.
The first sip reveals a light to medium body with fine fizzy carbonation. Texture is a little slick.
Flavor is similar to nose, but a little fuller. I get more dark chocolate and roasted malt, maybe a little bit of a roasted almond flavor and some brown sugar. Again, no real hop character here either. ABV is hidden and beer drinks really easy.
Not a bad example of an under brewed style.
Reviewed by CTHomer from Connecticut
3.09/5 rDev -14.6%
look: 3 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25
3.09/5 rDev -14.6%
look: 3 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25
The issue I've had with this beer (and others from Charter Oak) is the lack of consistency from batch to batch. I've had this beer a number of times - some were much better than this review would indicate. Luck of the draw that I happened to review this particular batch.
A: opaque; cola brown in color; if held to the light, crystal clear and ruby colored; 1 finger light brown head that receded to a splotchy cap; very little lacing;
S; predominantly tobacco; a little milk chocolate and deeply roasted grain;
T: deeply roasted grain and milk chocolate with a bit of tobacco in the background; mild bitterness on the finish;
M: light to medium bodied; moderate carbonation; lightly dry finish;
O: I love a good brown ale and, at times, I like this one;
Jan 23, 2018A: opaque; cola brown in color; if held to the light, crystal clear and ruby colored; 1 finger light brown head that receded to a splotchy cap; very little lacing;
S; predominantly tobacco; a little milk chocolate and deeply roasted grain;
T: deeply roasted grain and milk chocolate with a bit of tobacco in the background; mild bitterness on the finish;
M: light to medium bodied; moderate carbonation; lightly dry finish;
O: I love a good brown ale and, at times, I like this one;
Reviewed by johnnnniee from New Hampshire
3.52/5 rDev -2.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.52/5 rDev -2.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Bottle shared by Kelly and Paul, thanks for the opportunity! Slightly hazy deep copper color. Rich bready caramel maltiness with light chocolate and a slightly annoying clove character especially in the finish. Decent beer.
Dec 05, 2016
Reviewed by jmdrpi from Pennsylvania
3.94/5 rDev +8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
3.94/5 rDev +8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
12 oz bottle into nonic pint glass
clear chestnut brown colored, thick off-white head. nice malty aroma of toffee and biscuit. very smooth flavor - good balance - neither sweet nor dry. medium bodied.
Aug 02, 2016clear chestnut brown colored, thick off-white head. nice malty aroma of toffee and biscuit. very smooth flavor - good balance - neither sweet nor dry. medium bodied.
Reviewed by deleted_user_1111368 from Delaware
3.55/5 rDev -1.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
3.55/5 rDev -1.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Into a 20 oz Guinness
Pours medium red.. nice haze. Great retention. Smells of rich malt. I'm not pulling a lot here, except the malts.
Taste is malt.. forward, mid and back. MF is very smooth. Not syrupy, but close. .. a plus.
Overall, this is a very sweet beer, which overpowered any of the hops. It's not bad, just too sweet for me.
Jul 28, 2016Pours medium red.. nice haze. Great retention. Smells of rich malt. I'm not pulling a lot here, except the malts.
Taste is malt.. forward, mid and back. MF is very smooth. Not syrupy, but close. .. a plus.
Overall, this is a very sweet beer, which overpowered any of the hops. It's not bad, just too sweet for me.
Reviewed by gotbeerman from Connecticut
5/5 rDev +38.1%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
5/5 rDev +38.1%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
Pours a rich dense brown shade with a faint roasted and tasted aroma with wonderfully complex taste, yet well balanced. Of particular surprise is just how clean this beer finishes, leaving no residual on the tongue. Interestingly enough, the 1687 Brown Ale also enjoys a very light mouth feel. Excellent
Oct 13, 2015
Reviewed by wisrarebeer from Wisconsin
4.32/5 rDev +19.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
4.32/5 rDev +19.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Well-made brown ale. Smooth, mild with a good underlying chocolate, roasted malt taste and nose. Amazing creamy head that kept all the way to the bottom of the glass.
Jul 16, 2015
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