Baranof Brown
Baranof Island Brewing

The appearance is a dark brown colored body with a one finger off-white foamy head that rises a bit and falls at a decent pace, clingy lacing is left in the wake of the fall. The smell has deep dark chocolate malts coming through in a roasty way, backed up by a toasted yet somewhat nutty coffee, coming through very nice as it continues to warm The taste is slightly sweet yet bitter, somewhat roasty nutty and chocolatey, no aftertaste, dry coffee finish. The palate is a mostly medium body, comes across, somewhat sessionable. Carbonation seems to be good for the style and good for me. Overall, this is a good English Brown Ale that I would have again.

 

 

Pours a handsome burnt umber brown in the tumbler. Plenty of foam and adequate carbonation. Pleasant sudsy mouthfeel. Lacking in smell.

Flavor is of very dark mineral dry juniper. Maybe it's the hops that add the bitterness, but it tastes like a bitter woody burnt grain without any hop flavor. Kind of a murky stew of flavors. Quite dry without much of any sweetness. The malt tastes of charred cereal.

All these Baranof beers seem well made but a little lacking in hop aromatics, except the Spruce Tip ale. This one is not very drinkable. From the 22 oz bottle purchased at the brewpub in Sitka.
4.0 3.0 2.5 4.0 3.0

Into a mug, this had a nice dark brown color with a one finger white to off white foamy head that died within about a minute leaving some light stringy yet somewhat foamy lacing.
The smell had a nice blend of roasty sweet coffee beans to a nice light nuttiness to it.
The flavor was roasty and sweet.
The mouthfeel was smooth and somewhat velvety creamy around my mouth.
Overall, I've always thought this was a solid brown ale I always come back to.

Poured from a 650 ml bottle into a standard pint.

A: Dark brown. Pours a 1+ finger, foamy, brown-white head. Settles slowly to a light foamy blanket. Light beer ring lacing.

S: Light roasted malt grains, hazelnut, butterscotch, and maple.

T: Roasted grains. Nutty tone is prominent. A little peaty pungency. And a slight sweetness for balance.

M: Malt is roasty and nutty giving it a nice toasty sweet flavor. A little bitter in the finish.

D: Sip and enjoy.

Atmosphere is really solid. Nice head, and some persistent albeit light lacing. Nutty and roasty, with some sweet components. Roasted malt with a strong nutty character; also some peat and an indistinct sweetness round it out. Overall, this is a really good quaff.

Poured into a Dogfish Head pint glass. Pours a dark mahogany brown with a fine one finger light tan head with good retention and lacing. Aroma of light toasted malt, hints of chocolate, slightly vegetal. Flavor is a blend of biscuit and toasted malt, nutty with light chocolate. Finishes with decent toasty chocolate malt. Medium bodied. A nicely balanced brown ale with a pleasant roasty, nutty character. A bit subdued, but tasty and satisfying. My favorite Baranof so far.

Walked into a local bottle shop and asked for something different as I was staring at this beer. She said I was looking in the perfect spot for something different. They just received this brown ale in from Sitka, AK. Apparently they know the brewer and were the first bottle shop in WA to offer this brew. So...I'm one of the first tasting this beer in the state!?! Cool, if true.

Great color, ok aroma and taste. Decent beer but honestly, I'm picking up that dirty ashtray taste on the back end of the taste. That's preventing me from giving it north of a 4 star rating.