James E. Pepper 1776 American Brown Ale
Georgetown Trading Co.

James E. Pepper 1776 American Brown AleJames E. Pepper 1776 American Brown Ale
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From:
Georgetown Trading Co.
 
Kentucky, United States
Style:
American Brown Ale
ABV:
10.2%
Score:
90
Avg:
4.05 | pDev: 9.14%
Reviews:
52
Ratings:
208
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Mar 15, 2021
Added:
Nov 02, 2014
Wants:
  31
Gots:
  75
Like most whiskey aficionados, we also love a great beer. And in particular we became very fond of barrel aged beers, which from time to time had been aged in our whiskey barrels! So, we decided to have some fun and make our own beer. We partnered with a great brewery (the Beltway Brewing Co. in Sterling, VA) and began "working" with their master brewer to create a unique recipe with a flavor profile that would develop best in barrels that previously held our award winning James E. Pepper 1776 Rye Whiskey. No more than 30 days after our whiskey barrels are dumped in Kentucky, they are at the brewery being filled with beer. This ensures that every batch gets a big, boozy Rye whiskey finish and notes of toffee, chocolate, oak & vanilla.
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Ratings by TastyIsBeer:
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Rated by TastyIsBeer from Illinois

4.02/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Nov 13, 2015
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4.05 by DOCRW from Kentucky

Mar 15, 2021
 
Rated: 4 by BEER88 from North Carolina

Jan 16, 2021
Photo of GarrettB
Reviewed by GarrettB from Colorado

3.54/5  rDev -12.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
July 27th, 2016 - This beer would be at home on a shelf in a historical recreation somewhere in Boston or elsewhere in New England, with its hand torn looking label and clear gesture to the Revolutionary period. It's also stiff and strong, with a huge boozy scent, heavy with sake koji, shiitake mushrooms, steak and peppercorns. This is a burly brew in the flavor too, and wallops the tongue with more beef and mushroom flavors, and 10 tons of malt sitting on my chest. Aging, I think, would benefit it. Raw, it comes out of the bottle like an angry bull.
Jan 12, 2021
Photo of TerryMills
Reviewed by TerryMills from Tennessee

4.43/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Feb 2016 bottle ... Smooth as silk ... I can't even tell it has alcohol in it it's so smooth ..

Not sure what a fresh one taste like but after almost 5 years its perfect
Nov 20, 2020
 
Rated: 4.2 by StanleysCup from Maryland

Oct 30, 2020
 
Rated: 3.68 by Sammy from Canada (ON)

May 21, 2020
Photo of beerthulhu
Reviewed by beerthulhu from New Jersey

4.34/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.25
-Aged in Rye Whiskey Barrels 12.5%.

A: A viscose dark hersey chocolate pour slurps from the bottle with a thick viscose nature producing a dark, tawny brownish-orange tint colored head. Creamy at one half inch the head was well standing for a beer of this abv%. A very dense fury of golden-micro beads of carbonation rush within to the surface. A dark rich beautiful textured head and color gives this a dark and menacing nature in the chalice. Thin sheet lace milky coating.

S: Strong wiff of whiskey-oak and spicy caramel with some coconut cream dominate the nose. Toasted vanilla and waffle like malting has sweet vanilla and toffee with some rich chocolate. Overall a good strength while the alcohol is very well handled.

T: Huge first impression has a very deep and rich chocolate burst, that was sweet and creamy with some vanilla and a spike of whiskey-oak that demands and keeps your attention from the very first sip. Dark fruit of sugary plums and figs along with some coconut and vanilla cream. Roasty oily coffee beans add an earthy bitterness along with some buttery caramel and spicing of cinnamon. Toffee and toasted coco-almond nuttiness and a sweetness of candi-brewing syrup, burnt brown sugar and a sweet honey depth. A soft and silty smokiness of charred oak barrels round out.

M: Lots of carbonation, milky thick depth and feel with a creamy roasted malt base gives this a great all around feel.

O: Lots of strong whiskey-oak are the highlight here with an abundance of secondary spicing and sweetness that is widely varied and individually defined with a deep richness. A huge drinking experience, oily rich roastiness, silty charred notes and a huge spike of whiskey soaked oak with coconut-caramel sweetness best describes this deep rich experience.
Apr 29, 2020
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Reviewed by pianoguy from Washington

4.69/5  rDev +15.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.75
What with Covid-19, Sheltering in place, and everything else that we're ALL going through these days I'm going to drink this 2017 beer that I've been saving .

Let me add a toast to you my beer drinking brothers and sisters...And to better days ahead ! May we all see each other on the other side of this...

22 Oz bottle May 2017

Pours a solid brown body with a small tan head that dissipated quickly. Lots of tiny carbonation bubbles noted when held up to the light.

Oak and rye whiskey jumped out at the pour. Scent was fairly prominent for a beer that's been aged 3 years. Boozy and lightly astringent.

Taste follows with some nestles milk chocolate notes that were nowhere to be found in the scent. But the rye whiskey and booze still dominates.

Slightly watery feel..but it is 3 years old.

Overall a very nice sipping beer! Don't know if the aging made a difference. But if I had a time machine I'd go back and buy a couple more of these... and put down a few different sports book bets !
Apr 12, 2020
 
Rated: 3.69 by beaulabauve from Louisiana

Dec 19, 2019
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Reviewed by Beginner2 from Illinois

4.17/5  rDev +3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
A wonderful ale.
Specifically, I wondered how many ABAs I'd Had that were stronger than this. Answer is: two of 47. Not surprisingly, they are both highly-rated (from Dogfish and Firestone.) These are 2nd Generation masters (grew-up in the 1990s) and were so accomplished that they were bought by larger companies (Boston and Duvel respectively.)

Specifically, Georgetown is recent and is not diversified outside of its two whiskey barrel renditions. Nor does it seem to have a taproom or website presence. But, they are accomplished because Georgetown and 1776 still has matched these two masters in quality.

1776 is one of those handful of beers I have a month that I feel privileged to drink. It pours a syrupy dark brown with an attractive espresso foam. Smells are chocolate, vanilla, bourbon. Tastes are a melange of this, plus just enough alcohol kick to tell me that this is a sipper. It is dessert, also; and one to be appreciated.
Oct 16, 2019
 
Rated: 3.9 by Avitra from California

Oct 06, 2019
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Reviewed by mmilyko from Nevada

4.25/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Agree with other reviews that it’s great to have a very well done barrel aged brown ale as opposed to another barrel aged stout (not that there’s anything wrong with that)....seems like there’s less competition for what dominates and it really lets the barrel aging take center stage. The fact that the whiskey distillery drove this creation, rather than the brewery, just shouts out “unique” and “different” to me. If you appreciate a good rye (or “whiskey” if you’re not from the East Coast) find this and really, really enjoy.
Jun 19, 2019
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Rated by Hop_God from California

3.84/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
November 2014 bottling. 5/5/19 drank
May 06, 2019
 
Rated: 4.1 by Kolb from Montana

Apr 26, 2019
 
Rated: 3.87 by Oh_Dark_Star from Washington

Apr 21, 2019
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Reviewed by AdmiralOzone from Minnesota

4.18/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Pours a dark brown with a thin tan cap. Decent legs on the glass when swirled. Aroma is roasted caramel malt and bourbon. Flavor is caramel, chocolate, bourbon, vanilla and dark fruit. Feel is thin to medium bodied. Overall a fantastic brown ale.
Nov 18, 2018
Photo of Harrison8
Reviewed by Harrison8 from Missouri

3.96/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Pours a dark burgundy with a finger of khaki foam that fizzes away pretty quickly. Aroma is toffee, plum, caramel, whiskey, char, oak, and a little yeast ester. Plum is bright, sweet and apparent. Flavor profile is caramel, toffee and plum to round out the sweet characteristics. Whiskey, char, and oak are a second thought, but linger for a long while. Mouth feel is medium in thickness with a smooth, watery consistency that thins out at the finish. Overall, very sugary and sweet, but still bold.

Served in a 12oz snifter from a 12oz bottle.
Oct 18, 2018
 
Rated: 4.85 by LeftyMike from New Jersey

Sep 25, 2018
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Rated by SouthBay16 from California

4.45/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.75
Fantastic barrel aged beer, fantastic complex taste of vanilla and raisins
May 22, 2018
James E. Pepper 1776 American Brown Ale from Georgetown Trading Co.
Beer rating: 90 out of 100 with 208 ratings