Brown Owl
Northwoods Brewing Company
- From:
- Northwoods Brewing Company
- New Hampshire, United States
- Style:
- Extra Special / Strong Bitter (ESB)
Ranked #160 - ABV:
- 5.6%
- Score:
- 81
Ranked #35,587 - Avg:
- 3.38 | pDev: 16.86%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 7
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Nov 12, 2024
- Added:
- Jan 26, 2020
- Wants:
- 1
- Gots:
- 1
SCORE
81
Good
81
Good
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Reviewed by mothman from Minnesota
3.5/5 rDev +3.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.5/5 rDev +3.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Can. Caramel brown color. Off white head
Tea, caramel, bread, brown sugar. Honey cracker finish with some floral earthy hops.
Decent beer, but definitely a bit from the traditional English esb. I know that’s redundant.
Sep 22, 2023Tea, caramel, bread, brown sugar. Honey cracker finish with some floral earthy hops.
Decent beer, but definitely a bit from the traditional English esb. I know that’s redundant.
Reviewed by Tilley4 from Tennessee
2.8/5 rDev -17.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.75
2.8/5 rDev -17.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.75
This is a new brewery in my area so I wanted to try what I thought would be an easy beer to replicate to give them a shot.
Pretty disappointing effort.
Very phenolic... a touch sour...hints of apple peel with a super weird finish. A strange beer.
I will finish the 4 pack but that's the extent of it. .
ESBs should be a fairly easy style to nail down but it's almost like they brewed this, weren't sure where it belonged and just called it an ESB..
Not good
Dec 22, 2021Pretty disappointing effort.
Very phenolic... a touch sour...hints of apple peel with a super weird finish. A strange beer.
I will finish the 4 pack but that's the extent of it. .
ESBs should be a fairly easy style to nail down but it's almost like they brewed this, weren't sure where it belonged and just called it an ESB..
Not good
Reviewed by MrHadack from Massachusetts
2.71/5 rDev -19.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.75
2.71/5 rDev -19.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.75
I love a good ESB. And this is NOT a good ESB. Poor. Mis-categorized. NOT an ESB by any stretch of the imagination. Brewers need to learn there are categorizations for a reason. Is it well-constructed? Yes. Good mouthfeel? Yes. But it fails in every other aspect with regard to its category. It is NOT a refreshing take on the style, it is a complete diversion from it. Call it something else. Sorely disappointed.
Jun 19, 2021
Reviewed by Rug from Massachusetts
3.35/5 rDev -0.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.25
3.35/5 rDev -0.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.25
Canned 10/15/20
ESBs are a very underrepresented style, I’ve only had one so far and have been on the lookout for more since. This is honestly the only one I’ve found/noticed since then, so I knew I would have to grab if, despite the less than stellar ratings
Pours a cloudy brown/copper with 2 fingers of light tan head that slowly fades to a cap and leaves minimal lacing
There’s a interesting sweet and earthy balance in the nose with this one and I’m not sure where it’s coming from. I’m picking up on aromas of sweet maple, red malt, herbal hops, doughy bread, pepper, and a hint of red grape
This malty and spicy complexion doesn’t really translate well into the taste until the very back end, leading to a sloppy experience. On the front end of the sip I’m tasting doughy nalt, diacetyl, and a touch of orange zest. The swallow brings notes of red malt, honey, a weird metallic note, and more diacetyl
A medium body pairs with very gentle carbonation, resulting in a slick beer that goes down easy despite some of the off putting flavors. Finishes mostly dry with a heavy sweetness
This one was kinda all over the place, starting off alright but ultimately turning out to br very strange, and somehow back to decent again with the easy drinking mouthfeel. I doubt I’ll have it again
Mar 12, 2021ESBs are a very underrepresented style, I’ve only had one so far and have been on the lookout for more since. This is honestly the only one I’ve found/noticed since then, so I knew I would have to grab if, despite the less than stellar ratings
Pours a cloudy brown/copper with 2 fingers of light tan head that slowly fades to a cap and leaves minimal lacing
There’s a interesting sweet and earthy balance in the nose with this one and I’m not sure where it’s coming from. I’m picking up on aromas of sweet maple, red malt, herbal hops, doughy bread, pepper, and a hint of red grape
This malty and spicy complexion doesn’t really translate well into the taste until the very back end, leading to a sloppy experience. On the front end of the sip I’m tasting doughy nalt, diacetyl, and a touch of orange zest. The swallow brings notes of red malt, honey, a weird metallic note, and more diacetyl
A medium body pairs with very gentle carbonation, resulting in a slick beer that goes down easy despite some of the off putting flavors. Finishes mostly dry with a heavy sweetness
This one was kinda all over the place, starting off alright but ultimately turning out to br very strange, and somehow back to decent again with the easy drinking mouthfeel. I doubt I’ll have it again
Reviewed by johnnnniee from New Hampshire
3.55/5 rDev +5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
3.55/5 rDev +5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
Can from the Packie
Light touch of haze in a dark amber/brown beverage with a decent sized frothy off white head that slowly recedes. Caramel and toffee on the nose with a hint of earth. Flavor follows the nose and adds a hint of chocolate and clove. Pretty nice brown ale, but like most Kviek fermented brews I find a bit of phenol that some other palettes don't.
Aug 06, 2020Light touch of haze in a dark amber/brown beverage with a decent sized frothy off white head that slowly recedes. Caramel and toffee on the nose with a hint of earth. Flavor follows the nose and adds a hint of chocolate and clove. Pretty nice brown ale, but like most Kviek fermented brews I find a bit of phenol that some other palettes don't.
Rated by justmebro from Massachusetts
2.8/5 rDev -17.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2.75
2.8/5 rDev -17.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2.75
Ditto, such disappointment. I enjoy a good ESB, I rarely seen any in the local stores and was excited to see this one...oh well
Jul 10, 2020
Reviewed by puboflyons from New Hampshire
3.35/5 rDev -0.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
3.35/5 rDev -0.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
From the 16 oz. can dated 12/31/19. Sampled many moons later on March 15 2020.
The appearance is mainly brown with good clarity and a modest fading head. But when held right up to the light there are red hues.
The aroma emits notes of maple toffee, brown bread and a low hop profile. But I also get this sort of character that reminds me of a home brew that is not quite ready to pour.
Medium and smooth body.
The flavor starts out sweet thanks to the maple I imagine and it evolves into a moderately bitter finale. It does not linger much.
Mar 15, 2020The appearance is mainly brown with good clarity and a modest fading head. But when held right up to the light there are red hues.
The aroma emits notes of maple toffee, brown bread and a low hop profile. But I also get this sort of character that reminds me of a home brew that is not quite ready to pour.
Medium and smooth body.
The flavor starts out sweet thanks to the maple I imagine and it evolves into a moderately bitter finale. It does not linger much.
Reviewed by jlindros from Massachusetts
2.83/5 rDev -16.3%
look: 4 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 2
2.83/5 rDev -16.3%
look: 4 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 2
Canned 12/31/19
Pours a large foamy off white light head, decent retention and foamy lacing, hazy auburn reddish brown color
Nose smells a little like a homebrew, diacetyl which is ok in small amounts but this is not small, corn starch and husky, mild grainy toasted malt, faint solvent glue like note, some herbal hops
Taste starts with husky corn starch, vegetal brothy, med herbal hops with lower bitterness, sweet grainy malt, lots of vegetables and grainy soup, slight slick diacetyl finish
Mouth is med bod, lower carb which is ok for the style, slick diacetyl
Overall this beer was a mess, like something I would judge in a homebrew competition so they could find out what was wrong, my first beer from this brewery and likely my last, maybe one more chance but ick
Jan 26, 2020Pours a large foamy off white light head, decent retention and foamy lacing, hazy auburn reddish brown color
Nose smells a little like a homebrew, diacetyl which is ok in small amounts but this is not small, corn starch and husky, mild grainy toasted malt, faint solvent glue like note, some herbal hops
Taste starts with husky corn starch, vegetal brothy, med herbal hops with lower bitterness, sweet grainy malt, lots of vegetables and grainy soup, slight slick diacetyl finish
Mouth is med bod, lower carb which is ok for the style, slick diacetyl
Overall this beer was a mess, like something I would judge in a homebrew competition so they could find out what was wrong, my first beer from this brewery and likely my last, maybe one more chance but ick
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