Buzzsaw Brown
Deschutes Brewery

Buzzsaw BrownBuzzsaw Brown
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From:
Deschutes Brewery
 
Oregon, United States
Style:
American Brown Ale
ABV:
4.8%
Score:
85
Avg:
3.75 | pDev: 10.13%
Reviews:
129
Ratings:
139
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Dec 17, 2019
Added:
Apr 10, 2006
Wants:
  5
Gots:
  0
28 IBU
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by rye726:
Photo of rye726
Reviewed by rye726 from Colorado

2.78/5  rDev -25.9%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Average brown color with a decent beige head. The nose has some mild sweet malts. The taste is similar. Just some basic grains and light hops. A medium body is a bit hot on carbonation. Not a bad brown, just nothing special. It does go doen fairly well.
Jul 07, 2008
More User Ratings:
Photo of rodbeermunch
Reviewed by rodbeermunch from Nevada

3.48/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
What did they make this, for all of like 18 months? I remember when they changed artwork, this was beside the ol' favorites like obsidian and mirror pond. Bought a six pack, nothing more, nothing less.

Pours a feint brown ale leaning towards auburn at the edges right away, brown in color, mild viscosity, 1/4" cream beige like colored head. Aroma hit the nutty strides alongside some woody notes.

Taste was also mild. Not 'watery' mouth feel but came close to that line. Mildly hopped. I think it was relatively inoffensive, lacked bitterness, hops, heft. More toasty than roasty. Toast that toffee. All in all it amounts to this beer that tastes like the outdoors in fall. Earthiness without all the sticky heft of a stronger beer style that tends to bring out the earthy descriptors. It never really was a hit with me, I was all about Mirror Pond, Black Butte, Obsidian Stout and with this pack of releases, Inversion. . .
Dec 17, 2019
 
Rated: 4 by NWbyNW_Brew from Washington

Nov 28, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by GRG1313 from California

Sep 26, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by jakecattleco from California

Dec 29, 2013
 
Rated: 3.5 by BillRoth from Maryland

Dec 29, 2013
Photo of LXIXME
Reviewed by LXIXME from New Mexico

3.98/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Very small off white to light tan head quickly dies to a thin lacing above a clear dark almost burnt caramel colored beer.

The aroma is slightly nutty with some chocolate and light caramel coming through as well.

Light caramel roasted malts with some roasted nuts and sweet chocolates in the taste of this brown.

This medium bodied beer has a slightly dryish aftertaste with some pleasing malt tastes sticking around.

Another pretty good beer from the guys at Deschutes.
Oct 17, 2013
 
Rated: 3.75 by leedorham from Washington

Jan 21, 2013
 
Rated: 4 by piclee from Washington

Mar 04, 2012
 
Rated: 4 by shelby415 from Oregon

Feb 21, 2012
 
Rated: 4.5 by Huffaroma from Montana

Jan 16, 2012
 
Rated: 3.5 by Dunkelhund from Oregon

Dec 19, 2011
 
Rated: 4 by vince4953529 from California

Nov 15, 2011
Photo of Thorpe429
Reviewed by Thorpe429 from Illinois

4.1/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Reviewed from notes.

Poured into a pint glass. The color is a moderate brown with a slight bit of murkiness. Good head and lacing. The nose brings forward some caramel, toffee, light nuts, and some mild fruit. The taste is bready with a bit of caramel and toffee. Good body and carbonation, this is a pretty nice brown ale and quite sessionable as well.
Nov 09, 2010
Photo of BeerAdvocate
Reviewed by BeerAdvocate from Finland

4/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Review from BeerAdvocate Magazine May 2007.

Buzzsaw Brown is Deschutes's spring seasonal; they were a step ahead, knowing that this year brown is the new black. This beer pays homage to the pine sawmills from 1915 in the Bend, OR area.

The brownish amber color shows a slight haze when put up to the light. Outstanding head retention as it drops a trail of web-like lace on the glass. Husky toasted grain aroma with a twang of yeast and hops. Heavy toasted malt flavor displays a hint of sweetness and lots of bready characteristics. Fruity middle with suggestions of cherries and pears; proportional hop bitter- ness and malt flavor. A bit of spice and mineral with some yeast backing. Slowly drying finish opens layers of fermented malt complexities which offers a pleasing aftertaste.

American session ale is written all over this beer--so why is it only a seasonal? This should be a year-round beer, since there are simply not enough American-brewed session ales out there. For accompaniment, all that comes to mind are a couple of warm, freshly baked, pub-style pretzels with spicy mustard following a few rounds of slop cricket.
Sep 27, 2010
Photo of Kegatron
Reviewed by Kegatron from Pennsylvania

3.7/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
12 oz bottle into a pint glass.

Pours a clear dark amber, with several fingers of poofy light mocha colored head. Thin yet frothy look, leaving some big foamy swathes of lacing behind. The aroma is toffee and biscuits, which pretty much dominates the nose with a rich stickiness in the nostrils. Floral and citric hops hang on the outer edges, giving this a fresh pop.

The hops show themselves much more in the taste, with an earthy and green tangy feel that is maybe controlling the flavor profile a bit too much. Toffee and toasted bread spread out from the middle in a sweet flush. The finish is surprisingly clean, with just a touch of lingering dryness. The mouthfeel is mostly medium bodied, with an overall creamier feel to the carbonation, which then prickles up more on the tip of the tongue.

Wow, I can't believe how strongly the hops still showed themselves in this, considering that this bottle was probably a late Winter '09 release. Just really dominant hop character here, with just enough sweeter notes coming out to make this Brown Ale work. I'm really interested in finding out just how much more "American" this is fresh.
Nov 27, 2009
Photo of yuriruley
Reviewed by yuriruley from Oregon

3.68/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Appearance - Dark with a caramel head. Head disappeared right away.

Smell - Chocolate, caramel, nutty smell.

Taste - nutty caramel flavor. Seemed a little bland.

Mouthfeel/Drink - Decent, lacked something. But overall was decent. Fairly easy to drink.

Admittedly not my favorite style and this bottle was an older bottle so probably not a completely fair assessment. Very drinkable beer, just not something I would seek out usually.
Nov 16, 2009
Photo of srandycarter
Reviewed by srandycarter from California

3.68/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A - Brown, cola like body, off white head runs to disk fast. Some cling lace.

S - Dull, muted. Some malt shines through, but not much.

T - Sweet malt, light albeit. Some bitter to finish. A light one for sure.

M - Light bodied for a brown, good carb, nice balance fair coating.

D - Would tire fast, just not terribly interesting IMO.
Oct 06, 2009
Photo of HopDerek
Reviewed by HopDerek from Pennsylvania

3.92/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Pours a clear coppery amber color with 1+ fingers of foamy tan head into a pint glass. OK retention leaves some spotty lacing. Smells of toasted grains, nuts, caramel, chocolate, earth, buttered biscuits, and fruit. Tastes of caramel, chocolate, apple, lemon zest, nuts, buttered toast, light coffee, and earth. Medium to medium light in body with OK carbonation. A bit thin, but nice overall feel. A pleasant balance with a lite bitter finish. Very easy to drink, pretty sessionable. Not my favorite choice from Deschutes, but a decent brown ale nevertheless.
May 28, 2009
Photo of Trappissed
Reviewed by Trappissed from California

3.53/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A pretty average brown ale to be honest. Nothing astonishing or anything in particular that makes it stand out. Somewhat bland malty biscuit taste. A little hoppy metallic twang on the back end. No problem downing a few of these, but I was expecting a little more from this, considering the source.
May 21, 2009
Buzzsaw Brown from Deschutes Brewery
Beer rating: 85 out of 100 with 139 ratings