Boulder Beer Company's Flashback Anniversary Ale

I'm not going to go back and look, but I think I remember being miffed at this "India-style" brown ale bullshit.

Pours more coppery than a brown should. Good light tan head and decent carbonation.

The head throws off an alcohol bite as well as a hoppy bitterness, both of which settle into a more malty pale smell as it warms.

It's obvious why they chose the India-style crap, but it's way too bitter for a brown. Honestly, it reminds me of a weaker Bigfoot--an IPA strength version of it. And that's good enough to make this a decent beer, but the misnomer really pisses me off.

Decent beer, but I'm not really impressed by this brewery.

Real Ale Brewing Company's Brewhouse Brown Ale

Alright, time to finish off this Real Ale sixer and resume cleaning out the spring and summer beers I've hoarded in my cellar. Well, my cabinet where I have to hide my beer so the wife's buddies don't think I'm an alcoholic.

Pours decently enough. I don't ever think I'll find an honest brown with a good head on it though. This one is almost non-existent, although the color is right on.

Bready, a little grainy, and a hint of nutty. All good qualities in a brown, as long as they're balanced, and so far they seem to be. No hops of note, also a good thing.

Well, I thik the body would be right on but it seems a little over carbonated. That makes it a little zippier than it should be. And makes me wonder why the head disappeared so fast if there's this much carbonation. Slight hops, but just a hint. Still nutty and grainy, all of which are appropriate. As it warms the body gets hollow, and the carbonation makes it feel almost like a Perrier, with that carbonated bite that an overly-carbonated drink has.

Smacks of their past carbonation issues, but is decent enough. Not the best of their beers by far.

Independence Brewing Company's Bootlegger Brown

The last Independence beer I bought foamed out of my glass, so it took a while for me to consider buying another one, even if it is brewed here in Texas.

This one pours well, though. Fairly opaque for a brown. Small head that quickly fades, like many browns have. Moderate carbonation.

Fairly nutty for a brown that's not advertised as such. Hazlenut, I think, more than anything else. Nutty, but not over the top. Slight malt smell fights through as well.

Huh. Very vinous, too much for a brown. It's like a nutty porter. Barely malty, with almost imperceptible bitterness. Not a bad beer, but off for a brown. The nutty flavor is very light and in my opinion this is closer to what Rogue's Hazlenut Brown Nectar should be more like. If only this beer was going for that taste.

Harpoon Brewery's Brown Session Ale

Pours a deep red, light brown, with a pillowy light tan head that thins to a heavy sheet and stays due to decent carbonation.

Smalls great. The head throws off floral hops and a strong sweet malt. It says it's brewed to accentuate the sweetness of the malt, and they hit that mark for sure. Sweeter than most, but a bit nutty and right on style. Smells remarkably like Saint Arnold's brown.

Decent yet indistinct bitterness. Leans more toward a red than a brown should, but it's a session beer so it's a little lighter in feel and taste than the smell indicated. Nuttier and hoppier than the smell indicated too, and not quite as sweet, which I relate to the fact that the floral hops smell isn't present in the taste.

Pretty good beer. Browns aren't the sexiest stle, but this is a good one that I'll pick up and keep around if I see it in a store.