Beer of the Weekend #469: Bad Penny Brown Ale

So. Milwaukee. I am trying to figure out what my dad and I can do before heading to Miller Park for the Braves-Brewers game tomorrow night. All my dad wants to do is eat at one of the burger joints featured in an episode of Food Wars. We will do that for lunch, but I have no clue what we will do afterward. Dad says we will play it by ear, but what is in Milwaukee to play by ear? Hmm… I’ll figure something out.

The beer tonight is Bad Penny Brown Ale, brewed by the Big Boss Brewing Company of Raleigh, North Carolina.


Bad Penny may be the first beer I have ever tried from the Tar Heel State.

Serving type: 12-ounce bottle. Bottling month and year numbers for notching are written on the side of the label, but there are no notches.

Appearance: Poured into a pint glass. The color is a beautiful deep, ruby-tinted brown. A finger of buttery, creamy, light tan head settled to a thin lacing and thick, buttery ring around the edge.

Smell: Kind of funky. I am unsure if the general impression is nutty or medicinal rubber. I think it may be a combination of both. Underneath are aromas of caramel, toffee, toasted malts, black licorice, and some dark fruit esters (mostly plum and cherry).

Taste: The mouthfeel is pretty creamy. The nutty/rubbery quality dominates. Though there are toasted undertones, the flavor is very tart. Sweet caramel, toffee, toasted malts, a little cocoa, and both sweet and dark esters (apple, plum, and cherry). After letting it sit for a few minutes, the medicinal quality becomes so overpowering that it just about ruins the whole beer.

Drinkability: It looks awesome, the smell is uninviting, and the flavor eventually becomes offensive. I suspect this bottle is past its prime so I will stay open minded. I think this one deserves an asterisk.

Fun facts about Bad Penny:

-Style: Brown ale.

-Price: Cuttin’ grass!

-Serving temperature: 45-50ºF.

-Alcohol content: The website says 5.5 percent ABV but 5.2 percent ABV is written on the bottle.

-Food pairings: The Big Boss website says, “Enjoy with red meat, duck, lamb, pork, barbeque, spicy beef dishes, chili & almost any cheese!”

-IBU: 25.


The Quiet Man’s grade: C-*.

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