Beer of the Weekend #552: Flashback India-Style Brown Ale

The beer of the weekend is Flashback India-Style Brown Ale, brewed by Boulder Beer of Boulder, Colorado.


I am dog-sitting for my cousin this weekend, hence the different backdrop.

Serving type: 12-ounce bottle. The “ENJOY BY” date printed on the neck is “JAN312014.”

Appearance: Poured into a pint glass. The color is deep mahogany. A finger of light brown head leaves a razor-thin skim spotted with bubbles, a ring around the edge, and a ring of lacing.

Smell: It is like a brown ale and British-style pale ale combination — which I suppose it is. Caramel, toffee, cocoa, floral hops, and cherry syrup. There are also scents of brown sugar, molasses, perhaps a touch of pine, and orange and lemon zest.

Taste: Not British-inspired, that’s for sure. The hops are aggressive at first but their affect fades as the taste buds adjust. The bitterness remains, though. Caramel, toffee, cocoa, brown sugar, maple syrup, a little cherry licorice, floral hops, a touch of pine, and citrus zest. The bitterness is quite metallic and lingers on the taste buds after each sip.

Drinkability: It smells great but ends up being a little too bitter for my taste. Nonetheless, it is tasty and complex.

Fun facts about Flashback:

-Style: BA classifies it as “American Brown Ale.”

-Price: $8.99/sixer at the “Drug Town” on First Avenue in Iowa City.

-Alcohol content: 6.8 percent ABV.

-According to the beer’s webpage, Flashback was originally brewed for the brewery’s thirtieth anniversary and “earned a spot in our year-round line-up.”


The Quiet Man’s grade: B.

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