Beer of the Weekend #903: Indian Brown
BotW is back after an unplanned but welcome two-week break. To make up for the lost weekends, I think I’m going to double dip.
The first beer is something I saw at Sweets while painting at his house last week: Indian Brown, brewed by the Dogfish Head Craft Brewery of Milton, Delaware.
The color is dark, ruby-tinted brown. A finger of light brown head does not stick around for long, leaving a skim, spots of bubbles, and a bubbly skim.
The aroma is toasty and dark—just want I’ve been craving without knowing it. There are scents of roasted malt, caramel, chocolate, cherry licorice, a touch of molasses, and brown sugar.
The flavor is hoppy and coats the mouth in a lasting bitterness that works the tonsils. The flavors mostly mirror the aromas: dark malt, caramel, dark chocolate, cherry licorice, brown sugar, and molasses. It has a syrupy flavor. The bitterness is prominent, and the dark malt adds a charred character (acidity?) that lingers on the taste buds. The alcohol becomes noticeable but is not distracting. It is reminiscent of black IPA, but it does not have the citrus or balance and is too bitter for my liking.
Fun facts about Indian Brown:
• Style: Dogfish Head classifies it as “Dark IPA,” but I suppose could be called brown IPA.
• Price: It was a perk of painting Sweet’s living room.
• Alcohol content: 7.2 percent ABV.
• IBU: 50.
• Food pairings: The brewery recommends pairing with “[b]alsamic vinaigrette salads, smoked meats, duck confit, braised ribs, venison, prosciutto, stews.” For cheese, a pairing with asiago is recommended.
• Calories: 231 (estimate).
• Dogfish Head recommends serving Indian Brown in the brewery’s IPA glass.
The Quiet Man’s grade: B-.
The first beer is something I saw at Sweets while painting at his house last week: Indian Brown, brewed by the Dogfish Head Craft Brewery of Milton, Delaware.
The color is dark, ruby-tinted brown. A finger of light brown head does not stick around for long, leaving a skim, spots of bubbles, and a bubbly skim.
The aroma is toasty and dark—just want I’ve been craving without knowing it. There are scents of roasted malt, caramel, chocolate, cherry licorice, a touch of molasses, and brown sugar.
The flavor is hoppy and coats the mouth in a lasting bitterness that works the tonsils. The flavors mostly mirror the aromas: dark malt, caramel, dark chocolate, cherry licorice, brown sugar, and molasses. It has a syrupy flavor. The bitterness is prominent, and the dark malt adds a charred character (acidity?) that lingers on the taste buds. The alcohol becomes noticeable but is not distracting. It is reminiscent of black IPA, but it does not have the citrus or balance and is too bitter for my liking.
Fun facts about Indian Brown:
• Style: Dogfish Head classifies it as “Dark IPA,” but I suppose could be called brown IPA.
• Price: It was a perk of painting Sweet’s living room.
• Alcohol content: 7.2 percent ABV.
• IBU: 50.
• Food pairings: The brewery recommends pairing with “[b]alsamic vinaigrette salads, smoked meats, duck confit, braised ribs, venison, prosciutto, stews.” For cheese, a pairing with asiago is recommended.
• Calories: 231 (estimate).
• Dogfish Head recommends serving Indian Brown in the brewery’s IPA glass.
The Quiet Man’s grade: B-.
