Brooklyn Brewery – The Sporting Brews

Brooklyn Brewery Brown Ale Review

Brooklyn Brewery has been around since 1988 when their first case of beer was delivered to a local bar. They have since grown to the point where there are a dozen different beers being brewed and they can be found in most states. One of those beers is their Brown Ale. You can check out our other Brooklyn Brewery reviews here.

Brooklyn Brown Ale is a year-round offering. The beer pours a deep brown, almost coffee color. There is a small tan head that rose to about half of a finger at its height. The nose is one of malt and a sweet note that comes through and dominates, like a sweet caramel. There is very little carbonation seen rising to the top, mostly because this beer is dark.

The first sip follows the nose but with a bolder statement. There are notes of roasted malts forward with some malt and bread mixed in. This is followed by a sweet toasted caramel before it brings a slightly bitter, malty note forward at the back. It really is a pleasant sip with distinct notes coming through on each sip but all working together to give you a solid Brown Ale experience.

The beer feels medium-bodied in the mouth with a silky, dry finish. There is just the right amount of carbonation for a brown ale. Despite not having a large head there is a nice lacing going on as the beer drinks. The flavor is consistent throughout the session with notes of bread and malt coming through occasionally.

Overall, Brooklyn Brown Ale is a good beer. There is something comforting about brown ales and this one fits right in. You could make this a session beer without a single regret and at 5.6% ABV it won’t bite you back. This is just a good beer.

Brooklyn Brewery Oktoberfest Review

The celebration of Oktoberfest came about when Bavarian Crown Prince Ludwig celebrated his engagement in 1810. That festival has morphed into what is now known as Oktoberfest and brewers the world over bring us their delicious takes on the German Märzen style brew. Brooklyn Brewery produces their own Oktoberfest and that is up for review today.

Brooklyn Oktoberfest pours a reddish amber or slightly copper color with a foamy, white head that stood about two fingers at its height. The aroma is one of malt and grain with some bread notes mixed in. There is also a note of sweetness, like a caramel or toffee fragrance that is minimal.

Malt and bread play heavily in the first sip. There is a touch of sweetness, one the backend. There is a slightly moderate amount of carbonation but the beer feels light on the tongue. It is light, smooth, and has a slightly bitter touch on the backend that makes you want to go in for another sip. The glass has minimal lacing as it drinks, which was surprising for the robust head, but the taste stays consistent throughout the session.

Overall this is a good beer. If you like Märzen-style beers then you should enjoy this one. Will it knock your socks off? No. But it is a beer you can easily enjoy, and at 5.5% ABV this can make a nice companion for those fall football games, weekend outings to pick apples or pumpkins, or for that Halloween party. Like most Oktoberfest offerings the biggest knock on this brew is that it is only offered in the fall.

Brooklyn Brewery Sorachi Ace Review

Brooklyn was once a proud city unto itself with its own brewing tradition and a few breweries. It was incorporated into New York City and over time the breweries started shutting down, though one thing had nothing to do with the other as Brooklyn has always remained proud of who it is. By the late 1970s, the brewing scene in Brooklyn was all but gone. Until the 1980s when Brooklyn Brewery was born, though it wouldn’t be until 1996 when it moved into an actual brewery. It might have started small but Brooklyn Brewery is now a fairly major player in the beer market with a wide range of beers. Today, we review their Sorachi Ace.

From the bottle, it is hard to really tell what Sorachi Ace is. There is no info on the bottle itself and the label is just the name in a playing card style. It looks cool but I had no idea what to expect. The beer poured a beautiful hazy yellow amber. The haze prevented many bubbles from being seen but there was a nice, one-and-a-half finger thick white, foamy head. The aroma was one of malt, yeast, and some slight citrus. Without even taking a sip one could tell this was a saison ale.

The first sip follows the nose but with some added features. You definitely notice a little malt, yeast, and a hint of citrus. However, there are notes of pepper that give it a little kick and life. This was the first time I have ever had a beer brewed with Sorachi Ace hops so I had no idea what to expect. It has a nice medium body with moderate carbonation, like you would expect with a saison. It finishes dry with a little citrusy, peppery kick. The brew maintained a nice layer on top as it drank and laced the glass beautifully.

Overall, this was a lot of fun to drink. Saison is always a nice brew to break up the flavor profile. Sorachi Ace is a unique take on a style that can be very accepting of flavor. This was a lot of fun to drink. The Sorachi Ace hops are fun and unique and give this brew life. At 7.2% ABV this might not be something you want to drink all night but it can be a good beer to sip and to break up the night. IT is definitely worth trying if you like saison-style ales.

Brooklyn Lager Review

Brooklyn Lager is one of the flagship brands of Brooklyn Brewery. There was a time where New York City, and Brooklyn, which was its own city until incorporated into New York City on January 1, 1898. Their lager is a nod to those days. This lager is dry-hopped, a method the British use quite often, but with a recipe taken from Vienna. New York City was the melting pot of America in the late 19th and early 20th centuries so Brooklyn Brewery has melted two styles together for an American twist.

The beer pours a very nice orange-amber, almost copper color. There is a decent foamy head which starts to go down rather quickly but some head does stay. The aroma is one of floral hops, caramel, and malt. The carbonation looks fairly decent with many jets of tiny bubbles rocketing to the surface.

The taste is actually pretty unique. There is a little caramel or toffee note combined with bready malt, some hops, and notes of citrus. It finishes dry with a malt and hop flourish. None of the flavors stand out but rather complement each other very nicely. The balance is very nice. The glass laces decently. There isn’t a lot of lacing but there is some.

The lager feels medium-bodied in the mouth. There is some carbonation but not a lot giving the beer a smoothness that fits perfectly. The finish is on the dry side but not quite the dry finish you would get with an IPA. Once again, it is a nice balance there.

Overall, this is a pretty good beer. I actually found this to be a pretty fun one to drink. I can almost imagine drinking this in a saloon in Brooklyn or New York City and complaining about Tammany Hall before heading out to see the Brooklyn Dodgers, New York Giants, or New York Yankees play a game. This is the beer that put Brooklyn Brewery on the map and its easy to see why. Also, at 5.2% ABV this can easily be a session beer. It is worth a try.