Smuttynose Brewing’s Old Brown Dog: Four out of four mugs

Dogs and beer are man’s best friends — both are there when you need them most.

Smuttynose Brewing’s Old Brown Dog ale hails from Portsmouth, N.H., and comes from a long line of delicious Smuttynose beers. The Dog has a rich hazelnut and chocolate flavor, complimented by a pleasantly nutty aroma. Dig deep and you’ll also find a hint of dark roasted, bitter coffee. The bitter, roasted flavor does make the beer drink a bit dry, but more so it adds to a gentle complexity of flavor. If you can’t already tell, Old Brown Dog is a beer for those in search of taste.

A bold step up from Newcastle, or Keystone for that matter, this is not a beer you’d want to pound all night. Compared to lighter ales, Old Brown Dog has a fuller mouth-feel without being too heavy. At 5.7 percent alcohol by volume, this is to be expected. Old Brown Dog also pairs well with food. It makes a great compliment to a grilled meat, dessert, coffee or anything besides the usual beer drinking munchies.

Fetch a six-pack at P&C or on-tap at Kelly Cole’s in Downtown Syracuse. Fans of Old Brown Dog should try other great brown ales such as Brooklyn Brown, Harpoon Munich Dark, Samuel Smith’s Nut Brown and Sam Adam’s Brown Ale.

Other Beer Bites:

Franziskaner Hefe Weizen:Four out of four mugsEminently drinkable. It’s on tap at Faegan’s and you need a pint. Now.

Sacket’s Harbor War of 1812 Amber:Three out of four mugsI can’t taste the history, but the caramel and fruit flavors are pretty nice.

Guinness Extra Stout:Three out of four mugsUnlike Guinness Draught, this stout has a more robust and traditional Irish stout flavor.

Middle Ages Swallow Wit:Three out of four mugsIf you like Blue Moon, you’ll probably like this better.

Published on September 6, 2006 at 12:00 pm