44 of the Best Brown Ales, Blind-Tasted and Ranked

Learn about how we rate & review beers with our BJCP blind panel here


New Planet Beer Company Brown Ale (54)

“This rich, dark, and decidedly tasty ale is brewed with coffee and cocoa which lend a complex and roasted flavor profile to balance the brown sugar notes of a typical American Brown Ale.”

Tommyknocker Brewery Small Patch Pumpkin Harvest Ale (74)

“A hearty brown ale brewed with a hint of spice and a touch of molasses. The malty backbone is rounded out by an addition of real pumpkin to the mash and brew kettle.”

Anderson Valley Brewing Company Brother David’s Double Abbey-Style Ale (83)

“A dark brown body and aromas of cocoa, banana, cloves, a toasted nutty character, and flavors of chocolate- covered cherries and candied fruits. Subdued hops profile. Spicy, herbal notes complement the warm, slightly sweet finish.”

West Sixth Brewing Co Smithtown Brown (84)

Balanced and complex brown ale with roasty caramel, molasses, and chocolate malt notes, and a subtle, earthy hop character.

Seventh Son Brewing Co Decorative Gourd (85)

“Malt-forward dark brown ale with roasted butternut squash and garam masala.”

Jackie O's Brewery Evelyn (85)

Oak-aged sour brown ale refermented with raspberries.

Brasserie de Rochefort Trappistes Rochefort 6 (85)

“Reddish-brown color with amber-gold highlights; soft body leads to earthy flavors and an herbal character. Refined, soft spiciness in the bouquet finishes with a bit caramel. Bottle-conditioned for soft natural carbonation.”

Moonraker Brewing Co. Captain Mo (85)

“Made with a double dry hop of hand-selected Mosaic and Oregon-grown Cascade. Blueberries and pine all day long. Healthy bitterness.”

Four Saints Brewing Brown Habit (86)

Medium-bodied, nutty-malty, with a slight roast.

Breakside Brewery #DistantFriends #DistantMemories (86)

Blend of 4 wild ales from our cellar. Conditioned on Oregon-grown raspberries.

Allagash Brewing Co. Windfall (86)

Sour wild ale fermented with Brettanomyces and aged on locally grown peaches."

Wise Man Brewing Living For The Moment (87)

“Traditional English nut-brown ale with East Kent Goldings hops.”

Cigar City Brewing Maduro (87)

Chocolate and espresso notes are rounded out by toffee-like qualities and a light woody hop presence.

Maplewood Brewing Company Royal Tannenbaum (87)

Brewed with dark and toasty malt, hopped with Citra, Chinook, and Cascade Cryo, with Colorado-grown spruce tips incorporated in the dry hop.

Liquid Mechanics Brewing Company Stuck in Reverse (88)

“Nutty with light toffee and chocolate notes.”

12 West Brewing Company Billet (88)

English-style brown ale with aromas of roasted nuts and chocolate. Slight earthy hop finish to balance the toffee-like malt backbone.

Smuttynose Brewing Company Hayseed (88)

“Hayseed is a delicious sessionable farmhouse ale, also known as a grisette. Light-bodied, yet flavorful, Hayseed is like liquid sunshine: perfect after a hike, floating in the lake, or while playing fetch with your old brown dog.”

Brouwerij Affligem Affligem Dubbel (88)

“Ruby-brown with a firm, silky head and strong natural carbonation. Clove, anise, raisin, molasses, and banana aromas. A spicy clove flavor mellows into softer, caramel fruity taste. Silky, spicy mouthfeel. Balanced alcohol with hoppy dryness.”

Incendiary Brewing Company Ambivert Brown (89)

“American-style brown ale.”

Brävery Brewing Canis Major (89)

Bourbon-barrel-aged imperial brown ale.

New Belgium La Folie Holiday Edition 2020 (89)

A special run of our iconic sour brown ale, La Folie, in 750mL cork-and-cage bottles.

Devils Backbone Brewing Company Dark Abby (89)

“This Belgian beauty has a sultry flavor combination of brown sugar, plum, and spices in a dark burgundy hue. Abby has a deep, rich flavor and a strength that hides behind a light fruity finish.”

Civil Life Brewing Company American Brown Ale (90)

“Malty, toasty, earthy, citrusy, with hints of bitter chocolate, dark roasted coffee.”

Westbound & Down Brewing Company Milder Dan Brown (90)

English brown ale featuring notes of toffee, caramel, soft nuttiness, red apples, with a balanced sweetness and mild dark roast.

Brasserie Dieu Du Ciel Rigor Mortis ABT (90)

“Strong brown ale inspired by Belgian Trappist beers. Very little bitterness, this beer has intense malty and sweet flavors, mixed with the taste of chocolate and caramel. It presents complex red fruit and spice flavors.”

Antiques On High Righteous Patina (90)

“Sour blonde ale with Ohio-grown black raspberries.”

Hi-Wire Brewing - South Slope Specialty Brewery Bed of Nails (91)

“An ode to a traditional English brown. Delicate body, dry finish, flavors of toffee, dark fruit.”

Seventh Son Brewing Co Stone Fort (91)

Toasty brown ale with a round, full mouthfeel and a pleasant aroma. Light roasted notes, leather, biscuit.

Brouwerij Verhaeghe Duchesse de Bourgogne (91)

“Belgian top-fermented reddish-brown ale, a blend of 8- and 18-month-old beers following the careful maturation in oak casks.”

Rosenstadt Brewery LLC German-Hop Pale Ale (91)

German-grown Amarillo and Mandarina Bavaria hops create an unusual flavor profile with notes of tangerine and orange.

Arizona Wilderness Brewing This Beer Saves Water (91)

“Brewed with drought-resistant hops and ... Arizona-grown barley that helps offset millions of gallons of water from the Verde River every year.”

Prison City Brewing Charlie Brown Ale (92)

“English brown. Smooth and drinkable. Notes of toast, chocolate, coffee.”

Firestone Walker Los Leñadores (92)

“Collaboration with Cigar City. Imperial brown ale aged in high-rye bourbon barrels.”

Amalgam Brewing Gin Pyramids (92)

"Barrel-aged saison blend with Colorado-grown Perfection apricots... finished in a... gin barrel."

Three Tigers Brewing Company Old School Brown Ale (93)

“Complex malt profile while remaining clean and refreshing.”

Amalgam Landscapes (Orchard Blend) (93)

"Blend of golden sours aged on Colorado-grown Red Globe Peaches and Ovation Nectarines."

Black Lung Brewing Company Left Fork Kentucky Common Ale (95)

“Light and crushable with flaked maize, black malt, Noble hops.”

Arizona Wilderness Brewing Barrel-Aged Pecan Pie Brown Ale (96)

“Imperial brown ale. Brewed with pecans, milk sugar, vanilla beans, maple syrup, whole pecan pies. Aged in whiskey barrels.”

Russian River Brewing Co - Santa Rosa Janet's Brown Ale (96)

Caramel, toffee, chocolate, with a firm contribution of hop bitterness. JBA was Mike "Tasty" McDole's well known homebrew recipe that Mike shared with many homebrewers the world over.

Boulevard Brewing Co Sugarwood Baklava (96)

“Big maple and bourbon aroma supports the pecan, whiskey, and sweet honey malt flavors. The sensory experience of decadent baklava.”

Telegraph Brewing White ale (96)

“A classic, unfiltered Belgian-style white ale brewed with coriander, orange peel, and locally grown chamomile flowers.”

Upland Brewing Oak Timbre (97)

"Oak Timbre is Basis, our blonde ale, aged on Indiana-grown chambourcin grapes for 6 months in brand-new oak wine barrels. The result is a sour ale that pours deep burgundy with wine-like flavors and aromas complemented by tannins pulled from the fresh barrels."