Review: Two Brothers Brown Fox

Brewery:  Two Brothers Brewing Company

Locale:  Warrenville, IL

Craft Circa:  1997

Style:  Brown Session Ale ~ Hybrid

ABV:  3.4%

IBUs:  14

Notables:  For Two Brothers 15^th anniversary summer long celebration, “15 Beers for 15 Years”, this Artisan brew represents #7 of 15, released in July of 2012. 

Label:   Average. Does have an English vintage feel though.

Overall:   I have missed the ball on the other anniversary brews, but the majority I have seen seem to be inappropriate for the summer.   Unappetizing if you will.  I mean I really want to try a good portion of these below, and I’m hoping some, including the Scotch Ale is still around when fall climate creeps in.  It’s tough to experiment with these when it’s 90 some degrees.  Sorry, but a Dark Mild, Coffee Porter, Black Saison are not the quenching type.

The Pahoehoe not pictured was released August 6^th 2012.  The Pahoehoe is a coconut ale.  Hmmm.

OK, back to Brown Fox.  Number 7 of the anniversary ales, comes in as a hybrid of sorts, I believe between a Brown Ale and a Session Ale.  Session Ale if you recall from our very first review, is lower in alcohol enabling you to drink more of them in a longer session of time.  It’s definitely more a Brown or Amber type of beer, but just comes off much weaker.  It’s flavorful in a sense that the malt and nut characteristics of a Brown Ale shine through beautifully, but it’s much too weak for my liking.

Brown Fox is a clever name as it is Brown Ale which is sly in the fact that it will not get you drunk.  This is a lot of beer to work on for little or no ROI.  Return on Investment you say?  Very good, but this in fact is B&B’s take on the scenario.  ROI, or the “Return on Influence” as we will call it, is the rate of return you get out of your beer using ABV, Quantity and Quality of the brew.

The beer is fine, tastes pretty good, but not enough bang for my buck.

Acquisition:  22 oz.  $5

~gY

Review: Founders All Day IPA

Brewery:  Founders Brewing Company

Locale:  Grand Rapids, MI

Craft Circa:  1997

Style:  American IPA; Session Ale

ABV:  4.7%

IBUs: 42

Notables:  2010 - GABF Silver Medal Winner

Label:  Slick.  Is that Chester "Chet" Ripley headed to a lake resort in Pechoggin, Wisconsin for the summer?

Overall:   I could drink a few of these... Nice low ABV change up for an IPA, however I feel it does sacrifice some of the flavor.  With that said, although it lacks the malt flavor boldness and true flavor of an American IPA, it works well, and is quite satisfactory for a Session IPA, and under the Session Ale restrictions.  According to Urban Dictionary, a Session Ale is described as: “a beer that is low in alcohol and has a balanced flavor of both hops and malt.  The purpose being so that it can be drunk over a long session of time without overwhelming the palate or getting the drinker too intoxicated.”  Never knew that.  Under those guidelines, the beer is quite abundant for following the rules.

It’s practically all grapefruit.  Nice citrus, but I feel that dissipates on the palate as you try and enjoy what it has to offer.  It’s nowhere near the Founders Centennial IPA, but it’s conquerable when no Centennial is in sight.  Stephen Stills (below) would proclaim:  “If you can’t be with the one you love, honey, love the one you’re with.”  All Day; give me the non session American IPA.  With the lower ABV, you may need a few more in you if you plan on dancing on the bar tops to Land of 1,000 Dances. 

Acquisition:  6 pack $10

~gY