Breckenridge 471 Small Batch Mighty Brown

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 7

It pours a very dark-brown, unable to see through. Not much of a head some brown stuff and no lace. Rich aroma of chocolatey malts, raisins, light hops, citrus, some lime, light molasses, and mild spices. The mouthfeel is smooth, silky, and rich. Nutty flavor of chocolate malt, coffee, molasses, raisins and prune, hops, citrus, and peppers & spice. Excellent!!! a very solid and tasty brew.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

A solid pour into my 25cl tulip glass produces a three-finger thick, nicely browned, dark tan colored head. The beer is a dark brown color that shows a deep, brilliantly clear, richly ruby hued color when held up to the light. The aroma is quite fruity smelling; it is mostly hop derived but some malt seems to accentuate the fruit character too. There is a distinct currant aroma here that mixes with notes of candied orange zest, concentrated tangerine, and a bright (almost blindingly so at times) berry character. All of this is anchored by a toasted malt character that contributes notes of caramelized grain sugars (which definitely boosts the fruit notes), browned whole-grain cracker aromatics, deeply browned & sharp smelling bread crust notes and biscuit driven malt. The nose of this beer has a nice mix of dominant hop character with a quite noticeable, yet supporting rich malt character.

The rich berry notes continue in the flavor; dark, caramelized grain notes really seem to accentuate this side of the hops. The hops are still dominant in the flavor, but there is a lot of malt here that is just tailing by a fraction of a second. The beer is rich bodied, though not thick, there is enough heft to cling to the palate though. The toasted malt and caramel notes linger on the palate along with a rich berry / citrus note. The fruit notes bring out notes of bergamot, infused blackberry, ruby-red grapefruit, currant and even some notes of lychee. There is a solid bitterness here that can be a touch biting and it does provide a solid anchor in the finish to the fruit and malt that is found up front. The hop character really contributes to the perceived sweetness here, while the malt character provides a richness to the overall palate effect despite the omnipresent hop character.

This is perhaps not the most complex beer, but it is very enjoyable; almost a marriage of an IPA and a big, malty Brown Ale. This works quite well as there is not enough roast malt to get in the way of the ample hop character, but it still has a rich maltiness to it. I would be quite happy to drink quite a few pints of this.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 6 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 4 | Overall: 4

I was expecting much more from this brew. I was truly disappointed after reading the reviews... the only thing is the last time this was reviewed was 2007, so I am sure they have changed the recipe

Smells of some roast and malt and some slight tartness. Pours ruby brown with little to no head. Under carbonated and too full of body for my liking. Flavor was malt balls with hardly any chocolate or carmel to notice. No hops where where noticeable.... Big let down.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 9 | Flavor: 9 | Overall: 9

Bomber bottle. Poured a dark hazy brown with a small tan head. Aroma is malty with a slight alcohol presense. Flaover is sweet and chocolaty at the front but leaves a nice bitter aftertaste. Great beer. Will definitely be having this again.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 5 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 6 | Overall: 5

Well, as some of you know I've experimented with the Imperial Brown concept, and, really it can be so, so much more than this. Don't get me wrong, this is a nice brew, but between mine and a friend's this just doesn't measure up. Still, nice chocolately and caramel notes. Complimenting roast and hop bitterness. Malt flavor in toffee flavors, almost no hop flavor. I really needs a couple more IBUs to balance. This would pair great with a chocolate espresso cake or something. However, this new style has room for vast improvement over this example.

Aroma: 9 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 9 | Flavor: 9 | Overall: 9

Bottle. Poured a very dark brown color with a thick, light brown head. Nice lacing. Nutty and malty aroma. Full mouthfeel. Flavor was potent, with a strong alcohol and chocolate flavor to it. Breckenridge says that this is an Imperial Brown, and I can see why. It tasted like a strong ale with a touch of chocolate malt to it. One of the better Breckenridge beers. I will buy this again.