Well, the name Bobby Brown says it all really. If you’re an 80’s baby (like us) then there is no need for an introduction. For the unfortunate souls that either missed out or chose to ignore his drug-induced, fashion-forward music videos and sometimes bizarre public displays…..well, fair enough. We like to remember him for the funked up, iconic 90’s anthem, ‘humpin around’. What a song! Once we felt the need to reminisce on this retro hit it was time to actually review the beer, so on we go.
Served in a pint glass. The mahogany pour reveals some gorgeous ruby red hues when held against the light. Topping it off is a solid one and a half finger beige crown that holds well, gradually deconstructing and retaining at a good 5-6mm. Decent head retention, drawing some nice, spotted lace trails as we imbibe. The first thing we realise is that this isn’t your standard malt-driven brown ale, the substantial fruity hop profile that’s being lifted will tell you that. A brilliant fusion of pineapple, passion fruit and lychee over malt-forward wafts of caramel, roasted hazelnuts, cocoa powder and fig is a solid example of the brewing finesse on show here. Two completely different aromas from opposite ends of the spectrum being married together is not only hard to balance but very easy to get wrong. Impressive. In the mouth it has moderate weight with a smooth, creamy texture. Minimal grip on the tongue but a delicate bitterness offers a little tickle as it slides down. Nice, well-rounded mouth feel with mild-medium carbonation. Bitter hops and tropical fruits dominate what little malt flavours we can taste upon entry. As the bitterness subsides, hints of caramel and nutty malts develop through the mid and lead to a dry, roasted finish with reasonable length. The 5.1% ABV we thought was too low at first but we changed our minds by the end of the beer as it lends session ability but at the same time offering extra flavour. Really good beer this one, we have always thought of six string as a one brew wonder (as their dark red IPA is delicious) but recent brews such as their anniversary ale and this brown ale has worked heavily in their favour. Keep it up boys, we like where you’re heading.