Sweet Josie Brown Ale

LoneRider Brewing Co.
Raleigh, NC

Available: NC

LoneRider Brewing Co. was opened in early 2009 by two employees of high-tech firms in North Carolina’s Research Triangle.

ABV: 6.1
ABW: 4.9
Color: 23
Bitterness: 35
Original gravity: 1057

A ruby-red beer with a heavy collar of foam. The deep aroma is dominated by rich chocolate, burnt fruit, hints of licorice and a gentle underpinning of hops. The mouth is assaulted—in the nicest possible way—by chewy and delicious chocolate, rich fruit, sweet malt and gentle but peppery hops. The finish starts bittersweet but roasted grain and hops offer a fine balance. It’s a fine dessert beer.
- Roger Protz

The beer pours with a deep garnet reddish-brown color and raises a tight-knit tan head. The aroma is muted—a hint of caramel, some bready malt, a distant echo of coffee. On the palate, it is surprisingly bitter up front, then malts step in to balance the full-bodied but austere dry center. The finish is as clean as mouthwash, and bitterness lingers. What exactly is this? I’d say “brown ale,” but it shows very little fruit. A hoppy dark lager? I don’t know, but if you are looking for a really good beer to have with a serious burger, here it is.
- Garrett Oliver

Roger Protz
Roger Protz is the author of Complete Guide to World Beer and 300 Beers to Try Before You Die. He is a respected beer authority and editor of the CAMRA Good Beer Guide.

Garrett Oliver
Internationally recognized brewer and expert on traditional beer, Garrett Oliver is the brewmaster of the Brooklyn Brewery and the author of The Brewmaster's Table.

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