DIRECT FROM DUBLIN (Sixpoint’s Brownstone Ale at Porterhouse Brewing Company at Fraunces Tavern)

My search for the best beer in New York continues….

Who in their right mind would show up at a brewery and order a different brewery’s beer at the bar? It turns out I would. But let me explain. The brewery in question is technically located in Dublin and I was in Lower Manhattan.

Fraunces Tavern, as you history (and beer) buffs may know, is where George Washington bid farewell to his troops after the Revolutionary War. The building still remains as a museum, restaurant, and landmark on the corner of Broad and Pearl Street. Early last year, the Porterhouse Brewing Company took over the bar and restaurant inside the museum. And they serve all their own beers including a popular Oyster Stout, a Porter, and a Red Ale.

But the beers are all brewed thousands of miles away from  New York and since my search is for the best beers made locally, I had to skip the house beers (although would love to return to try them) and opt for one of the other beers they smartly offer on tap.

The bar is quite beautiful, bringing to mind both a museum gift shop (albeit a dark one) and a traditional Irish pub. Wandering around to find the restroom, I discovered secret party rooms and a gorgeous dining room in the back. This is a really nice place to eat and drink. If the exclusive beer options didn’t ensure my return, the ambiance certainly would.

I chose to try the Brownstone Ale, another of Sixpoint’s signature brews and not one of their wacky Mad Scientist series beers. I used to drink Brownstone all the time when I worked at The Modern (after the shift, of course) and was never terribly impressed. Unfortunately, fireworks didn’t explode this time either, but I did appreciate the craft and subtlety of the beer.

The brown ale had a nice even head and a deep cloudy brown color. The nose was full of caramel, sweet cherry, and biscuit notes. The beer tasted quite bitter at first, but quickly mellowed out with a firm malty backbone. Maybe it was my palette, but the beer was rather mild. I was expecting more roasty notes. I know brown isn’t a flavor, but I wish it tasted more brown if that makes any sense at all.

It wasn’t until the last half of the beer that I got any hints of coffee or nuts (both brown flavors). It’s totally drinkable and probably could convert those that aren’t fans of sweet dark beers since this was very subtle. I just wanted a little more substance and intensity from these guys. But then again I’m the lunatic that goes into a brewery and orders somebody else’s beer on tap.

Is Sixpoint Craft Ale’s Brownstone Ale the best beer in NY? It’s a mild brown ale and it’s easy to quickly drink a few of these, but I wish the intensity held up to their other brews. This one only gets a 7 out of 10.