Firstly, the normal/natural color of Mito Caps is a light-to-moderate brown, which comes from the rice bran that is used as a filler. In some batches of Mito Caps the capsules appear to be a slightly more brown color than the capsules from another batch. The variation in the brown color is due to the varying amount of rice bran that is used on a given batch. A capsule of Mito Caps can contain anywhere from 280-365 mg of rice bran, which explains the difference in the color... obviously the more rice bran that is used, the darker the capsules will appear. To reiterate, the color of the capsules, as well as the slight variation in the color, is completely normal.
Also, the R-alpha lipoic acid (R-ALA) and DMAE components in Mito Caps have a naturally occurring smell that can best be described as a sulfur-to-slightly-vinegar smell. It is a bit of an unusual smell; however, it is completely normal.
Lastly, R-ALA is not the most stable of nutrients in the heat or when exposed to moisture or air. The quality and stability of R-ALA has improved significantly over the years; however, it is still a more-sensitive nutrient than many others, especially when it comes to the heat. Mito Caps does not need to be refrigerated (though it wouldn't be wrong nor harmful if it were), but it should never be kept in a place where it's warm and/or exposed to direct sunlight.