Beer Styles: Brown Ales

[jhlurie]

Same idea as as the IPA thread here.

Brown Ales are a favorite of mine, for some reason. I've just always liked the nutty flavors and the caramel taste. But I'm a wimp. I've already admitted to not being a hop head.

And yes, I'm sure the term is damn unscientific and unspecific. Although hey... Michael Jackson seems to think its okay...

If so, tell me why, I guess. Otherwise, lets just throw down some names.

These guys list some guidlines. Are they right?

Here's a bit:

There is quite a wide range of beers that can be classified as Brown Ales. Original gravity can be as low as 1.040 (or even a bit lower), or as high as 1.055, giving alcohol percentages from about 4% to 7%. Colour can be dark, yet clear and fairly easy to see through, or it can be a fairly solid, dark black. The flavour of a Brown Ale can be thick and heavy, or light and delicate.

This seems quite wide. But I seem to know one when I'm drinking it. Or do I? Are a lot of beers mislabeled as Brown Ales?

Here's another very short take on Brown Ales, really just this bit:

Traditional sweet brewing style of Britain. A dark colored beer considered by many to be the bottled equivalent of mild ale, although sweeter and fuller bodied. Traditional brown ales are lightly hopped and are flavored and colored with roasted and caramel malts.

Edited June 18, 2003 by jhlurie (log)

[Stone]

As much as I love IPAs, I think the best beers are the Belgian Brown Ales. (I don't think "Trappist" Ale covers the same beers.) They have a crisp start and take a turn towards a lightly sweet, butterscotch finish. Much more and complex flavor than just about any other beer I've had.

Corsendonk is my favorite, but the most popular and widely known is Chimay. But run if you see a bar selling Chimay "ice cold" -- these need to be served cool (not English warm) to really appreciate the flavors.

[malachi]

I could be totally wrong, but I don't think that Belgians are usually lumped into the "brown" ale category.

I thought that was usually where the traditional british "milds" were. I believe the definition of such is an ale that is lightly hopped (thus "mild"). It is usually low alcohol and most often brown in colour.

Shrug... Correct me if I'm mistaken.

Classic examples would include:

Samuel Smith's Nut Brown

Newcastle Brown

Victory Milltown Mild

Wychwood Hobgoblin

Bank's

[Stone]

You may be right. I've always heard them called Belgian Browns -- but the English bunch are certainly more prominent.

FYI -- Corsendonk Abbey Brown Ale.

Edited June 18, 2003 by Stone (log)

[theakston]

Belgian Browns:

My favourite is the Flemish brown ale Goudenband from Liefmans:

http://www.bottledbeer.co.uk/beer.asp?beerid=789

It's a classic. The Trappist Ales tend to be categorized differently despite the fact that many of them are, in fact brown. Of those I like Rochefort 10 the best.

Another English beer that could be considered a Brown Ale ( although some prefer to lump it in with "Old" Ales) is Theakston's Old Peculier. As you may guess I'm rather fond of that one, especially on draft.

A good American Brown is Wild Goose Hexnut Brown:

http://ratebeer.com/ShowBeer.asp?BeerID=813

Edited June 19, 2003 by theakston (log)

[jhlurie]

Classic examples would include:

Samuel Smith's Nut Brown

Newcastle Brown

Victory Milltown Mild

Wychwood Hobgoblin

Bank's

I've only had the first two of these (Newcastle, in fact, is present in enough places that its one of my safe "fallback" beers, when the alternatives are mostly big brewery crap). How are the others?

[mogsob]

Brown ale seems to be a style of beer that has died, or is dying in Britain. Neither Newcastle nor Samuel Smiths make a real brown ale (cask or bottle conditioned, that is). Bitters are the likely substitute here (think Bass, Fuller's ESB).

[jhlurie]

Brown ale seems to be a style of beer that has died, or is dying in Britain. Neither Newcastle nor Samuel Smiths make a real brown ale (cask or bottle conditioned, that is). Bitters are the likely substitute here (think Bass, Fuller's ESB).

Ah. So Newcastle's name is a lie, eh?

I have to ask... "conditioned" how? What's the process supposed to be.

[beergirl]

I have to ask... "conditioned" how?  What's the process supposed to be.

.

Bottle Conditioned - Secondary fermentation and maturation in the bottle, creating complex aromas and flavors.