English Brown Ale

[delhalew]

http://www.bjcp.org/2008styles/style11.php

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/style/74


Includes your Newcastle, Hobgoblin, various nut browns, and even Pete's Wicked.

[fadada1]

Big fan of Hobgoblin. EXCELLENT stuff!!!

[delhalew]

Big fan of Hobgoblin. EXCELLENT stuff!!!

Agreed.

[Jammin']

I've got some Dogfishhead IBA in the fridge. I believe you've just inspired my starting point this evening. Thank you good sir.

[delhalew]

I've got some Dogfishhead IBA in the fridge. I believe you've just inspired my starting point this evening. Thank you good sir.

Happy to help.

[OhU1]

I need to try Hobgoblin. Brown ale is something I find myself going to when I feel "hopped out" from having too many IPA sessions.

Newcastle seems fairly mild to me, it is often the best choice at a lot of bars that primarily carry Bud/Miller/Coors.

Big Sky Ellie Brown is good IMO, not sure if it fits the criteria of an English.

While not an English Style I occasionally am in the mood for the sweet malty Tiltsburg Dutch Brown Ale (which has a picture of a fly/man sitting on a throne eating a women's leg - I know, very weird).
http://wa.worldclassbeverages.com/wp-content/beer_spy/images/prodimages/Koningshoeven/lTilburgBrownBottle.jpg

[delhalew]

The problem with Newcastle is that damn clear bottle. If I find it on draft, I'm all over it.

Even though that Tilburg is Dutch, it may still be to style. Basically, if it a little nutty or biscuity and barely hopped, it is English style. More hoppy and less bready is American Style. That's my take on it anyway.

The beer advocate link included Pete's Wicked with the English, and I wasn't expecting that.

[delhalew]

http://www.choosy-beggars.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/hobgoblin_large.jpg

[NormanPride]

Newcastle is what taught me that beer could be better than the BMC crap out there.

[delhalew]

Maybe I need to get one of these.
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.luxist.com/media/2009/07/newcdraft.jpg

[OhU1]

Hey Delhalew, slightly off topic as this is classified as an ESB but since you are fond of English Style beers you might like "Shipyard Ringwood Old Thumper". It's brewed by Shipyard Brewery in Maine via contract with a brewery in England and used Ringwood Ale yeast (apparently an odd English yeast used in central England). http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hbbtG7wdTG0/ShNeKNH7DaI/AAAAAAAAAPM/OeKylr01yDM/s320/DSCN0853+850s.jpg

[delhalew]

Hey Delhalew, slightly off topic as this is classified as an ESB but since you are fond of English Style beers you might like "Shipyard Ringwood Old Thumper". It's brewed by Shipyard Brewery in Maine via contract with a brewery in England and used Ringwood Ale yeast (apparently an odd English yeast used in central England). http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hbbtG7wdTG0/ShNeKNH7DaI/AAAAAAAAAPM/OeKylr01yDM/s320/DSCN0853+850s.jpg

<takes copious notes>

Do wish to give any taste notes, or make any comparisons?

[OhU1]

<takes copious notes>

Do wish to give any taste notes, or make any comparisons?

Humm, well I suck at describing the tastes and profile of a beer (you know the kind of reviews that say things like "notes of coffee with a bitter finish on the back of the tongue").

To me Old Thumper tastes "very English". There is an aftertaste flavor that I find plesant. The Cache Road Store has this BTW.

Since I suck at beer descriptons I will cut and paste from the web: "It pours an almost copper color with a nice finger or so of head which eventually recedes to a nice layer skimming the surface of the beer. It leaves behind some light, but very nice lacing with pretty good carbonation.

Smell is of caramel malt with a buttery yeast smell and a little more than a hint of hops also coming though. The taste is much the same, caramel malt and some vague fruit, with a medium body and a dry, bitter, medium-hoppy finish. The ringwood yeast does impact it's own flavor on the brew but I have yet to put a finger on it. It is not undesirable though, and I suspect, make me like this beer even more. I completely understand why this beer is such an award winner"
http://www.bierbreath.com/2009/05/beer-of-day-old-thumper.html


Here is a link to Ringwood Brewery in England. From what I've read the brewer in Maine who makes this for Shipyard is very faithfull to the style and is a Ringwood Ale Yeast fanatic.
http://www.ringwoodbrewery.co.uk/

[delhalew]

Humm, well I suck at describing the tastes and profile of a beer (you know the kind of reviews that say things like "notes of coffee with a bitter finish on the back of the tongue").

To me Old Thumper tastes "very English". There is an aftertaste flavor that I find plesant. The Cache Road Store has this BTW.

Since I suck at beer descriptons I will cut and paste from the web: "It pours an almost copper color with a nice finger or so of head which eventually recedes to a nice layer skimming the surface of the beer. It leaves behind some light, but very nice lacing with pretty good carbonation.

Smell is of caramel malt with a buttery yeast smell and a little more than a hint of hops also coming though. The taste is much the same, caramel malt and some vague fruit, with a medium body and a dry, bitter, medium-hoppy finish. The ringwood yeast does impact it's own flavor on the brew but I have yet to put a finger on it. It is not undesirable though, and I suspect, make me like this beer even more. I completely understand why this beer is such an award winner"
http://www.bierbreath.com/2009/05/beer-of-day-old-thumper.html


Here is a link to Ringwood Brewery in England. From what I've read the brewer in Maine who makes this for Shipyard is very faithfull to the style and is a Ringwood Ale Yeast fanatic.
http://www.ringwoodbrewery.co.uk/

Sounds damn good.

[MeMyself&Me]

Big fan of Hobgoblin. EXCELLENT stuff!!!

Best of this style I've had by far. Really, none anywhere close.


The problem with Newcastle is that damn clear bottle. If I find it on draft, I'm all over it.

Even though that Tilburg is Dutch, it may still be to style. Basically, if it a little nutty or biscuity and barely hopped, it is English style. More hoppy and less bready is American Style. That's my take on it anyway.

The beer advocate link included Pete's Wicked with the English, and I wasn't expecting that.

Newcastle is good if you can get a fresh sample of it. Also, I think they may have change the recipe a bit. That or my palate has evolved over time. It's not quite as good as I remember from 10 years or so ago.

I'm also shocked that Pete's Wicked Ale would be listed as English. It's be a long long time since I've had Pete's Wicked Ale but my memory of it is that it was quite hoppy for a brown ale which would make me think American.

Another one that is common and good that hasn't been mentioned is Samual Smith's Nut Brown Ale. It's in a clear bottle though so it may be hit and miss on getting a good sample of it.


My next batch of homebrew will be one of these. Big fan of the style.

[delhalew]

Best of this style I've had by far. Really, none anywhere close.



Newcastle is good if you can get a fresh sample of it. Also, I think they may have change the recipe a bit. That or my palate has evolved over time. It's not quite as good as I remember from 10 years or so ago.

I'm also shocked that Pete's Wicked Ale would be listed as English. It's be a long long time since I've had Pete's Wicked Ale but my memory of it is that it was quite hoppy for a brown ale which would make me think American.

Another one that is common and good that hasn't been mentioned is Samual Smith's Nut Brown Ale. It's in a clear bottle though so it may be hit and miss on getting a good sample of it.


My next batch of homebrew will be one of these. Big fan of the style.

When I ordered my brewing equipment, I ordered 4 kits based not necessarily based on my tastes, but based more on a learning curve.

I ordered a Moose Drool clone...Caribou Slobber. I wish I had gotten an English brown, but Moose Drool is close to an English, and it turned out really well.

[delhalew]

It seems that it would be hard to go wrong with any beer from Samual Smith.
http://www.gunaxin.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/Samuel_Smith.jpg

[MeMyself&Me]

It seems that it would be hard to go wrong with any beer from Samual Smith.
http://www.gunaxin.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/Samuel_Smith.jpg

Wow! That looks like a brown bottle too. Last time I had it, it was clear. That's really good news if they switched.

[MeMyself&Me]

When I ordered my brewing equipment, I ordered 4 kits based not necessarily based on my tastes, but based more on a learning curve.

A lot of the things I make or have made have a lot to do with me wanting to learn more about a beer I didn't know a lot about. As a result, there are many styles of beers I didn't really appreciate until after I made one and then I loved them.

[delhalew]

Wow! That looks like a brown bottle too. Last time I had it, it was clear. That's really good news if they switched.

At some point you have to say, branding be damned. Clear bottles are stupid.

If we had a Corona or a Heineken that wasn't skunky as hell, it wouldn't taste right. Any other beer that wants to take quality seriously, has got to ditch light colored bottles.

[MeMyself&Me]

I agree. I've never really understood why so many think it's a good idea. I don't think Heinekin or Corona would be anything good (actually, I think Corona, un-skunked, would be nothing more than Coors with import tax) but there are several good beers sold in clear or green bottles too. Like Newcastle, Pilsner Urquel, and use to be Samual Smith's.

[delhalew]

I agree. I've never really understood why so many think it's a good idea. I don't think Heinekin or Corona would be anything good (actually, I think Corona, un-skunked, would be nothing more than Coors with import tax) but there are several good beers sold in clear or green bottles too. Like Newcastle, Pilsner Urquel, and use to be Samual Smith's.

I think the skunk helps Corona and Heiny, which doesn't say much for the beer.
I don't think anyone thinks green and clear are good. O think they just chose their look before the effects were clear. Now they resist change due to brand association issues.