Looking for a new brown

[bsardin]

It is spring and it is the time of year that I usually switch to drinking browns. Newcastle had been my brown of choice for this time of year but recently Newcastle raised it price in my area so high that it is next to impossible to find a six pack that has not set on the shelf so long it has gone bad. I begin my search for a new brown today with a visit to what is the closest thing to a specialty store here. If anyone has some suggestions I would love to here them. Please note that good beer is hard to comeby here unless it is pretty widely distributed. I appreciate all your suggestions.

[Richard English]

Brown Ale is now a rare style in the UK and Newcastle is actually a rather poor example of a brown. It has become popular for the same reasons as has A-B Budweiser - very clever promotion by its manufacturers - the mega-brewery Scottish and Newcastle.

There are many good bottled beers around that do not carry the appellation "brown" but would be worthwhile your trying.

As I have mentioned previously, one excellent beer that is available in the USA is Fuller's 1845. It is actually a strong ale, not a brown, but it is brown in colour. At 6.3% it is stronger than Newcastle Brown (4.7%) but it is a far better drink by any standards at all.

Check the OBBD - http://www.bottledbeer.co.uk/ - for details of just about all the bottled beers in the world.

[steveh]

I'm not sure where you live, so this may not be available to you, but Capital Brewing makes a brown ale. Besides their bavarian style wheats, it's the only top fermented beer they make. It's reasonably tasty, but maybe not as complex as Newcastle.

http://www.capital-brewery.com/annuals.htm

Steve

[mountain beer]

I was at a bar in Virginia and they had a Samuel Smith's Nut Brown Ale. I had a couple of them and thought it was pretty good.

[b3s]

doesn't dogfishhead or someone make an indian brown ale? i thought i saw that at the purveyor of malty goodness earlier today -- got side tracked by the lakefront bock and fullers esb, though, so my memory could be off.

[paul84043]

The only thing I can think of that's available around here and is half decent is Pete's Wicked Ale, I thought it was pretty good.

[TEDBROCK]

This may be hard for you to locate however, Goose Island makes an outstanding brown ale called HEXNUT brown ale. You'll love it.
Ein Prost.

[Theakston]

Great Belgian Brown Ale:

Liefmans Goudenband. Real complex taste lots of malt and a typical belgian lactic sour taste.
Can be got at Whole Foods Market stores and other good beer stores. At 8% alc by vol it's not your average six pack session beer, but a beer to savour. Like most Belgian beers it is bottle conditioned so it will actually improve with age (provided it has been stored at a reasonable temp and not in the shop window).

Sam Smiths Nut Brown is a definitive version of the English style Brown but is expensive in the USA. Another excellent beer that almost qualifies as an English brown ale is Theakstons Old Peculier. It's a little dark for a classic brown ale but on the other hand it is nothing like a stout / porter. Although it is not bottle conditioned it tends to keep well in the bottle.

Troegs from PA brews a good Nut Brown in the English Style I've seen this in many east coast stores. Wherever you live there is probably a microbrewery or brew pub that brews a brown. It is becoming more popular here than in the UK. As Richard says Newkie Brown isn't that great in the UK. I think the export is slightly better but it sounds like you have a good reason to try and find something better. And it's a good excuse to experiment

Good luck.

[steveh]

Originally posted by TEDBROCK
This may be hard for you to locate however, Goose Island makes an outstanding brown ale called HEXNUT brown ale. You'll love it.
Ein Prost.

Duh - sure. Don't know why I overlooked that one myself.

S.

[bsardin]

Thanks for the recommendations guys, Goose Island has just become available here although right now it is just the Pale Ale and the Honkers Ale. I had the Samuel Smith Nut Brown today, I have had it in the past but it has been a while, and it was better then I remembered. Again thanks for all the input, keep the recommendations coming.

[barley ben]

i know its not the same same as new castle but i just got my hands on a bottle of Affligem Dubbel and let me just tell ya its great. yeah, a 750 ml bottle was about the same price as a six of new castle but i think you should try it if ya can find it. a bit more caramelly but quite quenching. just wanted to let ya know. i found it to be money well spent

[ESTCoastbierMan]

OK, Here's the story...
I bought a 6 of Pete's Wicked Ale for old time's sake. and LO and behold.. I pour it into a glass.. and it's NOT pete's Wicked ale.. it's not Brown. It's pale.. it's hoppy.. it's like every other micro-impersonating crud out there... what gives? this is Blasphemy!! Please tell me there was some severe screw-up at the labeling machine. I wasn't that drunk years ago. Pete's is dark brown, almost solid black. I hope the Bozos who bought out Pete haven't demographicly marketed my old favoroite beer out of existance by changing the recipie into what they think will sell better... Please.. Feedback on this. Even if you think I'm nuts..
thank ye,
It's all about the Bier..

[homebrewaddict]

A great brown to try, if you are in the NW area is Moose Drool Brown Ale. I tried it recently on my trip to Idaho Falls, and it was outstanding.