- England
- Ale
- ABV = 4.5 – 5.4% (Lower to normal)^
- IBU = 20-30
- SRM = 12-22
A brown, malt-forward, caramel-centric English ale.
More malt-forward in balance than Best Bitter, with more malt flavours from darker grains. Should not have the strongly roasted flavours of an Irish, Oatmeal or Sweet Stout.
Appearance:
- Colour^ = Amber to brown
- Clarity = Clear
Key Aromas & Flavours:
Aroma
- Malt = Low; malty sweet with toffee, nutty, or light chocolate notes; plus a low to high caramel quality
- Yeast = Low; fruity
- Hops = Low; floral or earthy
Flavour
- Malt = Low to moderate; malty sweet with a low to high caramel quality (Optional: nutty, toasted, biscuity, toffee, or light chocolate.)
- Yeast = Low to moderate; fruity
- Hops = None to low; floral or earthy, if present
- Perceived Bitterness^ = Moderate
- Balance = Ranges from even to malt-focused
Aftertaste/Finish
Medium to dry finish
Mouthfeel:
- Body = Medium
- Carbonation = Medium
Characteristic Ingredients/Processes:
- Malt = Pale ale and crystal/caramel malts; may use small amounts of darker malts (ie. chocolate) to provide colour and nutty character
- Yeast = British ale yeast
- Hops = English hops
Historical Development:
Many different beers have used the name brown ale throughout history, but the modern British Brown Ale, as described above, was developed in the 1900s and is primarily a bottled product.
Commercial Examples:
Newcastle Brown Ale, Samuel Smith’s Nut Brown Ale, Wychwood Hobgoblin
^Sourced from the Cicerone Certification Program’s International Certified Beer Server Syllabus.
All other information is sourced from the BJCP 2015 Style Guidelines.
Discovering Beer is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Cicerone® Certification Program.
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