- 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.
