Brown Ales

[Sadfield]

dooooooooooooo it.

 

[Dutto]

I've never blended beers as they've been either palatable or "top shelf out of the way and see if they improve" (they usually do).

However, if I was to do it I think I would probably work out A) Whether it was worthwhile. and B) What the ratio should be. by mixing small measures (using the calibrated Trial Jar that I use for SG readings) and tasting it.

I would also take notes of each blend and give it 15 minutes or so between tastings to clear my palate.

Hope this helps.

 

[marshbrewer]

Mmmm... Aldi have a brown ale in their look a like range, 'North Bridge Brown Ale'. Going to have to try this, as some of the reviews says its a 'poor imitation' of Newkie. Given how appalling that is now, I struggle to believe Marstons have managed that! Mind you, some of the reviews say its like Newkie used to be ~ so its got to be worth a £1.20 gamble.

Coming back to Newcastle Brown Ale for a moment; lots of the all grain clone recipes on the net talk about brewing two ales - an old ale and a 'young' Amber Ale, and blending them (e.g. here), as this is how the commercial; product is made. Is (or more probably, was) that true, or is it an urban myth. Anyone know?

Just had a bottle of this, again, for research purposes only, and it's better than the last Newcastle Brown I had, but still very average and commercial. Not completely unpleasant however.

The search goes on....

 

[marshbrewer]

dooooooooooooo it.

Dooooo it dooooo it ....

 

[marshbrewer]

Got hold of a couple of bottles of Maxim Double Maxim, trying one now. Its closer to what I'm after, reminds me a little more of the brown ales of my youth. However, it also reminds me on one level of a very average bitter, if that makes sense. Perhaps it will improve if I have another...

 

[Sadfield]

However, it also reminds me on one level of a very average bitter, if that makes sense. Perhaps it will improve if I have another...

Dooooooooooooo it.

Sent from my E5823 using Tapatalk

 

[marshbrewer]

It improves with a 2nd. Can't have a third on a school night, and that was the last of those anyway. Time to search out another on the list...

 

[Wilfy]

Got hold of a couple of bottles of Maxim Double Maxim, trying one now. Its closer to what I'm after, reminds me a little more of the brown ales of my youth. However, it also reminds me on one level of a very average bitter, if that makes sense. Perhaps it will improve if I have another...

Try and get hold of Maximus. Double's younger, stronger bretheren. Me and a mate had a full session on that one day, it wasn't pretty.

 

[-Bezza-]

Apologies for the moderate hijack but I have a question about the history of this style. Is there a reason why British brown ale is always bottled?

https://www.anchorbrewing.com/blog/brekles-and-a-brief-history-of-brown/

Don't know how true this is but it suggests Newcastle Brown was produced to satisfy the bottled beer trade. Perhaps that's just become the status quo.

 

[Pavros]

I agree with everyone so far - Broon is not a patch on what it used to be 30 odd years ago. There was a distinct change when brewing was moved from the Newcastle Brewery in the Gallowgate to the Fed Brewery next to the Metro Centre and there is even more of a change now. I remember drinking bottles of Dog and Fed Special in the student union bar as I didn't like what they had on tap.

Broon is now a bland shadow of its former self and its decline can be linked with the sale of S&N to whoever now owns the brand and the push into the US market (Leonard can even be seen drinking it from the bottle in episodes of the Big Bang Theory so Americans must think it is 'cool').

Where is the line drawn between brown ale and porter as Aldi also have a coffee porter in 330ml bottles which is not bad. I think it's called Spill the Beans. Some people also class Riggwelter as a brown ale but I think it is more a strong bitter somewhere between Black Sheep Bitter and Theakston's Old Peculier

 

[Cwrw666]

Aldi's North Bridge brown ale is so obviously an attempt to produce a clone of Newcastle brown. It's pretty similar and even the label is reminiscent. Just cheaper.

 

[marshbrewer]

To be honest, I thought it was more like the Newcastle Brown of old than the last bottle of actual newkie I tried, lol. Still not quite what I remember though.