Review of Newcastle Brown Ale

Availability: Bottles and draft in many countries

APV: 4.7%

Website: http://www.newcastlebrown.com

According to the history of Newcastle Brown Ale, the ale was first made in Newcastle upon Tyne, England in 1927. Presently it is produced by Heineken International, no longer in Newcastle itself. It is an English ale and as the name suggests it is dark brown in color.

The look of the beer is a darkish brown, almost a dark amber if held up to the light. Some might say it looks almost like iced tea in its bottle. In the bottle the coloring of the logos and design contrast with the brown liquid and make the bottle stand out a bit.

When poured into a glass either from a bottle or from the draft there is a very small foamy head probably less than 1/4 inch in thickness. The beer is very dark brown at the top under the head and gets slightly lighter towards the outer edges of the glass and the bottom of the glass.

The initial smell reminds one of a sweet carmel scent, some might describe it as simply "sweet" while others might say it has a light refreshing scent. The first sip is crisp and clean and some drinkers might find hints of caramel and perhaps even what could be described as a hint of nectar like sweetness. A nutty taste might be found by some drinkers and can either be extremely noticeable or completely unnoticed. The beer is relatively consistent in taste and texture throughout but the surprise of the flavors starts to wane after a few sips.

The ale coats your tongue briefly and the taste seems to linger. One thing very noticeable about this beer is how refreshing the taste is. It reminds some of a less sweeter Twisted Tea style malt beverage while others might liken it to less sweetened pot brewed iced tea. Some reviewers in the past have also compared the taste to that of a cider type beverage.

This beer is very refreshing in the warmer months but can easily be a year round beer. It is overall light on sweetness and light on carbonation; it doesn't fill you up like other beers might. Carbonation is very minimal also contributing to a less "full" feeling. It goes down smooth and the taste is sweet enough to get even non-beer drinkers interested. Overall a good English brown ale and being moderately priced it is affordable and worth a try.