Guest Beer Review by Andrea, wife of the Beer Scientist
Let me begin by saying that I’m nuts about nuts (clarification: I want to unequivocally declare that I am referring to food here). Whether that’s raw, whole almonds; peanut butter; Nutella; or brown rice green tea with its nutty undertones–if it’s got that nutty quality, you can bet I’ll love it.
So it should come as no surprise that I positively enjoy Newcastle’s “One and Only” Ale, often referred to as a Nut Brown Ale (or “Dog” by imbibers closer to home). And here is why:
The Pour: Characteristic of a brown ale, Newcastle’s color definitely falls between the pale ale and porter range with its copper-red body. The active, tiny bubbles from the carbonation quickly dissipated the creamy, white head but also seemed to maintain a thin, white rim along the edge of the glass—foam that reformed every time the brew swished around. This also contributed to creating some lovely, white lacing.
The Nose: The Brown Ale was minimal on the nose, which may have been compounded by the fact that the beer was fairly cold after a few days in the fridge. About all I picked up were alcohol dryness, slight metallic qualities, and a light maltiness. Mike also helped me recognize the scents of a grapish yeast strain.
The Taste: Most memorably, Newcastle’s Brown Ale finished with a very nutty (closest to hazelnut?) aftertaste. It retained those slight metallic qualities that were present on the nose, as well as some bitterness in the middle of the taste that seemed to be emphasized by the dense carbonation.
Overall, I would describe the beer as simple and straightforward. A good California metaphor might be that drinking Newcastle’s Brown Ale is like ordering the Hamburger Combo at In-N-Out rather than the 4×4 or Animal Style burger—in other words, just the basics. Although it lacks a range of complexity, it is well-balanced with some nice sweetness and the nuttiness that I so love. I definitely recommend enjoying it just chilled so as not to miss the subtleties.
Oh, and an added bonus: if you’re a resident of the UK, Channel Islands, or Isle of Man (shout out to Mel and Christine!), you can get a sweet Newcastle schooner glass for free (well, as free as free is these days, a.k.a., with tokens from the promotional 4-packs). Details at http://www.newcastlebrownale.co.uk/.
Andrea’s Rating
Overall Satisfaction: Among other Brown Ales: 
NIce review! ‘Newkie Brown’ was one of those beers that I remembered being good, but then when I had it again recently I found it to be rather unenjoyable. I was even thinking my beer was skunked, but then others chimed in that ‘character’ was common with this beer. Dunno. Still, its not a beer I’ll seek out again, but I have heard its quite good on tap.
Here’s our take from April.
http://thebrewclub.com/2009/04/30/newcastle-brown-ale-english-beer-review/
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[...] beer works for the economy, how does it work for the consumer? At any rate, Andrea just wrote her Newcastle Brown review, and I thought another nutty beer would be [...]
Have you reveiwed ” Flat Tire” Amber Ale by New Belgium Brewing? I hear it’s pretty common, but in Oklahoma we can’t buy it unless it’s at a restaurant or pub. We had our son bring a case from St. Louis. I think it a great beer. I first tried it in Indiana. Please comment.
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We haven’t reviewed it. Some people really love it. I’m of the opinion that it’s pretty decent on tap but I don’t really care for it in the bottle or can. However, I’m not opposed to doing a review on the site. If people want to do it as a sip with us Saturday beer…well, I’m game. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still a solid offering but New Belgian Brewing is doing some far more interesting beers. That is especially true these days.
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I would like to suggest that the ‘nutty’ flavour is perhaps due to diacetyl, which is known for imbuing ales with nutty and butterscotch flavours.
This is particularly noticable in Yorkshire Ales and I confess I hadn’t spotted it in Newcastle Brown, I guess it’s as good an excuse as any to revisit ‘Newky Brown’.
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You’re probably right about the diacetyl. Certain yeast strains simply love to produce it.
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I never seem to get a fresh New Castle, there is always a little skunk going on. I’ve had it on tap and I like it much better as a draft but it still isn’t high on my list. Glad you enjoyed it.
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[...] Review of Newcastle Brown Ale | Thank Heaven for BeerGuest Beer Review by Andrea, wife of the Beer Scientist. Let me begin by saying that I’m nuts about nuts (clarification: I want to unequivocally declare that I am referring to food here). Whether that’s raw, whole almonds; peanut butter; … I hear it’s pretty common, but in Oklahoma we can’t buy it unless it’s at a restaurant or pub. We had our son bring a case from St. Louis. I think it a great beer. I first tried it in Indiana. Please comment. beer_scientist Says: … read more… [...]
@ Scott & Nate: I did not pick up on any skunky-ness in the bottles we picked up, but it does make sense that it would be a common problem on account of the clear bottles.
@ Bob: That makes me wonder how different our imported version may be from what you get in the U.K. I have to confess that I tried Guinness in London–I could say as a practice in comparison, but actually I do enjoy it on draught–and I actually prefer what we get in the U.S. (not sure why it’s different…). But I loved so much other stuff that we tried in London that I think I must be a British beer lover at heart! : )
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I’m sure the clear bottles are a big factor in the making heinous process. Looks cool, but it just isn’t helpful to the beer. Nice review BTW.
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Newcastle is the old dependable friend. You can always find it. Sure it’s not amazing, but compared to the others that you usually have to choose from when forced to hit up a gas station or convenience store…it does just fine.
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Thanks for the response, Vince– yes, I agree, it isn’t an amazing beer, and that’s kind of what I wanted to get at by talking about the simplicity of it. And it seems like a lot of people seemed to have bad experiences with it, as Scott talks about in his review (http://thebrewclub.com/2009/04/30/newcastle-brown-ale-english-beer-review/). Also, I agree with someone on Scott’s site who noted that it can be a little thin at times, which I noticed when I tried it straight out of the fridge (cold). I enjoyed it best when it was just a little colder than room temp (a huge difference!). Anyway, I think that they do well with what they are trying to do–which is obviously not to be a big beer with tons of complexity. Yes, more like an “old dependable friend.” : )
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Newcastle on tap will always be welcomed … as long as it’s not too cold. That said, I don’t remember ever having a good bottled Newcastle. With a fresh draught in mind, I find the taste to be more complex than others have stated but I agree to the rating, 4 out of 5.
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beer_scientist Reply:
March 22nd, 2010 at 7:48 am
Except for bottle conditioned beers, I almost always find beers on tap to be better. Thanks for stopping by and we hope to see you again.
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