Comments on: Review of Newcastle Brown Ale

By: beer_scientist

beer_scientist — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 15:48:58 +0000

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.

By: HSSwan

HSSwan — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 04:45:12 +0000

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.

By: Byrd Reinhardt

Byrd Reinhardt — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 04:03:54 +0000

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.” : )

By: Vince

Vince — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 00:08:46 +0000

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.

By: Scott-TheBrewClub

Scott-TheBrewClub — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 00:42:01 +0000

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.

By: Byrd Reinhardt

Byrd Reinhardt — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 20:06:37 +0000

@ 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! : )

By: Oklahoma food reviews | Oklahoma Food Reviews

Oklahoma food reviews | Oklahoma Food Reviews — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 18:34:51 +0000

[...] 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… [...]

By: Nate

Nate — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 16:40:07 +0000

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.

By: beer_scientist

beer_scientist — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 16:36:27 +0000

You’re probably right about the diacetyl. Certain yeast strains simply love to produce it.

By: Bob the Brit

Bob the Brit — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 15:09:49 +0000

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’.