In my limited experience, brown ales haven’t quite done much for me. Others have seemed overly thin and lacked the texture I look for in a brew. While Newcastle Brown Ale didn’t quite make me a believer, it has also piqued my curiosity, making me think that there may be a brown ale out there that I might just get along with.

Into the glass it turned a surprisingly rich dark brown, accented by amber around the edges caught by the light. A slight head rimmed the glass and lingered vaguely, like sheet of tan mist. The medicinal, metallic smell was there, as it had been in my previous bad brown ale experiences, but it wasn’t quite to the same degree. The palate was sweet and crisp with an effervescence finishing flat and full of walnuts. The nuttiness was intriguing, an almost meaty quality to it blended with what may have been dates or a like fruit. It seemed to me full bodied enough to let yo know what you’re drinking, but refreshing enough to definitely drink another.

While I still wouldn’t put brown ales at the top of my list, this one helped to expand my horizons and hang on for that one that’s out there, that will really make me a believer.

ABV: 4.7%

Grade: B