Brown Ale Beer Style

In that the Charter Oak Brewery is about to release our 1687 Brown Ale, we thought it prudent to update our releases with a section on the American Brown Ale style.  The demand, and knowledge, of this style is weak in comparison with styles such as IPA, Pale Ale, Stouts and Porters; however, this year round beer certainly has an important spot in the beer world!

 I find that many newer craft beer drinkers are afraid to even venture a sip of an American Brown Ale for fear that the dark brown body will yield a heavy bodied, robust flavor and one that may alienate most.  Unfortunately, this is a poor perception of a highly sessionable and delicious style.

The Brown Ale style was one of the original British beers and was introduced centuries ago. One should not be afraid to try this style.  In fact, the Brown Ale beer enjoys a medium body, just enough bittering hops to balance the sweetness generated from the barley, and is not high in alcohol content.  A typical Brown Ale has a flavor profile that has a somewhat roasted taste with a backbone of caramel and chocolate.  This style is sometimes also referred to as a ‘nutty brown’, because of the roasted flavor.  It is not as hoppy as the Pale Ale beer and typically a well poured Brown Ale has a light tan foam head which lasts until the last of the deep cooper to brown shaded pint is gone.

Some examples of Brown Ale include Pete’s Wicked Ale, Charter Oak 1687 Brown Ale, Brooklyn Brewery Brown Ale, Pyramid Brown Ale, as well as Samuel Smith and Newcastle.

For the beer expert, this style profile range includes

4.0 – 6.4% ABV; 1.040-1.060OG;  15-26IBU

Stout Beer Style

In today's craft beer age, Stouts and Porters are often spoken in the same breath as being nearly the same beer.  I would have to say, today, this is true because the two styles have indeed overlapped one another.  However, back in the 1730’s when the first Stout was introduced in London, it was known as a Stout Porter, which was simply a stronger Porter beer.  This style soon enjoyed popularity throughout both England and Ireland. In fact, the Guinness Brewery was started, primarily brewing solely the Stout Porter style. It was not until the 1820s when Stout was separated from Porter to become its own style.  It was known as a darker, hopper, and higher gravity beer versus the Porter style. A typical Stout has an original gravity of 1.070-1.090, 90+ IBU and a shade exceeding 40SRM. The newly introduced black unmalted barley assisted brewers with this midnight black style. 

Today, although the Stout style is still a dark shade, it now is less in bitterness and the primary grains include crystal, chocolate and a roasted barley which allows for a balanced and interesting dry coffee, caramel, and chocolate flavor. I might argue that the modern Stout is once again very similar in style to the Porter style. The most popular Stouts have a full month feel as a result of nitrogen gas instead of the more typical CO2 for carbonizing. 

The American Stout, which has a slight citrus backbone, compliments a dish of Oysters well, but also, pairs well with a garden salad.  The Stout is a wonderful choice on a cold winter’s night with the fire a blaze!

Beer Growlers are Fun

Ever wonder why the craft beer brewers decided on strange packaging such as a growler or why it is named a growler?  While it is true that during the prohibition, the distillers pushing ‘moonshine’ had a container that appeared similar, the modern day beer growler traces its roots back to the 19^th century.  The growler was first used when a loyal pub drinker wanted to bring some beer home or sent his kids down to his favorite watering hole to fetch some beer.  They would fill small pails and as one carried the pail home it would hiss and rattle as the CO2 escaped…. also referred to as growling.

Today, the growler is generally brown in color, to prevent light from spoiling the craft beer, and holds 64oz or 4 pints.  Most growlers also have a handle for easy pouring.  Although nearly every craft brewery now markets growlers, it was Otto Brother’s Brewing (now Grand Teton Brewing) that introduced this container in 1989 into the USA.  Beer growlers are not only fun, they are reusable and therefore environmentally friendly.