If you look at some pictures of me from (many) years ago, you'd think that I was being paid to promote Newcastle Brown Ale, so often was I pictured holding the famous bottle.
It was the perfect beer for all occasions. It worked well when at gigs, sweaty Teesside nightclubs or at a BBQ, when it could be chilled within an inch of its life and held firmly in the bottle to prevent undue spillage. Yet it also benefited slower paced sessions; long chats in a pub with old friends or out in a beer garden on a summer evening when the ale could be poured into a half pint glass, slightly warmer, allowing the complex flavours to escape the chill and become a completely different drink. It could out-muscle the macho posturing of the mass-produced lagers and yet stand tall amongst the real ales. No mean feat.
And I've had a soft spot for a good brown ale ever since, though for many a year they were difficult to find, even after the craft ale boom when the brown ale and the many Ruby, Nut or Chocolate variants seemed slightly insipid compared to the big flavours of malt and hops that were screaming for attention.
But some of these more laid back, traditional beers have managed to elbow themselves into the limelight, including Beer Farm's brown ale. Beer Farm are a relatively new craft brewing company operating as a brewpub from their farm in Metricup, Western Australia. Their beer arrived in KL a few months ago and immediately made an impression. Pleasingly simple and unassuming, the Brown Ale and Australian Bitter didn't have in-your-face graphics on the can nor shout about hops that would turn your hair grey. The beers were merely two very traditional styles done well... no gimmicks.
The Brown Ale is deeper in colour than many similar styles, closer to a porter than the ruby of Newcastle Brown Ale, but it has a heavily foamed almost white head. Sweeter than other brown ales, it has a chocolatey aroma and initial molasses taste giving way to a burnt bitterness at the finish.
At 4.8% it's a very easy beer to drink that doesn't skimp on the big flavours. Beer Farm have a growing range of interesting beers to try and tend to be good value compared to some of the overly expensive imports. And as most of their beers come in a slightly larger 375ml can, that just makes it an even sweeter deal. Check them out.
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