Nut Brown Ale
Silversmith Brewing Co.

473 mL can from the LCBO, included in Silversmith's Winter Mix Pack. Dated Aug 13 2025 and served barely chilled. Silversmith bought out Black Oak in 2022, and this nut brown is one of a handful of Black Oak legacy beers that they still produce. It remains one of my top ten highest-rated English browns to this day - let's see if it still holds up.

Pours a clear brownish-amber colour, taking on more of a reddish burgundy when illuminated with a bright light. Nearly two fingers of foamy, bumpy, light beige-coloured head rises from the surface, receding at a casual pace; a little over five minutes later, a tight, creamy collar and filmy cap remain. Lots of lovely fractal-patterned lace is also produced - looks fantastic to me. Smells more or less the same as I remember: baker's chocolate, cocoa and toasted nuts, with hints of leafy hops and caramelized sugars.

Yep, it's still a great brown ale; well-balanced, with the sweetness & bitterness matching each other punch for punch. Cocoa, baker's chocolate and caramelized sugars come through early on, joined by toasted hazelnut and molasses not long after. Finishes bittersweet, with a flash of coffee grounds & herbal hops; trends a little sweeter in the aftertaste, which features dissipating hints of chocolate and nuts. Light-medium in body, with gentle carbonation that weakly agitates the surface of the palate; smooth mouthfeel, but maybe a little on the thin side. Highly quaffable; I think I could drink a couple of these in a row.

Final Grade: 3.95, a B+. Silversmith's Nut Brown Ale is a high fidelity recreation of a venerable Black Oak classic, and I encourage all BAs to seek this out and try it for themselves. While brown ales have never taken up all that much shelf space in this province, I think it's fair to say that they're more uncommon than ever. It's particularly difficult to find traditional English browns, but this is one of the more widely accessible examples of such, and I'm thrilled that Silversmith is keeping this one alive for another generation of beer geeks to enjoy.

At my lady Pamela's house; canned and chilled, 473mL in a pint glass. From my favourite LCBO at Tecumseh Mall in nearby Windsor. My third beer from the Virgil, Ontario brewery, and second for 2025.

Poured a 473ml can into a pint glass. A scant one finger fine tan head on a hazy, slightly reddish brown. The head soon diminishes to a thin layer that sticks around. Some fine patchy lacing.

Coffee in the nose. some toasted malts. The taste follows the nose. Initially slightly sweet nut becomes dry towards the a very mildly bitter finish.

Medium body and carbonation. Overall a fine English Brown Ale. True to the style and well worth a try.

June 28 2025

tastes like czaech dark ale but too much carbonation

Pours with a good head that lingers. Dark brown colour as to be expected. Flavours are well balanced. Malty up front with slightly bitter, slightly dry finish. No strong hops flavours but I am not an IPA fan so it works for me. A good beer and good example of the style.