Brown ale: the most underrated style ever?

Sorry if my post was too vague. I was answering my own question in my post.

I completely get your point, but one can't ignore how those plans reflect "fashionable" beers anyway. I just saw the humor in mentioning them as evidence of German lagers eventually becoming fashionable within craft beer "on the level that sours are now."

 

Hah. I had no idea all those other threads existed. Joke's on me, I guess. Haha.

Brown ales' popularity could certainly be revitalized if brewers started labeling them as 'New England Style India Brown Ales', dry hopped them with Citra and Galaxy hops, and released them in pint cans at the brewery only.
But, that would defeat the purpose of brown ales being what they are.

 

Love brown ales, they are probably underrated. Short's probably makes my 2 favorite...Bellaire Brown kinda broke the ice for me into drinking craft beer (still love it) and Good Humans is one of my favorite beers.

 

They're local to me, but Rooster Fish also makes an excellent nut brown ale.

 

Some beers are made for drinking, and some are made for trying. Guess what most people here focus on ?

 

Like adding chocolate, nuts or coffee.

 

ISO Bierol Going Hazelnuts. I got really thirsty reading that review.

Love me a good nutty rich brown ale. We did a brown ale tasting not too long ago with 8 of the top rated and coupla local options. The Brown Note from Against The Grain and Ellie's from Avery were the groups' favorites. Also love Palo Santo Marron.

I could see brown ales becoming more popular.

 

Same is true for some other styles, but that doesn't change the point @mudbug seems to be making.

Comparing ratings numbers between styles is pretty much pointless because there are some numerical and methodological controls that are not in place to ensure that a 4.32 for, say, a Brown Ale has the same meaning as does a 4.32 for, say, a Stout. Yes, the numbers are the same, but the change in context from one style to another and from one rater to another can and often make a difference. There are biases impacting style scoring just as there are biases impacting individual beer scoring.

 

Your point is real of course, but all kidding aside, I'm sure the look associated with the NE IPA will creep into other styles. Probably not brown ales any time soon, due to the color.

 

Yes, but that highlights a problem with the internal logic of the post since it argues that: "There is no such thing as an underrated style," but the position is literally that.

 

Not really an internal logic problem but rather a problem with the ambiguous use of the term "underrated." As with many terms it has both a technical meaning and a popular usage meaning that are not the same.

Notice that the term "under" in the "underrated" is a comparative and both implies and assumes there is some external or "true" standard against which the numbers can be compared. A style can not be numerically underrated when there is no external "true" standard to which it can be compared. It can be rated lower when compared to other styles but those styles themselves do not "true" values either since they are subject to the same problem. There is no external standard against which to say any of them are "under" or "over," or "truely" rated values.

 

Love brown ales. A shortage of good ones that are widely available.

 

True enough and I get your point as well. I just didn't want anyone in the thread inferring that JA was substantially moving away from their lager line. They're one of my favorites so I feel protective

Cheers!

 

I think you are imposing a constraint that isn't really there, but it's all good - let's not get bogged down.

 

The word you used was underappreciated a much better word to use.

 

I don't care for brown ales all that much... I'd much rather have a dunkel, porter, bitter, etc...

 

I attempted to make a big RIS recently, but evidently did not put enough dark specialty malts in to make it as black as what anyone would hope for in a stout.

Secondary'd on some cocoa nibs. Turned out to be an incredibly satisfying imperial brown though at 10.6% ABV
Its my new favorite brown ale!

 

Not by me. Hi-Wire's, "Nut Brown Ale" can you say, "mmmmm"?

 

All true except there is one unambiguos meaning for the term underrated and that is the amount of ratings. which puts Bud Light as the most underrated beer on this site. I've always pointed out that if the majority of American beer drinkers joined BA and rated their favorite beer Bud Light would easily be the "Top Beer"

 

The humble brown ale is a bit overlooked in our focus on hops and barrels, but to me a satisfying and simple staple in my beer habits.