Brown beers: unloved and underrated?

Not usually a go-to for me, but I've come to realize that some of my locals make some damn good browns ales.

 

Seems like people just don't like Brown Ales. The only one that gets any love is Bell's. The title needs to be changed to "Brown Ales", not "Brown beers".

 

I love 'em. The catch is, we don't get many English beers in good shape to begin with. That's compounded with a fairly limited regional variant. The Bull & Bush's Big Ben is probably the closest thing I see on a regular basis, although it's more Northern English.
While certainly very different from English versions, I've grown to really like American variants. They mentioned the one from Upslope in the article. Telluride's Face Down Brown is similar and also in cans. Those have become my go-to American Browns.

 

I would have bought this last night had it not been $16.99 a bomber

 

I'm one of the people to blame for browns being unloved. Can't take any blame for underrating since I haven't rated one. Had a few but just don't like 'em.

 

Maybe I saw this and that's why I don't like browns.

 

I didn't care for drinking Bell's Best Brown Ale from the can. But I really enjoy Dark Horse Boffo Brown Ale and Short's Bellaire Brown. Brown ale is the one style of beer that I don't drink very often but when I do, I ask myself why I don't drink them more.

 

A couple of locals for me are pretty good; madtown nutbrown by ale asylum, and New Glarus Fat Squirrel. They can be pretty good session beers; but I am a big fan of maltyness.

 

I love brown ales in all their different versions.

Ferguson Brewing Co (yes in THAT Ferguson) makes a tasty pecan brown

 

Calling English Brown Ales "northern" or "southern" is a bit misleading. It relates to the fact that the two biggest brewers of the style were Mann's in the south and Newcastle in the north.
Up to a couple of decades or so ago all the regional brewers listed a Brown Ale and these certainly were not related to being north or south.Nottingham had three local brewers, their brown ales were quite different from each other.
Martyn Cornell posted a well thought out article;
http://zythophile.wordpress.com/2011/03/31/why-theres-no-such-beer-as-english-brown-ale/

Yes, brown beer is stout and porter , brown ales are - well , brown ales.

 

I forgot how good Tumbler was until I got the SN Fall pack.

I really enjoy brown ales on occasion, but it's hardish to find a good one out of season.

 

Really? Porter and Stout are brown? Not black? LOL

 

I find most brown ale's to be a bit bland, so I don't seek them out. However, Lone Rider Sweet Josie is pretty tasty.

 

Smuttynose Old Brown Dog Ale ... now that's good.

 

I look right past them. They don't really do much for me but that's not to say they aren't good. If I'm buying, I just prefer other flavors.

 

I thought DFH Indian Brown Ale was pretty good, I just don't drink many brown ales. Its been months since I've had a brown ale.

 

Porter was first of all brewed entirely from brown malt and would have been brown rather than black.Porter of course was a beer, not an ale.

 

I like brown ales but I tend to go to them and to ambers when I'm not in the mood for my go-to styles.