Why don't more breweries make Brown Ales?

That's the crux of the issue right there : most American brewers use too neutral a yeast. So on one side they can be rather plain; on the other, they are compensating by adding clumsy and overly obvious flavorings that defeat the whole purpose of drinking a brown ale at all. Pretty tricky getting the balance right under those circumstances.

 

I found Brooklyn Brewing's Brown Ale to be somewhat decent. I ordered it in Vermont, and probably would not have when I saw COFFEE in the description. I am glad I did. Expanded my horizons.

 

I think Brooklyn Brown is a really good readily available brown ale. I forget its on the shelf sometimes. I need to buy it more often so stores continue to carry it.

 

I enjoy this style a lot, sadly they brew what is popular and will sell and bring people in to spend money. I guess if it become trendy you may see more.
Cheers

 

Because they suck!!!!! Just kidding, big fan of Bell's Best Brown, Ellies and CCB Maduro,

 

I like brown ale but I hate when they have hazelnut or some other nut added. That said I did have a "trail mix" brown ale that had a peanut taste that was pretty nice.

Bells best 16oz cans are the easiest to get and one of the best I have tried. At $7 a four pack a pretty nice $ too.

Need to try Ellie's and a few others posted here.

Enjoy

 

I think it's a combo of reasons:
1. There doesn't seem to be a demand. IPAs are still top dog and sours are starting to trend. For the more maltier folks (like myself) I think you start looking at Imperial Stouts sometimes skipping a basic porter or a nice brown. Also noticing a trend more towards sweet or dessert stouts vs. a typical stout or porter.

2. A lot of people don't make them well. I've only brewed around 16 beers myself, but three of them have been brown ales and frankly I've made better than some pros. Not saying that I'm a Brown ale savant, it's just I don't think many brewers make them that well. I drank a dark mild a few years ago that tasted like hoppy water compared to something I brewed that was biscuty, nutty and is great in chili.

3. Going back to points 1 and 2, Brown ales tend to be basic beers and folks prefer more of a challenge or just making a simple pale ale instead.

 

George from Hill Farmstead is amazing. I love a Brown. Founders Sumatra is fantastic, although (as someone noted) a little different.

 

If a brewery makes a brown, then thats what I judge them by. As most people noted in this thread, browns are typically seen as the boring, table beer that you'd drink in a pinch but wouldnt be your first choice. Truth is, browns (like any style) can be awesome its just a matter of whether or not the brewer strives for "Awesome" or is content with "this works." So, if they put the work into making a good brown, then that speaks to their overall brewing commitment.

For the record, I love Alesmith's Nut Brown.

 

This bit made me laugh pretty hard.

Not saying that your three brown ales haven't been outstanding or that the commercial examples that you've had weren't subpar, but insinuating that after you brewed three brown ales that yours should be the standard for the style is more than a little silly.

 

I suggest trying Against The Grain's Brown Note (disregard disgusting can label) and see what you think. It was the winner among four of us in a brown ale tasting that included most of the ones mentioned in this thread..

And it could be you have a talent for browns. I have two friends who years ago were founding members of Mohonk Home Brewers Association (I was too) and they made a Kolsch-style beer that was better than the American versions around here. And back then Kolsch wasn't all that popular, like browns now. They were in the running to become brewmasters at a start up brewery called Mill House Brewing, and it was their Kolsch-style that got them the gig, it was that Kolsch-style that helped them to early success at Mill House. They just recently started brewing in their much larger second brewery, have started canning and distributing widely, and brought their beers to Europe to possibly export to there. All because of a style they had a talent for brewing that wasn't all that popular.

 

Good point. Making a great beer without a lot of hype can not only elevate that style but, if youre in the biz, elevate your profile.

And thanks for the beer recommendation, Im going to try to hunt that down!

 

Mother's Brewing Co. (Springfield, MO):
Imperial Three Blind Mice
Raspberry Imperial Three Blind Mice
BBA Imperial Three Blind Mice
Imperial Three Blind Mice Bermuda Style
Rye Barrel Manhattan Imperial Three Blind Mice

The Raspberry ITBM is by far my favorite, followed closely by both the BBA ITBM and regular ITBM. The Bermuda Style ITBM wasn't great, but it was very interesting. I've got 2 bottles of the Rye Barrel Manhattan ITBM (newest iteration) sitting around but haven't cracked one open yet.

 

Not sure how far their distribution reaches, but The Shed Mountain Ale is top of the line. (Pretty sure they are owned by Otter Creek now)
And my two cents is that Old Brown Dog by Smuttynose is the best beer of their entire lineup.

 

I’m rediscovering my love for brown ales. There is a lot of complexity and balance that goes in the small packages that are English pub styles. Frankly, I think that people often find them “boring” because many of the American interpretations of them are uninspired. Breweries will use 2-row, some caramel malt, some color malt, whatever hops they have lying around, their house yeast and call it a brown ale, or a mild, or a bitter. And it’s not.
Brewing these styles requires changing your malt, hops, yeast, water, temps, pressures, serving methods, and even your brewing mindset. When you have one done right, by someone who knows what they are doing, it can be a mind blowing experience.
So even though many attempts at brown ale are lacking, I don’t find the style itself to be boring at all.
Now, amber ale, on the other hand...

 

Yeah, that does tie in with what I posted earlier. If you're gonna make one, get the yeast signature right at least. And use open fermentation if you can.

 

Can't speak for others, but I pass on a lot of brown ales. When I want a more standard beer, I'll opt for a modest IPA (60 Minute, Luponic Distortion, etc.), or a PBR/Stag.

When I really think about it, there is only one brown ale I've ever enjoyed enough to purchase again - Sumatra Mountain Brown. That same beer caught a lot of flak for being "too" coffee forward and covering up the base brown ale. Perhaps that's the only reason it left a favorable impression on me.

 

And that beer was a perfect 'match' for the fall season.

Maybe once Sierra Nevada has exhausted their exploration of making new hoppy beers we will see a return of Tumbler? Oh, and Sierra Nevada Kolsch too!!

Cheers!

@ecpho