what is/was THE standard for brown ale?

Pretty Things' St. Botolph's Town, whichever side of the Atlantic you're on.

 

My feelings exactly!!!

 

Gotta throw Moose Drool in there, too.

But, yeah, Samuel Smith's has probably had more influence.

 

Everyone is afraid to say it but I bet their first brown was Newcastle, it is big beer that was craft beer, before craft beer. That being said, I'll drink a CCB Maduro all day, any day

 

Agree with those who say Smuttynose Old Brown Dog.

 

DFH will never be the "standard" of any style, and I think they prefer it that way...

 

I gotta say:
Best Brown
Hazelnut Nectar
Bender

Any of those are what I think of when I hear "Brown ale".

 

Downtown Brown
SN Tumbler

 

Wychwood Hobgoblin. One of my first craft beers and still one of my all time favorites.

 

Moose Drool was awesome!....before it started getting distributed everywhere...since then its just not the same.

 

Right on. I love DFH Indian Brown, but it's too hoppy to be a standard Brown (in my opinion). Sam Smith brown on the other hand is what I would say is the quintessential brown.

 

I'd say Samuel Smith's Nut Brown Ale is the best traditional example of the style. But Rogue Hazelnut Brown Nectar is easily my favorite example of the style and one of my favorite beers ever. Also, Mt. Carmel Nut Brown Ale is probably the best unknown brown that's bottled, it's so good..

 

Id have to say my standard choice brown ales would have to be real ale brewhouse brown, santa fe nut brown, dogfish palo santo. I dont mind a hazelnut nectar from rogue every now and then either. I have yet to find a brown ale that really blew me away.

 

Samuel Smith, Moose Drool, SN Tumbler. All great browns. But none have been immortalized like Newcastle, in the great Humble Pie song "30 Days in the Hole".

 

Newcastle was one of my first stepping stones in to craft beer years ago and I'm grateful for it. Sam smiths was my next step and have always judged other Browns based on it. Just recently had alesmith nut brown and loved it. Give it a try if you get a chance.

 

Mann's Brown Ale. It's the original.

 

Oskars Blue "The Deuce" is really good. Its a coulab beer but can't remember with who right now.

 

for everyone citing samuel smith, keep in mind that many (perhaps even most) UK beeradvocates do NOT consider them exemplary of british brewing. it's only the facts that they have been imported to the USA for a long time and that they were one of the few "small" or "craft" breweries who even did export to the USA, which grew their reputation amongst non-UK drinkers.

 

But it comes in 500ml bottles and hence is not true to style. A proper brown ale should come in returnable brown half-pint bottles, well scuffed.

 

Abita tends to get the short straw, and I wish it wasn't so. It is also very accessible to me here in NY, and Turbodog is a very consistent, easily obtainable beer, and it is very inexpensive as well. It isn't the best brown out there, but it is by no means a bad one, and you can't go wrong with it. And it is one of the best for the money.