Why don't more breweries make Brown Ales?

If people want big flavor in a brown...Cigar City Maduro is great. Chocolate, nutty, espresso, its all there.

 

We do. It is based on the Schlotfegerla recipe...so more of a weird Franconian anomaly than a straight-up Dunkles. But it's in the same ballpark.

 

The Weyermann recipe? You had me for a minute! Maybe you still do...

 

Ack! Please tell me it wasn't Southern Prohibition ...

 

For local favorite Fieldwork, my favorites from their lineup for my palate and preferences are their brown ales. Straight up, variants, nitro, CO2, doesn't matter... when I see them I grab them.

But in general there aren't enough, let alone enough good ones locally.

 

That's the point of a brown ale - for it not to be over the top. Maduro is too heavy, too much going on for a brown

 

Limited distro, but Surly's Bender is an excellent brown ale. Well crafted and tasty. One of the downsides of moving from MN to WA was losing Surly. Lots of excellent replacements out here to cushion the pain, though.

 

I agree 100%.

So, here is the dilemma. If a craft brewery were to produce an 'in style' Brown Ale there is a very good chance it will not sell big. If they instead 'bump it up a notch' (in the parlance of Emiril Lagasse) there is a chance they make make some sales/revenue from that brand. What do you think a commercial brewery should do here?

Cheers!

P.S. Not to 'lead the witness' here but I choose to homebrew my own Brown Ales.

 

Yeah a "nutty" brown ale is the classic interpretation. The Brown Ale that Picaroons makes is very yeast forward, which is uncommon (at least from what I've had), although it still has the nutty qualities.

 

My favorite is sam smith nut brown. But maduro has snagged me on its espresso aspect

 

Indeed:

This is plenty tasty; it has that nice pinch of char-wood/burnt malt (or hops? burnt something) flavor the Americans have.

@zid the messenger doesn't have to be shot! Yaaay!!!

 

A few of the MN hipster beer geeks are part of the reason. Awhile back one of them questioned why Surly keeps Bender in their rotation. I couldn't believe what I was reading....Bender has been one of Surly's best beers, IMO of course! Cheers!

 

Have to say it's a style I have no interist in.

 

The "classic interpretations" were only described as nutty regarding their color.

 

Alas yes, it was recently announced on their home page that as of the end of September ESB is discontinued. Shame really, but I would prefer not to put my disappointment into words at the present time.

 

Any beer made well is delicious beer, it's just not a big seller most of the time. Great kölsch is great, same with a brown ale. Imperial IPAs and barrel aged anything has taken over. For better or worse.

Consumers prefer crazy, rich beers, while brewers and industry workers prefer sessionable, balanced classic styles. Funny how that works.

 

oops. It's been a minute since I have had that beer, I better revisit it soon.

 

I love the brown ale--and, as I've said before, I think it's the most underappreciated style of beer. Samuel Smith's Nut Brown and Bell's Best Brown Ale are my two favorites, but Avery's Ellie's and Ithaca Nut Brown are also go-tos. Lost Coast Downtown Brown is also good.

 

Sierra Nevada tried.. Rip Tumbler that stuff was great.