Newcastle Brown Ale

My sister, who spent last year living in Scotland, was recently in town for a visit over the holidays.  While we were out for drinks one night, she suggested I try Newcastle Brown Ale, which was being served on-tap at the local Elephant & Castle.  Always willing to try new beers, I gladly agreed.

I have to say, that after my first sip I was immediately surprised by how perfect this beer is.  And I admit, I am an ale drinker.  My default beer is Okanagan Springs Pale Ale, which is a fairly light ale, but an ale nonetheless; however, I often crave a medium-dark ale without having to visit a local Brew House to get one.  This beer was exactly what I was looking for.  I’m embarrassed to admit that I’d never tried it before.

According to Wikipedia, it’s brewed by a company called Scottish & Newcastle, which is part of Heineken International.  Read up on some of the beers history HERE.

The beer was excellent and had a slightly nutty taste, which is common to darker ales.  But it wasn’t too dark (for my taste) and had a smooth aftertaste.  The aftertaste also wasn’t too sweet, which I find common in a lot of European ales.  Definitely worth a try next time you’re staring at the wall of import beer at the liquor store and can’t decide what to buy.

Rating: 4 / 5

Beers in Northern Europe

In November, I spent a couple of weeks working in Europe (in the Netherlands, to be specific) and a few days visiting some friends in north-western Germany (Osnabruck area).  During my trip, I kept some short notes on my BlackBerry on some of the beers I tried.  Mostly for my own reference so next time I’m over there I can remember which beers to have again and which ones to avoid.  Some were good and others not-so-good.  In any case, thought I’d share my notes here, in no particular order.

Jupiler: This is a light lager from Belgium. It’s coined as the most popular beer in Belgium. Loved it.

Heineken: A classic light lager. Brewed in Holland. I enjoy a Heineken occasionally at home, but found this Euro version to be quite a bit smoother. Definitely better than back home.

Palm Speciale: One of my favourite Belgian beers. Nice amber coloured ale. Excellent.

Dobbel Palm: Similar to the one above but slightly darker and with a bit of a nuttier flavour. Slightly heavier than the Speciale. According to Wikipedia, the Dobbel is only sold in December to replace the Speciale. Guess I got an early edition.

Dommelsch: A very popular pilsner beer from the Netherlands. Good after a big meal, as it is quite light. Excellent.

Brand Pilsner: Good beer. Another light pilsner brewed in the Netherlands. Quite popular and easy to enjoy.

Brand Dubbelbock: Quite a dark ale that is labeled as an autumn seasonal beer. I found it far too nutty and too sweet. Not for my tastes.

La Chouffe: A Belgian “strong ale”. Had a burnt nutty flavour. Again, not for my tastes.

Becks: A popular pilsner from Bremen, Germany. A staple when in Germany and one of my personal favourites when over there. However, similar to Heineken, it tasted quite different over there than it does back home. There version being the better. A great beer.

Becks Gold: Same as the pilsner, but slightly darker. I would liken the difference to Kokanee vs Kokanee Gold. But again, another great beer.