Newcastle Brown Ale – English Beer Review
April 30, 2009
Newcastle Brown Ale. One one hand, I’ve heard people say it was terrible, and on the other it seems many, many people like it. I know its a top-seller. So what’s the deal with this stuff? Let’s quickly check it out as our final beer review for English Ale Month, shall we?
As you can see in the picture, the Newcastle Brown Ale comes in a clear bottle rather than the brown ones that all of the other English Ales The Brew Club has been trying lately. The ale is definitely brown, so maybe the clear glass is so people really get a sense of the brownness? “Wow, look at the brownness!” you might overhear someone say. Or not.
The “Newkie” Brown poured rather flatly and uninspired into my glass, and it created a weak, off whitish head that fizzled out pretty quickly. The aroma was generally unappealing, saved only by what I could only describe as some weak nuttiness and shallow sweetness – but not much else.
How to describe the taste. Is disappointing too strong a description? When I first drank it, I thought that my glass had some kind of mutant beer in it. It was just terrible. Plain, flat, dull. Sorry, it was pretty bad.
So, that got me thinking (which is unusual). MAYBE this beer got skunked 
somehow considering the clear glass? Can this beer, that so many people buy and love be this bad? (then I think about macro-lagers) I closely looked at my bottle for a ‘best by’ date, and there was none to be found. Maybe this bottle is several years old or something – I just can’t tell.
All I know is that I’m really hesitant to give this beer a second try unless other people can attest that the Newcastle Brown Ale is better than what I experienced, or if my horrible sample is par for the course.
So, is The Newcastle Brown Ale a crappy beer, or should I give it another try? Might I have gotten a crappy, skunked bottle? Based on the beer I just had, I’d have to give it a pretty low rating and I doubt I’d revisit it unless convinced otherwise. What’s your take?
Rating: 
Scott-TheBrewClub
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Posted in 1 Star Reviews, Ales, English Beers
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April 30th, 2009 at 11:44 am
My friends love this one. I just have never been able to get into it. Every time I have drank it I have gotten this iron like taste from it that is just gross to me.
April 30th, 2009 at 12:26 pm
…so there’s some evidence it isn’t just me then! Anyone else?
Scott-TheBrewClub’s last blog post..Fullers London Porter – English Ale Review
April 30th, 2009 at 2:11 pm
I am british and I have to agree with you guys. I have tried this many a time – just dont get it. Flat dish water like taste with no other depth. Much prefer an ohanlons royal oak pale ale, landlord, jaipur et cetra.
April 30th, 2009 at 2:26 pm
Dougie, thanks for the info. So far, it looks like I’m not going to be getting another one to try!
Scott-TheBrewClub’s last blog post..Timothy Taylor’s Landlord Beer Review
May 3rd, 2009 at 12:53 am
I tried a couple of bottles of this in the run up to English Ale month, and confess I couldn’t bring myself to write up the review. I tried one at room temperature and one chilled (as most students seem to enjoy it). No, a disappointment both times.
The reason it was always popular (in my youth) with students and headbangers was its strength, which was over 5% (when most lagers and keg beers were about 3.5%) so it was a big bang for the buck, but with the growth of premium ales and lagers that differential has gone, and even Newky Brown has reduced its strength to 4.7% ABV.
And… for the record, the alleged reason for the clear glass bottles is one of cost – clear glass is cheaper.
Bob the Brit’s last blog post..St George’s Day
May 3rd, 2009 at 5:19 pm
See, it always comes down to money! Thanks Bob for the good info as usual. Now if you couldn’t bring yourself to write a review, I’m just going to put this beer on the mental ‘pass’ list!
Scott-TheBrewClub’s last blog post..Fullers London Pride – An English Pale Ale
May 6th, 2009 at 10:30 am
It’s amazing that this beer has been around so long, then again, there are plenty of sub par beers that have been around a long time.
I wonder why they use clear bottles. I see this as a beer that could end up sitting on a shelf for a long time because stores buy it in bulk. I’m sure it stores longer than average being a dark beer but I’m sure it skunks faster in these bottles.
My opinion, Newcastle sells because of its name. It’s a name that people know and those who are not beer savvy think they are drinking something a step above Bud-Miller-Coors. I guess we need beers like this though. I see it as a stepping stone to craft beer.
Ben’s last blog post..The pursuit of happiness…and beer
May 7th, 2009 at 2:27 pm
Two comments on this beer:
1. Give it another try, but ONLY on tap, and ONLY from a bar you know keeps their lines impeccably clean. This beer is extremely fragile, and does not travel all that well. Fresh, and through clean lines, it is good beer, session strength, but it is not great beer.
2. The version we get here is a very poor imitation of Newkie Brown from the 80s and 90s. It was an outstanding Northern English Brown style, and as Bob stated, it was stronger as well.
I really don’t know why it is still on the BJCP guidelines as a commercial example. Beers like Samuel Smith’s Nut Brown Ale and Riggwelter Yorkshire Ale are so much better.
May 14th, 2009 at 1:27 pm
Could not give this ale 1 star, that would be to harsh. I find Newcastle Brown Ale very drinkable, even though you will fall down after a few.
For me it has its own taste, the bottles are fine, but better on tap (which is hard to find). But in the end everybody to there own! 4 stars at least, for me.
June 3rd, 2009 at 5:36 pm
I googled this beer because my son likes it and it seems to be a good seller. I’m opening a bar in my restaurant and would like input from you beer guys as to which 3 beers should I have on tap? I only have room for three and please consider I live in extreme Northern California so availability is an issue. It drives me insane in this area that the biggest sellers are coors light and bud light. I like Full Sail, Guiness, Downtown Brown. Gotta have a dark, medium and regular.
Any suggestions?
Mark
June 16th, 2009 at 8:49 am
Somehow I missed this review.
I think newcastle is an average beer…I’ll order it at a restaurant when it’s the best they have, but I always enjoy it for nostalgic reasons.
When I first started drinking richer beers, I used to go this little restaurant called “pappys” in podunk Springfield, MO and get this with some friends.
Perhaps you did get a bad beer, if not, not everyone likes the same beers!
hceers!
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June 16th, 2009 at 10:48 am
Could be Nate. I’ll have it again a restaurant or someplace if that’s the best in house beer, but based on what I had I’m not in a hurry to do that.
Scott@thebrewclub’s last blog post..Blueberry Beer Review – Bar Harbor Blueberry Ale
June 17th, 2009 at 3:09 pm
Just tried one last night … actually liked it … but I think I liked it because it was easy to drink … not to much fizzle … and the flavor was not too strong … like comparing coke & pepsi … if you don’t know what I mean … it is the carbonation and the sugars … coke is lighter in taste but has more carbonation … pepsi is sweeter with less carbonation … that is how I would describe it … if Heineken or whatevery you normally drink was Coke then NewCastle is Pepsi
July 1st, 2009 at 8:47 pm
Well I have to say I used to be a Newcastle fan. However, as Ben pointed out, it was just my stepping stone. Your review was correct, I’ve had it from the tap and the clear bottle and there’s really not as big of a difference as you need to justify this beer. It’s very flat with not much head ever. I’m young and thought I was drinking a good beer, then I had Dogfish Head Indian brown and have been in love ever since.
July 6th, 2009 at 10:52 pm
This used to be a better beer…..I think your bottle may have been bad. I thought it had hints of decent taste hidden behind a standard American lager taste. Not what it used to be for sure
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July 15th, 2009 at 7:17 pm
The comments of the beer’s sensitivity stood out because I have enjoyed this beer in the past. I’m not a faithful drinker but had on occasion bought a case for something different. I just recently bought a case and it was horrible. Flat, alcohol over-taste etc….so I’ll assume that may be the case, no pun intended, but am unlikely to buy a case again. I may try a draft now and then but my bottle days are done. Sorry Newcastle….
July 16th, 2009 at 7:37 am
Another sad Newkie story! Thanks for sharing, Dave.
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July 18th, 2009 at 4:21 am
This is one of those examples of macrocrap that, through good marketing, seems to have acquired a certain cachet in the States, exactly like Stella and Guinness.
That said, I quite enjoy it. Ice cold and straight from the bottle it’s an excellent lawnmower beer.
The Beer Nut’s last blog post..A game of two halves
July 23rd, 2009 at 12:09 pm
I too was disappointed in Newkie. I found it to be thin, watery and flat. There are much better brown ales out there.
July 29th, 2009 at 7:18 am
Being from Newcastle, I get where you guys are coming from – I don’t drink it as often as I used to. That said, in the NE of England, it’s not drunk in pints but in half-pint glasses and you top up the drink regularly, and pour it from quite a height (the aim isn’t to tilt the glass like you would do with lagers and the like). I don’t know how well it travels given that I live where the stuff’s brewed, but this *might* make it a better drink. That said, I know there are better beers out there, but if you get a good Brown Ale it’s a decent drink.
July 29th, 2009 at 7:26 am
It’s filtered and pasteurised: travel won’t affect it.
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September 17th, 2009 at 4:39 pm
I definitely agree that this is not a beer to be had for complexity and didn’t think there was much going on with the smells / tastes. That being said, I really enjoy the lightness and subtleties of the flavor (assuming you get a good bottle, which I’m surprised to hear seems to be so difficult!), largely–as I said in my review –because I love the nutty qualities. And I think it would be a good “stepping stone beer” for people who have not ventured much into the wide world of beer (sounds like it has been precisely that for some people).
One final word: contra Beer Nut, it is my understanding that transport can hugely affect beer since things like temperature and light exposure can impact the product. I’m sure this is also the reasoning behind some brewery’s instructions that their products ought to be kept refrigerated (Berkshire’s line, for instance.)
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September 17th, 2009 at 7:24 pm
Light exposure only kicks in when the bottle comes out of the box, regardless of whether it travelled three miles or three thousand miles after leaving the brewery.
Temperature is another thing that may vary completely independent of distance travelled. Whether that poorly-set thermostat is in Gateshead or Grand Forks makes no difference.
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September 17th, 2009 at 8:35 pm
@ Andrea, thanks for popping in. I think you’re right about the ‘stepping stone’ abilities of this beer assuming one gets a good sample! It isn’t extreme, but a crappy bottle will surely turn the subject running back to Bud or Miller Lite! I think I’d still like to try it on tap sometime, but I won’t be to upset if I never have another either.
The Beer Nut makes good points as always. There’s no telling why so many people seem to get dud Newkies, but they do. Still, people are buying it so maybe that’s part of its appeal? Corona seems to be skunky as hell, but that’s cool with Corona people.
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September 19th, 2009 at 9:48 pm
I rediscovered Newcastle Brown in Minot, North Dakota while attending a convention in June. The bartender remembered what I was drinking and on our final evening, Governors Banquet, I surprised him by ordering a G & T. I live in Saskatchewan and I recently located N B in Liquor Store, don’t go there often. It’s good to be able to get a good British beer for a change.
October 30th, 2009 at 7:42 pm
I’m a Newcastle Brown Ale lover and I came across this blog by accident (I was Googling to find out what the codes on the back of the bottles meant), and even though I love the beer I agree with all of the criticisms that have been made. The one that described it perfectly for me was “thin, watery and flat” but that’s why I like the beer. I taste a little bit of a chocolate/nutty flavor underneath the thin, watery, flat beer and that’s what I love about it. I purchase 12-packs from my neighborhood liquor store and have never gotten a bad one, but I’ve gotten more than my share of skunky Newcastle bottles at bars. It always happened at bars where it was served but not a very popular beer and there were only a few left.
November 5th, 2009 at 11:11 pm
I like Newkie. I can drink a ton of this stuff in a day and not have any adverse affects the next day. I found this blog post while trying to determine whether Newkie has a low alcohol level. I can’t find the percentage by volume on the bottles I have.
Is it the best? No. But it’s a great week night brew. And it is smooth and not as gassy as other beers.
November 5th, 2009 at 11:16 pm
@ICW – From what I’ve found it’s 4.7% ABV.
.-= Scott-TheBrewClub´s last blog ..Buffalo Bill’s Brewery Pumpkin Ale =-.
November 7th, 2009 at 2:22 pm
Been drinking NEWKY for about 40 yrs after getting totally off my head the first time i tried it. i absolutely love the stuff but would agree with the comments that it is not as good now as in the past, and it is without doubt better in bottles than in cans–but often seems better value in cans than bottles. topping glass up frequently does tend to keep a better head on it and although it can sometimes look drab and uninteresting it has a wonderful taste of its own but definitely an aquired taste. i personally dont see other beers in the same league and never drink anything drink else if NEWKY is available—-but beware if you have an off night it can leave you with a hell of a hangover the next morning—— i think im ready for one now -cheers!
November 19th, 2009 at 11:59 am
i’m looking forward to quaffing down a few tomorrow tonight whence i leave work for the week end; although i do drink other brews on occasions, it seems always i get drawn back into the realm of this newcastle brown ale mystique; tipped slowly into my pint glass with minimal head foam and slide the cooled libation in savory gulps and finishing the first few swallows with a “ahhhhhhhh, that hits the spot” and/or a “…but DAMN that’s a tasty one”. so, currently as it has been for near a year or so, newcastle brown ale has become my brew of choice because it is pretty to look at and a most flavorful ale to drink; to each one’s own.
December 18th, 2009 at 12:21 pm
Wow…I love this stuff. Definitely my beer of choice! Can’t get enough!
December 19th, 2009 at 3:39 pm
My sentiments exactly Dave keep on supping!!
December 22nd, 2009 at 7:45 pm
Does anyone know EXACTLY how strong newkie used to be? I drank it as a a youngster-jawny inta spayce etc. I still remember stories about ” the broon ale ward”. Answers on a post card.
December 22nd, 2009 at 8:29 pm
@Phil, that a good question! Perhaps some of the ‘wisdom enhanced’ people will be able to chime in with the answer!
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January 18th, 2010 at 12:05 am
This beer is certainly better from the tap. The clear bottle provides absolutely no protection from sunlight. The beer sells pretty well in certain places but is still likely to sit for quite some time in your standard grocery store.
Even from the tap, your description of it is fairly accurate. Its a bland beer. Bit of nuttiness and a dab of sweetness and a lot of brown color. Where I live, this is a particularly good beer to convert light-beer drinkers into real beer drinkers. It introduces a couple of basic beer characteristics (outside of hops and water) and mixes them with a fairly dark color. The overall response is that there is a lot more bark than bite to this beer. Still, you can’t get an American to jump from Natty Light to your standard IPA in a day, but this is a decent segue into proper beer from the horrors of light beer.
January 18th, 2010 at 3:22 pm
@Sir Osis of Liver – Love the name! I think you’re right that it could be used as a way to introduce non-beer drinkers to greater beer possibilities. Its general blandness could be an asset in that respect. Heck, at one time I thought this was a pretty good beer too! Good points.
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January 29th, 2010 at 1:15 am
Hi, I just had a Newcastle Brown Ale tonight and was very disappointed, which had me wondering. Is the beer that is exported to the US the same that is sold in England? Because I’ve earlier found Newcastle Brown Ale to be a good beer, it’s not my favourite brown ale(That must be Ale no. 16 from the small Danish brewery Refsvindinge) but I at least remember it to be decent, what I tasted tonight was almost pure water.
January 29th, 2010 at 7:38 am
Norskov, I think I share your sentiments exactly. My memory of this beer was also better than when I tried it last. I do think its the same beer actually. Most people think its better on tap, but otherwise its the same stuff.
.-= Scott-TheBrewClub´s last blog ..Beer Review – St. Peter’s Winter Ale =-.
March 8th, 2010 at 3:50 pm
I like it. Its a safe ale and to me a lot nicer than all them hob goblin type ales. I suppose if u like it drink it, there is no point in a beer review!
p.s. the smell of beer? u lost my trust at this point. Fags smell beer
March 8th, 2010 at 3:52 pm
You’re entitled to your opinion, Rob, but “fags smell beer”? You’ve successfully managed to prove yourself uncouth and classless. Congratulations, and cheers!
.-= The Beer Snob´s last blog ..Flying Fish Brewing Company announces the newest entry in their Big-Bottle Exit Series: Exit 16 Wild Rice IPA =-.
March 8th, 2010 at 5:37 pm
@The Beer Snob. Thanks. I couldn’t have said it better!
@Rob – great point. I suppose you never smell a steak or lobster dinner either, or enjoy the aroma of fresh apple pie or popcorn. If you don’t stop and smell the roses (or the beer) you’re missing out on quite a bit in life. Peace.
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March 11th, 2010 at 2:03 pm
I drink all kinds of beer and tend to like darker brews. Now, I know Newcastle isn’t to everybody’s taste but COME ON! I have to say I really like this stuff and keep it around the house regularly — it is my default beer. Granted it isn’t snooty micro brew stuff or almost as snooty Sam Adams (Okay – I like that too) but it is a fantastic every day beer. Drink it cold and always out of a glass instead of the bottle. Somebody here referred to it as “an excellent lawnmower beer” and I think that is true. I also think that is a very admirable quality in a beer.
Everybody’s tastes differ of course but I make it a choice to A) Never bad mouth a man’s car and B) NEVER bad mouth a man’s beer.
May 26th, 2010 at 3:33 pm
I find all the conversation around this beer fascinating. In my circle of friends Newcastle is widely loved and accepted as a “beer standard” for events. I am a little surprised to see many people dislike it. Kind of like Brian right above me it is a fairly default beer for us.
On the other hand I have definitely had experiences with Newcastle getting skunked. Particularly it’s been left outside on camping trips a few times and got roasted in the sun. We tried to refrigerate and drink a week later and it was absolutely not the same. So it’s possible that’s what was going on also?
.-= Royce´s last blog ..Beer Wednesday: Pipeline Porter by Kona Brewing Co =-.
August 13th, 2010 at 12:17 pm
New Castle has been my “favorite” for some time now. Though I enjoy others, I find myself with New Castle in the cooler most often. Have yet to find a place with it on tap………something I look forward to!
August 13th, 2010 at 1:54 pm
On tap, according to the comments, is much better! Stick around – I think Monday we’re reviewing the Newcastle Summer Ale!
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August 16th, 2011 at 5:15 pm
August 16th, 2011 : I’ve been a drinker of NB some 40yrs. and bought a number of bottles ready for the BBQ season, bad mistake, all bottles were well in date but tasted like dishwater. I contacted customer service, gave the batch number and kept some bottles back as requested. Since then, no response to my e-mails. It would appear that NB Customer Service is as bad as their beer. My friends and I will not be buying this product again
August 16th, 2011 at 5:33 pm
@Paul – that sucks. At least they should stand behind their product. Hey, there’s plenty of other great beers to try in its place!
September 6th, 2011 at 10:13 pm
You need to have a good touch to taste the real taste of this beer.
September 7th, 2011 at 8:18 am
@Jin – I guess I don’t have the touch as I didn’t think there was much taste to this beer!
September 8th, 2011 at 10:02 pm
I just sat down to have a new castle, junk. Weird, other times i have had this beer and loved it. I realized that this time i bought a six pack and last time i bought a twelve pack. The tweleve pack packaging is totally enclosed, no light or very little can get in. The six packs are completely open to light and i really think that is skunking the beer. I will try a 12pack next time, but when it’s good, i think it’s really good. When it’s bad, it’s really bad. I think some of the people on here have only experienced the bad Skunky beer, try a 12 pack and see if you don’t see a change for the wayyyyy better. Definately out of a glass with a high pour, agreed. Just my opinion, which is probably worth what you paid for it.
Slick
September 8th, 2011 at 11:05 pm
@Slick Willy – Thanks for the comment, and you make an excellent point. Aside from it possibly being slightly cheaper, its beyond me why they use clear glass bottles instead of brown. Sure it looks nice, but if it tastes skunky, what’s the point?
October 12th, 2011 at 7:08 pm
the drink, distasteful thats all i have to say.