Newcastle Brown Ale - The Caledonian Brewery Company Limited

andjusticeforale

Connecticut

2.81/5  rDev -16.4%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 2.75

Poured from an oversized bottle into a perfect pint glass.

The head quickly settled into the body and very little residue stuck to the sides.

The aroma was earthy and mineral and decidedly British, with some alcohol in the nose. the beer is a pretty copper-ruby color.

The first taste revealed a pleasantly thick mouth-feel without much carbonation at all, a toasted bread characteristic mid palate, and then, a vinegar-esque bitterness in the finish with a taste of minerals and yeast. No alcohol taste at all. The bitterness remains.

I wouldn't slam this beer- it is full of British nostalgia, and is quite drinkable, especially deep into the six pack.

The color and mouth-feel are standouts here, making the beer almost beautiful and full bodied.
The off flavors and bitterness would be much better replaced with true hop flavor, but until then, its not a bad choice at an outdoor barbecue, or when the alternative is euro lager green or keg beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2013 02:33:35 | More by andjusticeforale

TempeBeerMan

Arizona

1.85/5  rDev -44.9%
look: 2.75 | smell: 1 | taste: 2.25 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1.75

Poured from a bottle into a nonic pint.

A - Crystal clear reddish-brown with a one finger eggshell colored head which disappeared quickly. Minute patches of thin lacing.

S - Ugh. Skunky formaldehyde. Some residual malt sweetness underneath, but the horrible formaldehyde aroma is overpowering. Why, oh why is anyone still bottling beer in clear bottles with everything we know about beer these days ???

T - Some dextrin sweet malts, and grain husks. Tiny amount of earthy and slightly spicy hop in the finish. (actually the hops might be good if the other off flavors weren't taking center stage) Sadly, the light struck odor is also present in the taste. Tastes of adjuncts. Bland, inoffensive.

M - Thin bodied and watery. Also severely under carbonated, to the point of being almost flat.

O - I think this beer would be much better and might be at least drinkable if it wasn't light struck, but as it is....it's swill. Just a horrible misfire on nearly every level with no redeeming qualities. Terrible.

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2013 05:19:11 | More by TempeBeerMan

GerardMota

Mexico

4.2/5  rDev +25%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The foam is lower retention, but i has a good marron color so that´s fine, the smell is more roasty and barely sweet.The taste is well balanced between roast and caramel malts, and mouthfeel is very smooth, i find it quite splendid and it works for me on a hot day cheers!!!

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2013 17:21:15 | More by GerardMota

ThomasMetal75

Massachusetts

4.01/5  rDev +19.3%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A- Bownish-Red. Typical for a brown ale. Nice frothy head that dies to a small amount of lacing around the glass.

S- LIGHT AND REFRESHING SMELL! Lightly roasted malts. Toffee and honey. Sweet. Even a slight spicy note. Very inviting!

T- Tosted malts, toffee and honey like in the smell. Bready-ness overall in the palate. Biscuit perhaps as well? Sweetneess rounds out those flavors nicely, but is not sickly sweet. Hoppy likespice in the finish to balance everything out. Clean taste and finish!

M- Light and watery, but is so flavorful at the same time. Several at a time can be put down.

Overall, I've always liked this beer and I'm liking it now while reviewing it. It's just so easy to put these down. Better than light lagers becuase this is a really flavorful, light bodied beer. If I need a beer to bring to an outing that I can drink all night with no problem whatsoever with flavor, it'll be this!

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2013 04:04:12 | More by ThomasMetal75

sajaffe1

Alabama

3.33/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

A- Clear brown color with a small, light tan head. No retention and minimal amount of lacing.

Smell- Sweet malt, grass, nutty, and a tad skunky likely due to the clear glass

Taste- Caramel malt flavor with some sweetness and nuttiness. A hint of floral hops at the finish.

Mouthfeel- Light bodied and watery for a brown ale. An average amount of carbonation for the style.

Overall- This is just an average brown ale, but better than other macros. It is just slightly above average for a beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2013 03:23:38 | More by sajaffe1

biegaman

Ontario (Canada)

3.05/5  rDev -9.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3

Newcastle indeed looks a 'nut' brown ale, its colour being some blend of chestnut and pecan tones. Despite quickly losing all its foam the beer remains quite the looker; sheeny highlights and spotless clarity really show-off against the light. I see why they put it in a clear bottle.

The aroma has a minimum amount of nutty, toasted maltiness and a needless amount of sweetness; corn syrup is masqueraded as caramel. The difference is plainly apparent and, like using margarine in place of butter, there's just no substituting the real thing. The flavours are vaporous and passive, not engaged. Smells more like an amber ale than nut brown.

That minority of people who were happy finding tootsie-rolls in their trick-or-treat bag is probably the only group likely to find this satisfying. I base this on the beer's bland, penny-candy quality (though its corn syrup/cocoa/condensed milk profile does create an actual tootsie-roll-like flavour). The mouthfeel has a mineral element that tastes copper-y (like old pennies).

The best brown ales finish with a dusting of chocolate-mocha richness - this one has (maybe) a semblance to soft-serve chocolate ice cream but it's more so because of the milky sweetness, not any cocoa-like taste. The brewer used only enough caramel malt so as to lend colour; the taste of plain pale malt is about as captivating as waiting in line at a drive-thru.

Newcastle is a name synonymous with the brown ale style. This should be attributed to the brand's history and no other reason. Presently, it's a brown ale with a lager's outlook on life. The brewery's aim is no longer to produce the best, most flavourful brown ale but, rather, to market a dark(ish) beer that is still insipid enough to have mass-market appeal.

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2013 21:01:49 | More by biegaman

nige4958

California

1.15/5  rDev -65.8%
look: 3 | smell: 1 | taste: 1 | feel: 1 | overall: 1.25

Oh how the mighty have fallen. I remember this beer 20 or so years ago when you could only get it in pint bottles. It tastes nothing like it once did. There is a rather odd aroma that smells like dirty socks. Flavor wise it reminds me of bad home brew. It tastes like it's brewed with a lot of cane sugar. Dry, cidery like finish that's just awful.

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2013 18:44:02 | More by nige4958

scratch69

Missouri

3.18/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 3 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

I poured a bottle into a pint glass.

Appearance- Clear brown color with a half a fingers worth of light tan head. No retention and minimal amount of lacing.

Smell- Sweet malt, grass, nuts, and a little skunky.

Taste- Caramel malt flavor with some sweetness and nuttiness. A hint of floral hops at the finish.

Mouthfeel- Light bodied and watery. An average amount of carbonation.

Overall- This is just an average brown ale. It is not impressive in any way.

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2013 00:29:12 | More by scratch69

leaddog

Alberta (Canada)

3.05/5  rDev -9.2%
look: 3.25 | smell: 2.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

Appearance- Pours a clear chestnut brown with a thin line of bubbly head.

Smell- grass, straw, sweet malts, corn adjuncts.

Taste- Sweet "caramel" like malts followed by the grass with a slight hint of nutiness.

Mouthfeel- Light to medium bodied with moderate carbonation.

Overall- An agreeable English brown ale. There are better examples of the style out there but this one is good for what it is. I wasn't too impressed with the aromas, however, the taste improved my overall thoughts of this beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2013 03:42:53 | More by leaddog

screamking

Ohio

2.7/5  rDev -19.6%
look: 3.25 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.75

12oz bottle poured into snifter.

Appearance-pours red brown with very small light khaki head, mild carbonation. 3.25

Aroma-Carmel, hint of roasted nuts, some light brown sugar, nothing much going on here. 2.5

Taste-light roasted malts, roasted peanut, a little brown sugar, better than aroma but not by much. 2.75

Feel-light bodied, very watery, barely coats palate, aftertaste is brief, as drinkable as water. 2.5

Overall-Wow, I used to love this beer. Revisiting now is kind of eye opening, my palate has came a long way. This beer isn't horrible but its not anything other than beer to drink to get drunk. The flavor is better than most lagers but compared to other brown ales it is falling very far behind. Lots of other fish in the sea.2.75

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2013 22:41:33 | More by screamking

delta490

Virginia

2.76/5  rDev -17.9%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 2.75

Poured a 12 oz. bottle into a Sam Adams glass. Poured a clear, medium-light brown, with almost no head and even less retention or lacing. Aroma is malty, with what I thought smelled like caramel. But there's not a whole lot to it. The taste is about the same. Not much distinctive or notable about it. Oddly enough, it had a nice mouthfeel. There's nothing bad about it, but there's not much to it, either.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2013 09:44:18 | More by delta490

The21ner

3.16/5  rDev -6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

I bought this at my local liquor store for $3.39 + tax (18.6 oz). I heard about this beer so i decided to try it. To be honest i feel a little disappointed. It had a very classic average taste to it. Nothing really impressive. It's not a bad beer, it's just not gooD enough to be my first option.

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2013 21:25:33 | More by The21ner

doktorhops

Australia

2.68/5  rDev -20.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Ahhh, Caledonia, also known as "Scotland", tis a bonnie land of whiskey and tap ales. Newcastle is in England geographically so it is a curiosity that a Scottish brewery should make an English ale and a famous one at that, perhaps Australia should start brewing a New Zealand lager and sell it back to them as their own? They are practically our seventh state. In any case it is what it is - a famous brown ale that I've not tried since 2001, having not been particularly fond of it in the first and I doubt much has changed.

Poured from a 330ml bottle into a nonic pint.

A: Fairly brown body actually... it's in the name, with a chalky white lacing for a head, it looks ok, amber bodied beers are more appealing overall, however from an objective standpoint it's good marks here.

S: Smells a bit like a pub floor (I've mopped a few in my days). There is a malt grain note mixed with hints of yeast, slight fruity hops but that pub floor smell drives home that this may be a mediocre brew... lets see how it goes with the taste before we confirm.

T: It's got a classic array of English ale flavours; nutty, caramel malts, slight sour yeast, light fruity hops in the background and more of a dry than bitter finish. Certainly doesn't taste as bad as it smells which is unexpected. Still not as good as many other English ales I've tried, such as - St Peter's, Old Hooky, Landlord... take your pick.

M: Light(ish) bodied with flat carbonation.

D: A bit of a "meh-beer". There are plenty of superb English ales vying for my attention for me to be remotely be interested in this, and a 6-pack costs $20 which is well overpriced for such an average brew. We sold a lot of Caledonian beers at the bar I worked at in Edinburgh and not a single one of them could hold a candle to the real ale pull tap beers from brewers like Harvestoun, which is telling of the overall state of the market between macro/craft brewers: craft will always trump macro in the battle for my taste-buds.

Food match: A nice hot vindaloo curry will completely overpower the flavour of this brew... which isn't such a bad thing.

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2013 08:20:18 | More by doktorhops

brandonlovesbeer

1.64/5  rDev -51.2%
look: 3 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1.75 | feel: 1 | overall: 1.5

COLOR: Medium Amber

BOTTLE CODE: None

COST:
Varies depending on where you buy it. But it ranges anywhere from $11.99 to $16.59 for a 6 pack.

Availability:
12 oz bottles, 12oz Cans, Draft

POUR:
Depending on how vigorously you pour the beer, the head will be somewhere between nonexistent and 1/2 pinky finger. But it only sticks around for a brief period of time then dissipates.

LOOK:
Crystal clear. Light carbonation. It doesn't look like any brown ale I've ever had. The color was more like a dirty Budweiser.

AROMA:
Very fruity smelling beer. Just like most English ales. There’s a malt sweetness that is very present in the aroma, but nothing over the top. There’s a light breadiness that evens out the malt sweetness.

TASTE:
The first thing your going to notice is that there’s absolutely NO hop character in this beer, which goes right along with the English Brown Ale style.
The bitterness is only slightly noticeable in the aftertaste, which only sticks around on the back of your tongue for about a minute then disappears.
There’s no alcohol taste or presence in this beer. But I wouldn’t expect that from a 4.7% beer.
The pronounced English fruitiness is ever-present in the taste, and is one of the only redeeming qualities about this beer.

Surprisingly, in the bottle that I reviewed, there was none of that Import-Clear-Bottle-Skunkiness. This was certainly refreshing, as I’ve never had a bottle of Newcastle that wasn’t completely skunked.

Is it Worth the Money? "No"
This beer was on sale at my local grocery store for $12.99 for a 12 pack. That’s down from it’s normal price of $16.59. However, it’s normal price at my local beer and wine store was only $11.99.

I just can’t see myself paying nearly $18.00 (after tax) for the regular grocery store price. Not when it’s only $11.99 down the street.

Since there’s such a wide price-range on this beer, if your heart is dead set on buying Newcastle, seek out the best price. Don’t just go to your favorite grocery store and lay down nearly $18 when it can be much cheaper at another store. This is just too over priced for what it’s delivering to the senses.

VERDICT: "C-"
I feel like the flavors and aromas are so light and muted that this beer just isn’t bringing much to the table.

If you’re looking for a flavorful beer that you can drink quite a few of, this is not the beer for you. It doesn’t really taste like much. However, yes you can drink a ton of them and not even get buzzed.

Although, I guess you could consider this a nice transitional beer for someone looking to dip their toes into the craft beer world. But would I call this a craft beer? Definitely not.

This is what I consider the English equivalent to a Budweiser looking like. It doesn’t taste like much but because of it’s worldwide hype, everyone wants to drink it.

If I’m going to spend nearly $18 on a 12pk of anything, it’s going to be something like Sam Adams or Sierra Nevada or another more flavorful beer than this. Something that I can sit back and relax and have one or two and be completely satisfied. Newcastle just doesn’t give me that sense of satisfaction.

This almost feels like a novelty beer to me. For example:

A point of advice when shopping for this beer...
I’ve always complained about how this beer usually has that clear bottle import skunkiness like Heineken and Corona. But as long as you don’t buy it off the shelf where it’s been sitting in direct light (even fluorescent light), then you should be alright. Personally, I always get the pack that’s all the way on the back of the shelf.
Always buy the 12 pack of bottles or the cans because the packaging shields the beer from the harmful rays. If you buy the 6 packs, there is more surface area exposed to the light which will skunk the beer faster.

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2013 05:10:45 | More by brandonlovesbeer

jjamadorphd

Florida

3.78/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 4

Newcastle Brown Ale is one of those beers that I've had in the past, enjoyed, and was able to partake of recently and still enjoyed after all the time that had past.

I really do like the brown color to this beer - a burnt caramel is what I would call it. The smell was mostly a muted mix of the normal barley and malts, but at least it wasn't overpowering. The beer can pour a tall head if your not careful, and has you would think, it had little staying power. Surprisingly, the lacing was very evident and stuck all the way down the glass. Mouthfeel was like most others, a high level of carbonation evident the moment it hits your tongue. What really stands out is the smooth taste of the dark ale, it was very, very drinkable - that just stands out to me. Overall I really do like this beer - strong taste, little after affect, and was simply happy to be reunited.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2013 01:56:47 | More by jjamadorphd

MikeAAL

Wisconsin

3.55/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75

My friend swears by it, it's his favorite beer.

This is a very beautiful beer. It has a reddish brown color to it. A very nice head that lasts quite a while and also very nice lacing. Probably the prettiest beer I've seen.

Smells fruity, nutty and of roasted malts.

The first thing I notice is the taste of caramel and roasted malts. It has a light body. A fruity and nutty taste to it. It left me with an crisp, clean aftertaste. The downside of this beer is that almost every bottle I've had has been a little skunky. Newcastle needs to start using brown bottles, at least for the beer they export.

It's a very smooth beer. Pretty watery, lacks thickness. Medium carbonation. Very drinkable though.

It's alright. I think it's pretty mediocre for a brown ale. I prefer New Glarus Fat Squirrel over it.

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2013 21:17:57 | More by MikeAAL

Darkmagus82

Montana

3.31/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

Poured from bottle into pint glass

Appearance – Pours a medium brown colored brew with a one finger off white head. The head fades relatively quickly to leave a medium level of lacing.

Smell – The smell is heaviest of a mix of sweet caramel and some roasted malt. Mixed with these smells are a light herbal and grassy hop smell.

Taste –The taste starts out of sweet caramel malt up front. Some roasted malt flavors develop more toward the middle of the taste. At the same time a decent nuttiness comes at the expense of a bit of the sweet. In the end with the advent of some grassy hop tastes, a mildly sweet and light roasted nut flavor is left on the tongue.

Mouthfeel – The body of the brew is a bit on the lower side in terms of its creaminess with a carbonation level that was a little on the higher side. The higher carbonation was rather nice for the sweeter flavors of the brew, and matched the lighter body of it, although I think a creamier body would have been better for the nutty and roasted flavors. Overall the mouthfeel was a decent compromise between the sweet caramel and drinkability and the roasted and nut flavors.

Overall –An alight more sessionable brown ale.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2013 16:33:20 | More by Darkmagus82

Sparkyinsurf

3.43/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

A: clear dark red "brown" ale. Carbonation is a little weak, try and make a bold pour and the head will be perfect.

S: smell is very faint and light

T: goes down smooth and without any bitterness or sweetness, a pretty much refreshingly deep taste. A dark beer version of coors light.

O: great daytime beer a little short of substance if you we're to only have one but if you have two, it hits the spot.

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2013 01:39:43 | More by Sparkyinsurf

garuda

Pennsylvania

2.98/5  rDev -11.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

A - Chestnut, clear, white head has some retention and lacing.

S/T - Sweet bready, grainy malts, nutty, slight earthy hops, a little metallic flavor in the finish.

M - Medium/light body, medium carbonation level is a touch too high.

O - Surprisingly average. For whatever reason I was expecting worse, but it turned out to be drinkable and not too bad. Mouthfeel just lacks a little bit.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2012 18:56:20 | More by garuda

sndleight

3.83/5  rDev +14%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This was the first beer I ever truly loved.
It has an average smell really. I much dont care about how a beer smells.
The first taste is bitter but every taste after that is where the true flavor comes in.
It has a smooth mouthfeel.
The appearance is excellent.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2012 01:46:18 | More by sndleight

hoppytobehere

Colorado

2.8/5  rDev -16.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Someone left these in my fridge. Contemplated a drain-pour, but what the hell.

A: Fast pour into a glass. Brown/mohogany color. Clear. Decent head and retention.

S: Euro macro beer. Not unpleasant though.

T: Water, caramel malt. Skunky.

M: A little low in the carbonation dept. Pretty unoffensive brew.

O: Before the craft beer wave, this was one of my treasured brews. There's the nostalgia factor going on for me. Otherwise, it's a waste of time.

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2012 02:54:54 | More by hoppytobehere

johnnipe

4.43/5  rDev +31.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Love the color and how it pours into a glass. Since I drink mainly dark beers and ale, I want a good hops taste and this ale does not disappoint. I keep one or two on hand when I want something stout and since I drink less than a beer a week, I want it to be special when I open it.

Serving type: bottle

12-10-2012 19:16:42 | More by johnnipe

sam_bliss

Washington

3.35/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pint glass

A- Deep dark reddish brown. One-finger head and tiny bubbles all up the side of the glass. Surprisingly translucent for such a dark beer.

S- At first only sweet and toasted malts come through, but as the head dissipates some grassy hops and golden grains work into the aroma.

T- Nuttiness is surrounded by smoky malt, caramel-y malt, toasty malt, and even a bit of chocolate malt. Hops are in the background, mostly citrus.

M- A little thin, but the carbonation feels good and the aftertaste is pleasant and mild.

D- Quite drinkable for a brown ale. Pace yourself and go all night if you have a lot on hand and no alternatives.

I like it, but don't love it. Thanks England, for inventing the style and shipping me this brew via White Plains, NY!

Serving type: bottle

11-20-2012 07:03:20 | More by sam_bliss

TheMultiYeast

Pennsylvania

3.45/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Found this in the back of my dads fridge..

Pours clear dark brown with no head.

Sweet, malty, caramel, slightly fruity

Taste is also malt forward, pretty sweet, grainy cereal, mild bitterness

Soda-like feel and carbonation

Nothing too complex going here. Basic stuff...skipper

Serving type: bottle

11-18-2012 18:30:36 | More by TheMultiYeast

DocJitsu

California

3.28/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a clear, dark copper amber color, with a short off-white head. Plum and tart dark fruit nose. If you didn't tell me what this beer was and simply put it under my nose, I'd tell you it was British. Mouthfeel is medium-bodied and wet with a little carbonation toward the finish. Midway between tart and sweet dark fruit flavor. A little roasted malt to help cut the fruitiness. Not a bad swiller.

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2012 04:04:12 | More by DocJitsu