Newcastle Brown Ale: Dating back to 1927, this is now the best selling bottled beer in Europe, and is one of Britain’s most well-known brews, famous for being the first Northern-style Brown Ale. Jim Porter, the brewer, had tried for five years to produce a beer to rival the clarity and purity of Bass. Even though he failed, he did come up with something new which has been much-copied since. This Northern Brown Ale is not to be confused with the standard British Brown Ale, which is a Mild beer in a bottle.
Expectations of any classic beer are high, but this one disappoints more than most. Drinking it chilled robs it of any character. There is a “nutty delicacy” (Michael Jackson) about it that many drinkers find and enjoy, while others regard it as “the most overrated beer in the world.” (Bov)