The Englishman is one of our most popular beers and was released in March of 2014 in draft only, followed by 16 oz pint cans in early May of 2014.
Englishman is a Southern English Brown Ale, and is considered a traditional pub beer in the London and surrounding areas of the United Kingdom.
Southern English Brown Ale, or London Brown Ale as it is sometimes called, is a relatively recent style of English beer. Throughout the ages, all English beers were brown so there was no need to label the obvious. With the advent of coke as a fuel and the drum roaster as a tool, malts became lighter and more distinct in character. The maltster was able to dry and toast the malt without contact with the fuel. This allowed the flavor of the malt to come through in the finished beer. No longer were the beers harsh and smoky in character. The malsters were able to produce black malts such as black patent, and with the new control over the malt's color and character, many other malts such as caramel, brown, and pale malt were produced as well.
Today, most brown ales in England are similar to the original Newcastle recipe, although the beers from the south (Southern English Brown Ales or London Ales) are somewhat sweeter, darker, less hoppy and less alcoholic. Outside of our Englishman Southern Brown, very few commercial examples of Southern English Brown ale exist in the United States. London or Southern English Brown ales are malty beers with fairly low bitterness. They have a sweet caramel flavor, are usually dark in color and have some dark fruit (such as raisin or fig) flavors. It is often considered a smaller version of a sweet stout, or a sweet version of dark mild ale.
· Aroma: The aroma of a Southern English Brown is malty-sweet, often with a rich, caramel or toffee-like character. Its nose is moderately fruity, and often has notes of dark fruits such as plums and/or raisins. It will have very low to no hop aroma and no diacetyl.
· Appearance: The color should be light to dark brown, and can be almost black if a lot of dark specialty malts are used. It is almost opaque but should be relatively clear. The grain bill will leave a low to moderate off-white to tan head.
· Flavor: Southern English Brown ales have a discerning, caramel- or toffee-like malty sweetness that lasts into the finish. From the English base malt you should notice hints of biscuit and coffee and there may be a moderate dark fruit complexity from the specialty malts used. The hop bitterness should be low and hop flavor low to non-existent. There should be little or no perceivable roasty or bitter black malt flavor as in a stout. The beer should have a moderately sweet finish with a smooth, malty aftertaste. Low levels of diacetyl are acceptable.
· Mouthfeel: This beer usually has a medium body, although the residual sweetness may give the impression of a bigger beer. It will exhibit low to moderately-low carbonation with a texture that is very creamy and smooth, particularly for its low gravity.
· Overall Impression: This is a luscious, malt-oriented brown ale, with a caramel, dark fruit complexity of malt flavors.
The Englishman is brewed using Maris Otter malts and Belgium Special B malts with our proprietary water process to create a smooth and delicious beer that complements steaks, burgers, and BBQ.
