Manns Original Brown Ale

Brewed by Thomas Hardy (Burtonwood)
Style: Mild Ale
Burtonwood, England

Bottle @ Craig´s, november 07. Dark, rich ruby color with a medium beige head. Slightly oxidized aroma with some toasted malt notes. Soft, mineral flavor with some nutty notes. Mild. Light palate, with some malts on the back, but tasty for such a light beer. Nice, sessionable mild.

Soft ,smooth caramelly aroma,maybe touches of toffee, a firm but gentle malt sweetness,balanced by the faintest of hops. I’m stunned how enjoyable this was, given its 2.8% ABV . There is nothing is the U.S. even close to this. It so much tasted like an enjoyable ale.Got through a trade with a wonderful, good English doctor I met at Oktoberfest this year

275ml bottle at the Brewery Tap, Wimbledon Village, 11th Sept 2007. Pours a dakr reddish brown. Biscuity malt aroma. Flavoursome and pretty sweet. Very smooth mouthfeel, slightly cloying. Decent, but not spectacular.

[652-20070922] 275mL. Rich toffee caramel malt aroma has a hint of dark chocolate and an underlying sweetness bordering on sickly. Dark brown body with red highlights and a small quick foamy tan head. Rich stouty beef stock gravy flavour has a little smokiness as if barbecued and something like chocolate. Medium body, thinner than anticipated. Lovely flavour but smells out of kilter with it.

Bottle (500ml). From Waitrose. Clear (meaning not cloudy or hazy) deep ruby-brown pour, quite bubbly, a smallish creamy/rocky light tan head. It’s dry, roasty, like roast chestnuts and a little tart persimmon or some such fruit - dried flower-like hops. The taste - it’s sort of cola syrup-like, again dry, faintly reminiscent of Brazilnut shell, but the sweetness builds and the hop profile just isn’t there - and 2.8%? Hell yeah! - this could be a roasty root beer for all the ABV I can detect. Syrupy, fairly flat body, the taste falls off the table so fast I can’t decide if there’s a maltbev aftertaste or not. Not bad, and I’m sure it’s authentic as all hell, but I regret to say I wouldn’t have it again.

Brown disappearing head. Sweet malty and roasted malt nose, dark brown hue. Highly carbonated. Some alcohol. Ultimately quite simple but an amazing feat considering the low level of alcohol.

I have to admit, I had very low expectations for this beer after I found out it was only 2.8% alcohol. A super light beer among light beers. However, I was more then plesantly surprised. In the glass it was as dark as a stout, only minus the foamy head. The aroma was mild, but first and foremost I caught a scent of the hops that makes an ale an ale. The flavor was distinctive with a sort of sweet-malted-toffee undertone, and the finish was downright yummy, with no bitter aftertaste. This is one darn good beer, and incredibly unique. Pour me another. Cheers.

Bottle. Medium brown with minimal head. Aroma was mildly of caramel. This was a bit watery in the mouth, which is unsurprising given the ABV. The flavour was of sweet malt with a touch of hops. Ok.