Historical Beer - Historical Beer - London Brown Ale

Name

Historical Beer - London Brown Ale

Category

Historical Beer

The Historical Beer category contains styles that either have all but died out in modern times, or that were much more popular in past times and are now known only through recreations. This category can also be used for traditional or indigenous beers of cultural importance within certain countries. Placing a beer in the historical category does not imply that it is not currently being produced, just that it is a very minor style or perhaps is in the process of rediscovery by craft brewers.
Historical Beer can be a minor style, currently commercially produced or not, that is not present in the Style Guidelines as a Classic Style. It could be that we haven’t heard of it, that we never see it in competition, or that we have insufficient data to prepare a reasonable set of judging guidelines. If it is a style with a name that is or was actually used, then it likely goes into this category. This style is not for experimental beers that were never produced, or for other Classic Styles with added Specialty-Type ingredients.
Any Historical Beer listed in this category or contained on the Provisional Style list is considered a Classic Style for purposes of entering in Specialty-Type beer categories with added ingredients (fruit, spice, wood, smoke, etc.). This means a Historical Style beer can be used as a base style for Specialty-Type beers without automatically making the beer Experimental.
The BJCP welcomes well-researched submissions of Historical Styles that may be appropriate for our Provisional Styles list on our website, or for a future inclusion in these Guidelines.
entryinstructions: The entrant must either specify a style with a BJCP-supplied description from the list below, or specify a different historical beer style that is not described elsewhere in these guidelines. In the case of a style that has changed substantially over the years (such as Porter or Stout), the entrant may specify an existing BJCP style as well as an era (e.g., 1820 English Porter). When the entrant specifies any style not on the BJCP-supplied list in this category or on the Provisional Style list, the entrant must provide a description of the style for the judges in sufficient detail to allow the beer to be judged. If a beer is entered with just a style name and no description, it is very unlikely that judges will understand how to judge it. Currently defined examples: Kellerbier, Kentucky Common, Lichtenhainer, London Brown Ale, Piwo Grodziskie, Pre-Prohibition Lager, Pre-Prohibition Porter, Roggenbier, Sahti.

Guidelines

Impression

A luscious, sweet, malty, low-alcohol dark brown ale, with caramel and toffee malt complexity and a sweet-tasting finish.

Aroma

Moderate malty-sweet aroma, often with a rich, caramel, or toffee-like character. Low to medium fruity esters, often dark fruit like plums. Very low earthy or floral hop aroma optional.

Appearance

Medium to very dark brown color, but can be almost black. Nearly opaque, although should be relatively clear if visible. Low to moderate off-white to tan head.

Flavor

Deep, caramel or toffee sweet malty flavor on the palate, lasting into the finish, often with hints of biscuit and coffee. Some dark fruit esters can be present; relatively clean fermentation profile for an English ale. Low bitterness. Low earthy or floral hop flavor optional, but rare. Moderately-low roasty or bitter black malt flavor optional. Moderately sweet finish with a smooth, malty aftertaste. May have a sugary-sweet flavor.

Mouth Feel

Medium body, but the residual sweetness may give a heavier impression. Medium-low to medium carbonation. Quite creamy and smooth in texture, particularly for its gravity.

Comments

Increasingly rare; Mann’s has over 90% market share in Britain, but in a vanishingly small segment. Always bottled. Frequently used as a sweet mixer with cask mild and bitter in pubs. Commercial versions can be pasteurized and back-sweetened, which gives more of a sugary-sweet flavor.

History

Developed by Mann’s as a bottled product in 1902. Claimed at the time to be “the sweetest beer in London.” Pre-WWI versions were around 5% ABV, but same general balance. Declined in popularity in second half of 20th century, and now nearly extinct.

Ingredients

English pale ale malt as a base with a large proportion of darker caramel malts and often some black and wheat malts (this is Mann’s traditional grist – others can rely on dark sugars for color and flavor). Moderate to high carbonate water. English hops. Post-fermentation sweetening with lactose or artificial sweeteners, or sucrose, if pasteurized.

Comparison

May seem somewhat like a less roasty version of a Sweet Stout (and lower-gravity, at least for US sweet stout examples) or a sweet version of a Dark Mild.

Statistics

Type	Min	Max
OG	1.033	1.038
FG	1.012	1.015
IBU	15	20
SRM	22	35
ABV	2.8	3.6

Commercial Examples

• Harveys Bloomsbury Brown Ale
• Mann’s Brown Ale

Tags

• session-strength
• dark-color
• top-fermented
• british-isles
• historical-style
• brown-ale-family
• malty
• sweet