Belgian brown beer

Brown specialty beer

When you think of brown beer, you immediately think of a dark beer in a cozy cafe. Brown beer has a brown color, yes… clearly! But what else do we know about this beer? I'll take you with me and we'll dive into the brown beer together.

What is brown beer?

Brown beer is not actually a standalone beer style. It is a term for all beers with a brown color. In England and America, 'Brown Ale' is a distinct type of beer. In Belgium, most brown beers are called dubbel; dubbel beer is a classic Belgian beer style. Brown beer originated in England; the brown beers back then were much stronger than we know them today.

Brown beer was traditionally always brewed with dark malt. Nowadays, the base of the beer is often pale malt and dark malt is added to it. The dark malt provides the characteristic taste and dark color.

Old brown beer

In Belgium, a specific beer style developed, a version of the brown beer. This became known as Old Brown. This beer undergoes a longer maturation and has a more sour taste. Oud Bruin beer is known for maturing in wooden barrels, where the beer develops its unique taste. It is characterized by a distinct taste where sweet and sour are balanced, with hints of caramel and fruity notes.

Flemish Oud Bruin beer is quickly confused with Dutch Oud Bruin beer. But there is a definite difference. I advise you to taste them side by side, you will be surprised by the taste differences. Dutch old brown used to not have enough time to ferment, so residual sugars remained. Nowadays this beer is artificially sweetened, so it has a predominant sweet taste. This is the biggest difference with Belgian Oud Bruin beer

Taste of brown beer

The taste of a Belgian double is sweet and malty. This taste is reminiscent of chocolate and nuts, this is due to the dark malt. With Oud Bruin beer you can better describe the taste as a balance between a sweet and sour taste.

Color of brown beer

The color of brown beer varies from amber to a deep brown color. The exact color differs per type of beer

Fancy a brown beer?

Brown beer is a beer style in America and England; in our region, it is an umbrella term for all beers with a brown color. Are you a brown beer enthusiast? Then I can certainly recommend our brown beer package . What do you consider the best brown beers?

Cheers!