Brown ale Brown ale Brown ale is a style of beer with a dark amber or brown colour. The term was first used by London brewers in the late 17th century to describe their products, such as mild ale, though the term had a rather different meaning today. 18th-century brown ales were lightly hopped and brewed from 100% brown malt. Today there are brown ales made in several regions, most notably England, Belgium and America. Other than being top-fermented and having a darker color than pale beers, brown ales share little in common in terms of flavor profile. Beers termed brown ale
Burton Ale was formerly sold as a Burton Ale. Fuller Smith and Turner replaced its Burton ale with a strong bitter [ESB] in 1969 but Fuller's ESB retains something of its Burton Ale heritage and Fuller's 1845 Ale is based on a Burton Ale recipe. Fuller's has also recreated two Old Burton recipes in its Past Masters' series, a 1905 Old London Ale and a 1931 Old Burton Extra (OBE). "Stronger than Mild and darker than Bitter, Burton Old was a particular favourite in London pubs - especially during the colder months." Fuller's OBE has been described by Des de Moor as