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Styles · London Brown Ale

Beer style · BJCP 2021 27C

London Brown Ale

Historical Beer

Published ranges These are the ranges the BJCP 2021 guidelines publish for this style.

Original gravity
1.033–1.038
Final gravity
1.012–1.015
Bitterness
15–20 IBU
Color
22–35 SRM (43–69 EBC)
Alcohol
2.8–3.6 % ABV

What it is

A very low-gravity, distinctly sweet dark brown ale from southern England, full of caramel and toffee with only a whisper of roast. The residual sweetness and low attenuation are the point; hops appear only to keep it from cloying.

Flavor

What a London Brown Ale should taste like, on the three wheels the studio scores every recipe against. The shaded ring is the style’s range on each axis, from 0 at the center to 5 at the edge.

Hops

Hops stay in the background: none of their character belongs.

Malt

Caramel and sweet/honey, with room for grainy, dark fruit, chocolate, toasty, coffee/roast or nutty.

Fermentation

Clean and fruity esters.

Hops that suit it

The traditional choice

What London Brown Ale has classically been brewed with.

Nothing else on character: the hops here are there for bitterness and balance, and any variety whose aroma you would notice is out of place.

Yeasts that suit it

Strains the lab made for beers like this one, whose fermentation character sits inside the style’s wheel. A strain sold by several labs is listed once; its page names the others.

And 95 more yeasts whose character fits. These are the 24 that fit best.

Style numbers, names and vital statistics are from the BJCP 2021 Beer Style Guidelines, where you will find the official descriptions. The descriptions and flavor wheels here are Beerwright’s own. Beerwright is not affiliated with or endorsed by the BJCP.