This is my new choice. Cant believe they would do this Theyre losing a life-long customer in me. 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 . In order to achieve this goal, we may collect information from you. My favorite beer for so many years! Boo!!!!!!!! Lets make it like other crap beers but still have that microbrewery feel to it. Bass Pale Ale. I couldnt even finish the first bottle, so the rest is going down the toilet; I wont subject my sink to this swill. I was over the moon when i moved to the USA and could get Newcastle, now i will never ever buy this rubbish again IDIOTS! What kind of idiot factory are you guys running over there? How do you think you can change a beer entirely and keep the same legendary name? There is a great brewery in the Tampa are, Big Storm Brewing, they have a great lineup, my favorite is WaveMaker. I was a NBA fan, but always open minded and willing to find and appreciate new quality brew. I dont see how they can even keep the name when it isnt the same beer. We said, Lets keep the soul intact.. I still dont understand why they did what the have, but as a result anytime I see anything with Lagunitas on it, I run the other direction as fast as I can. Im beyond upset.smh. Writing from Newcastle UK here guys let me tell you forget Newcastle Brown Ale, its a goner and has been ever since they stopped brewing it here. Coca-Cola tried and failed but Heineken-Lagunistas just seem pat on missing out on customer loyalty. We all got together for a party last weekend and to a man agreed that the new recipe is trash. Lets make them fix this and bring back our beloved Newcastle recipe!! A refreshing ale best served cold in a unique schooner glass. & Chicago, IL. The new Newcastle Brown Ale is disgusting! What just happened? I so zero benefit to hanging the flavor of a well established, well liked brand. You completely changed the beer. Equally disappointed. Terrible and way out of the lane for a ale drinker like me. Will NOT be purchasing this, nor anything by Lagunitas and, if I can help it, anything from the Heineken conglomerate. Its iconic 550ml bottles, at 4.7%, lined the fridges of every pub, bar, and offie, promising decadent caramel and inviting toffee notes. Fucking disgrace. Its possible and I heard that too. The Lagunitas version is almost, but not quite, entirely unlike Newcastle Brown Ale. I dumped almost my entire bottle out and now have 5 full bottles taking up space in my fridge until I can find some dim witted craft beer aficionado stupid enough to drink it. Michael, I cant add to anything you said. All in all, I was a loyal customer of that brand BECAUSE of its Englishness, the flavor, the pour, the look. Thats not a thing anymore. The new New Castle Sucks!! By the way, the new packaging is as cheap and shitty as your beer! How long will these douchebags live in fantasy and denial before they get a clue and bring back the real formula? I will be complaining anywhere I see this and ANY lagunitas beer always. It just looks wrong in brown bottles. Chocolate and caramel notes are moderate, making this. The brand will continue to be marketed . . Now I can no longer enjoy Newcastle. Let another brewery make and bottle NCBA by following the original recipe. It was earlier this year that I discovered that a favorite beverage of mine had been runined and left comments here. It is so far from the original. This new recipe brings the word insipid to mind. From 1927 to 2005 it was brewed at The Tyne Brewery in Newcastle Is it true that HEINEKEN is producing Old Newcastle for sale in Europe but not in the USA? And yes, they were as good as ever! There are no guarantees that a petition would be accepted, but it always helps to organize and document numbers. Working on last 12 pack ever! I kept saying, why does this Newcastle taste like shit? Will never buy either beer again: unless the old one is brought back. Let me know if you ever fix the Newcastle beer. Check Availability. Newcastle Brown Ale, a brew created by Col. James Porter in 1920, was first produced. newcastle was the only thing I drank for the last 25+ years. Nike SB Dunk Low. The sale of bottled beers began to fall off in the late 1970s. "Newcastle Brown Ale Clone" Northern English Brown beer recipe by jeffpn. I will never buy or drink New Castle again. All i find is the new version. Your new Newcastle is really disappointing. If Lagunitas wanted to make a brown ale, fine call it Lagunitas Brown Ale. What have you done?!? Place Bid. And Smithwicks? Im a fan of Boddingtons and New Castle. There are now many similar options out there, some only local or regional. I went to all the stores in my city when I noticed the change and bought up all the old stock of original Newcastle, but now Im about out and need to figure out what to do. Total dumbass move. For everyone still commenting that they hate the new New Castle, please go here to sign a petition to return to the original recipe: https://www.change.org/p/heineken-usa-bring-classic-newcastle-brown-ale-back. This is just terrible. This isn't as bitter as it could be. Kyle Swartz. Plus it has more alcohol so I am forced to drink less. I replied after the first comment to add my disgust with the decision to change an otherwise perfect beer. Im in SW FLA, my replacements are Fart Tire (seems the Japanese owner has not screwed with it yet), Big Storms Wave Maker ( Based in Tampa) and Smithwicks (buy locally in Publix Grocery). Could someone recommend another English Ale that I might buy instead? Youve probably sales have probably dropped by 75% and lost your customers most loyal to Newcastle. Then I closely read the bottle. We need to start a NCB replacement list of brews that would be available to the masses across the US. Can we move it back to the Netherlands? A candy, banana fruitiness is also present. Wife brought some home the other day Hmm new label. I will now look for a new beer to enjoy. I complained to Heineken and they sent me a check for $7.00. Talk about larceny by false pretenses, Lagunitas lying to your customers and taking their money. The whole point of enjoying original (imported from Holland) Newcastle, was the flavor and followup. If you want to taste good British ales then come to see us youll love the beer scene here but stay clear of the factory shit the media moguls are trying to sell you. Newcastle was my only beer. Bought a six pack, not knowing of the recipe change. Bring back the real Broon! Newcastle Brown Ale is also now an all-malt beer, made with Lagunitas house malt. Just because you own the brand what makes you think you improve what has been made and appreciated for scores of years. Are there any lawyers following this thread? BREWERIANA - NEWCASTLE BROWN ALE - SERVE COOL - BEER MAT - T22. 65 years old grew up in newcastle. Lot of people found the taste and experience disgusting tbh. Its a shame no one at Heineken understands that the original Newcastle is what will succeed. Thats just plain stupid. It was my go to beer with meals and didnt weigh you down on Summer days. Found a twelver of the original stuff at the local store, currently drinking the last of the original. I think it sucks. This was a terrible mistake and this change will prove to be a huge loss for them. My fucking favorite beer in that nice looking clear bottle. F!! Way to turn an old favorite into generic crap. This reintroduced Newcastle blows! I tried the new Newcastle a little hoppy for my taste. Thanks Jim for the link to change.org. To answer the question in this articles title (Hows It Taste?), in a word: ruined. If wanted to make another brown ale and put your own stamp on do it but please do not market the drink you make as Newcastle Brown Ale, it is Not Newcastle Brown Ale and never will be. It was very disappointing. The only substitute I can find that is somewhat similar in taste and easy to find is Irish Smithwicks. I just got some and was pretty much duped by the label. The one and only was sweet and I lived off it. And I will not drink this nor will I EVER buy a lugintas product for the rest of my life. Now, the problem. Quick buy. Thought this was a batch gone bad and took it back for a refund. Now a word on the Lagunitas Brewery tour. Colloquially known as 'Newkie Brown', Newcastle Brown Ale was launched in 1927 by Colonel Jim Porter with UK sales peaking in the early 1970s. Newcastle Brown Ale is a full-flavoured smooth ale with refreshing lightness. I cannot imagine that there would be enough millenials out there who would buy this new trashy recipe that they would both replace and exceed the loyal fan base of the original NBA. When sales improve, the brand may consider extensions. Please please bring back the original recipe. What the hell is the mater with some businesses when take over some the first thing they think they have to do is fix it, hey dumbasses if its not broke DONT fix it!!!!!! Before this, Newcastle was the beer by which all others were judged. I want my Brown Ale back. 5 L. From $23.49. Will never buy this beer again: unless the old one is brought back. Production was moved out of Tyneside to North Yorkshire in 2007 by current owner Heineken. It is very similar to the manner that Aloha Beer has been marketed as a local Hawaiian beer although it is brewed and bottled on the mainland. Yes, Newcastle was never an award winner as advertised. It also delivers rich, sweet flavors while weighing in at far fewer calories/carbs than many other ales. . For Gods sake. [3] In the mean time people have mentiioned a few replacements, however most seem regional and pretty difficult to obtain. Why are all Ceos, etc. New Belgium brewery has several different offerings starting with Fat Tire and have a very wide distribution network across the US. It really was unique though. Bad business decision because your core Newcastle lovers are what keeps your sales up. If anyone has any suggestions for something better or a better match, please feel free to reply to this note and let me know. I miss the old recipe, and I wish it was back to that, but its not terrible. PLEASE!!!!! my favorite and only the one and only beer for over 30 years. I just threw out 4 bottles. Its not even close. Newcastle Brown Ale 5 Ltr Keg. Its not even so much that this new formula is a bad beer but Newcastle had such a unique taste and flavor and was so smooth and drinkable, and thats exactly what I wanted this early autumn evening. It has a very bitter after taste like an IPA. Yup. Just wish they hadnt chosen my favorite beer to f**k with. IF IT AINT BROKE DONT FIX IT DUMB ASS. Thats what the new recipe tastes like to me. Give the people what they want again!!!! Huge fan most of my life. Everybody I ran into doing the same, swore NOT to buy the new nasty tasting Lagunitas-made Newcastle. Maybe one of our friends from the great white north can confirm for us? Americans would puke if they tasted the good stuff from way back Especially if served at room temperature like it used to be. Newcastle had been my go-to beer for years. This is not Newcastle. Why would they change Newcastle ? Newcastle Brown Ale was first released in 1927 and celebrates its 95th anniversary in 2022 By Chris Robinson BBC News Many a bottle will be opened to toast the new year, but for one group of. https://www.change.org/p/heineken-usa-bring-classic-newcastle-brown-ale-back. It just tastes like bad coffee to me. For starters, its less sweet. Dammit! Maybe we can all figure out how to ship it to us directly from U.K. Well add me to the lengthy list of the disappointed. Now I cant even finish one! This is sad, sub par and patently ridiculous. Lagunitas would have been better off developing their own English brown ale and selling that, rather than sully the name of what was once a cracking beer by peddling its corpse. Please sell the old recipe to someone who loves beer. Cant fix stupidity. I totally agree. This will eventually fail, and the Newcastle name will be lost. Laguntas and Heineken you should be ashamed of yourselves. Expecting smooth light carbonation and slightly sweet, clean finish. Drank Newky Brune since I was 14 growing up in the Northeast of England. It was the only beer my wife would drink. . Shame on you, Lagunitas, for ruining a beer that has been part of so many fond memories for me for decades. This was a delicious smooth lightly carbonated slightly sweet malty all day drinkable Ale, now its not, now its like most other craft brews. But leave Newcastle Brown out of it, it has nothing to do with this. Theyve lost a lifetime customer. Some one seriously needs their asses kicked for this. or Best Offer. I loved the 1970s to 1990s version. Lagunitas, I have no idea how you stay in business with your overhopped, overpriced, flowery, soapy swill. Major miss by your executive team. I cannot express fully just how upset I am about this. Over there in the USA youve got masses of great local breweries all producing far better brews than this multi national factory brewed crap use your local brewery I know the States and I know that the beer you produce is excellent stuff. I gave it a shot and, well, Im done. Theyve always been like this and always will be. Go back to the old one. Bring the original dog back. In their mind, they did a really great thing and the world is soon going to love them for it. So Heineken is in the process of destroying New Castle Brown Ale. The worse thing about this bastard of a classic is that I paid money for it, only to dump it. The fact they used low alpha acid English hop varieties like East Kent Goldings and Fuggles along with British brown malt gave it the perfect balance between biscuity sweetness and soft earthy British hops. what is this new garbage. We have noticed the shelves are full of the new Newcastle because nobody will buy this crap. Completely ruined it. If you do not agree to these terms, do not use the services. newcastle has been growing in availability and popularity in midwest now it has been changed into a mass produced overly hoppy run of the mill home brew Totally fooled me. Ale, now brewed by the Lagunitas Brewing Company in Petaluma, CA. Local, Free, & Flat Rate Shipping Available Most Ship Orders Within 24 hrs. How was it? This is now the worst beer on the market. No frills, slightly sweet, and beautiful on a hot summer day. I found Shiner Bock to be the closed Made in USA brew to Newcastle Brown. I have never enjoyed your stupid Heinekens but I guess the beers have to be made to taste for the new generation that has zero knowledge about a good and bad beer. Different taste, different color, couldnt even leave the bottle alone. Started out with Smithwicks. The flavor change occurred around 2018 when Lagunitas took over the brand and ruined it with their master brewers hoppy recipe reformulation. I had not bought in a whilehad looked for the old brown box and just didnt see it..found it finally in yellowkinda wish I hadnt. As many others have said, it was my favorite beer for many years. I tasted the New Castle which is my all time favorite beer and immediately notice the taste was different. There are plenty of great ales on the store shelves which will see an increase in sales because we will Not be buying Newcastle again. Two that I have been on for a while are Fat Tire, and one from Tampa area Big Storm Brewings Wave Runner. Hopefully Lagunitas goes out of business soon. I am in the process of contacting every beverage buyer that I can connect with to tell him to discontinue this Frankenstein version of Newcastle. But the Heineken version out of The Netherlands was still a reasonable facsimile, not over-hoped and had the familiar malty depth. I get home crack one open and.omg.noplease no. Yup moved on to Smithwicks. Bombard away! It could have been millions or more. Reimagined the classic blah blah blah. My wife bought a 12 pack thinking it was the same beer with a new label. It has been brewed in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, since April 1927 by Newcastle Breweries. Im a southern California woman that has been drinking the original Newcastle beer for over 20 years. Bass has a long history dating back to 1777, and it is still brewed in the same traditional way today. Two breweries owned by Heineken USA are collaborating. You dont change the recipe on a beer! The new recipe is garbage. New Newcastle is awful. The label should say New and not improved to be factual I assume that this swill will be pulled once sales decline, but you have lost the trust of fans of the original and best of luck on getting them back. Hopefully I can still buy the original recipe online and the Lagunitas Brewery here in Petaluma CA burns to the ground Follow-Us. and thats being nice. I dont drink beer too often and now I probably wont hardly ever again after this. Menu. People like me drink NBA because we hate micro-brews because of the awful aftertaste it leaves in your mouth. Eat a fat prick Lagunitas for fucking up another great and time-honored recipe! Email. I thought I had got a bad batch, now I know that they ruined Newcastle. $7? One more customer lost. All I have to say is why would you throw out hundreds of years of sucess? Im in beer mourning. Newcastle Brown is paler and drier than the Southern version, and uses only crystal malt with the pale malt base. Thanks for ruining my favorite beer. Bring back the original new castle and trade this new recipe for a horse and shoot it! Both brands are owned by Heineken, which made the switch as part of the U.S. relaunch of Newcastle Brown Ale. My new go to brew is Smithwicks. Its not Newcastle anymore. I did send fairly stern messages to Heineken (no response) and the new, fake Newcastle Brown Ale which I assume just goes to Lagunitas. We dont drink IPAs and this is too bitter. Heck, when Im in London, I still have a hard time finding English ales. I bought a second one a couple weeks later and it was NASTY. I have been a Newcastle Brown drinker since the mid 80s. I also really loved to get it in the mini keg when available and have it on draft. Near perfection totally destroyed. New Newcastle sucks. I hope that when new Newcastle fails , which it surly must, they bring back old Newcastle and accept the profits from us hard core fans! You guys are freaking hilarious! Why any sane person would change a beer recipe that was as established, beloved by millions, and successful as the original NBA, I guess nobody will say. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); EPG Media LLC wants you to have a positive experience in connection with our products and services. Loved the old recipe, but this was a disappointment. Where did you get it from? If its still available up there I will be making a trip to Canada as soon as the border opens! The subtle sweetness was replaced with hipster IPA sucking-on-a-pinecone bitterness. If I wanted an American brown ale, I would buy one. Thanks real Newcastle for 20 great years of great ale. When you find a good beer that compares to the old BCA, please let me know. And It looks cheap. Please alter the name as you have completely altered and ruined my favorite brown ale! You have ruined my favorite beer, shame! No stock. Im British. RIP Newcastle! He agrees that Shiner Bock is probably the closest. Most Recent Top Raters Highest Score Rated By Ticked By 3.3 tontalus (1527) - - DEC 26, 2022 Hopefully if everyone stops buying it something will change. Knowing him, theres sure to be a fair level of truth in what he says. This new Newcastle is not the same, and Im disappointed. Right down the drain with this NBA imposter. Another loyalist lost, good luck. I dont understand this at all. Yet they were considered a premium beer. Now this. I have a case and will finish but guess wont buy again. I wont be drinking New Castle anymore, stupid change on your part!!! Its trash. I was a new fan of the old Newcastle Ale, it became one of my favorites. Not that any are exactly like it, but some I can find and are good in Smithwicks, Fat Tire, Yuengling Black & Tan, Big Storms Wavemaker are a few. Even found a local restaurant where it was on tap. The first time I tried this New NBA I took a couple of sips then poured the bottle out and took the 12-pack back to my grocer and got a refund. Well here ya go! Im 63 been drinking broon ale, dog, brain damage since I was 16 when it was brewed in Newcastle near St James park. RAWPRINTShop. Incredibly bad idea. When I got home and trepidatiously opened a can and tried a sip I was sold! Alongside McKewans IPA and Best Scotch. Plus it has more alcohol so I am forced to drink less. My bartender brought me a bottle, and not having heard about the change, I told her I ordered a Newcastle. Been drinking NBA for 10+years. torrified wheat 1.5 oz. The old recipe was sweet and refreshing. The famous logo with the blue star dates back to the time of the beer's launch in 1930. Please go back to original formula and bottle. Heineken 0should be forced to change the name of their new brew, because its nothing close to NCBA. Thanks a lot for nothing. They have lost my business and it truly breaks my heart. Whomever made this decision should be fired and sent to Exile in Siberia! I cant believe they did this! Competition is ridiculous. Bring back the OG Old Castle!!!! Bummer there are an infinite number of hoppy ales available out there, Newcastle didnt need to be another one. I did not realize that it would be the last Newcastles I would ever drink. Make the original formula please. Please change it back. Did I read online correctly that only the U.S.A. is getting this new recipe?? Yeah, you are probably right. Were known for our super-hoppy beers, our barrel-aged specialties and other crazy brews, so the temptation was there,Marshalsaid. Still have to say after years, how disappointing it is to have all of these comments and no change by the brewer, not even comments that I have see. What have you done to my beer!!! Will not tell my friends about the Newcastle ever again. SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER. I will not purchase this ever again. While there, we cleared several pitchers of Newcastle Brown Ale. From first to wort trending in the wrong direction. Then I thought maybe I got a bad batch, but nomy favorite beer for over 20 years has been completely RUINED!!!! A lovely treat, crisp, nutty brown ale, like God intended, a joy to savor. Im super sad. Louis Both brands are owned by Heineken, which made the switch as part of the U.S. relaunch of Newcastle Brown Ale. The best thing that can be done is to sign this, https://www.change.org/p/heineken-usa-bring-classic-newcastle-brown-ale-back. Not everything needs extra hops. I have been drinking Newcastle for over 20 years and today I tried the new one and it is horrible! Of course their sales numbers have dropped. No talent posers trying to hang with the real jam band killer musicians. Heineken pulled a Becks on me I dont drink Becks brewed in St. Louis either. Bring back the original!!!! Which is all to say: if youre a beer nut, make the pilgrimage to Lagunitas. Then keep the original New Castle the same. After Heinekin bought Newcastle they sold 7 million cases a year. Has similar bottle name and label but is not Newcastle. Not happy!!! The next 11 werent any better. Fans of Newcastle Brown Ale will notice a new flavor. In the Toon. Go to shop . I am so disappointed in the new taste AND the new bottle. Bring back the old recipe. New Castle was my favorite, but now I am going elsewhere. A shell of the original, made by an average brewery to US standards and practices. If you are going to change the recipe, give it a new name. Ive asked the bartenders and they all tell me that the customers hate it and noticed the change immediately. This is definitely no longer one of them. . Originally it was a blend of two definite styles, a strong dark beer . I thought I got a skunked bottle, which is so rare. Takes like shit he told me. Free postage. Close Print Water Requirements . they seem to cater to the stoner pothead crowd that doesnt mind the acrid bitterness of Chinook and centennial hops. The new one sucks. So disappointed. Are there enough negative comments here that theres a chance they will revert to the old recipe? Its like wanting a steak, you ask for a steak, and they give you chicken.