Six Bridges Nut Brown Ale

The latest release from the Cambridge Brewing Company lineup of specialty beers is a very quaffable nut brown ale. Styled after the famous brown ales of Northern England, it’s name is in reference to the six great steel bridges which span the River Tyne in Newcastle. It’s strong malty palate invokes images of shipyards, heavy engineering, armaments, coal mining, and of course, great soccer teams. According to Michael Jackson, Newcastle lays claim to being the first city in England to have made beer, before Roman times.

CBC’s version is a translucent, reddish brown which is malt-accented, but with a firm, nutty dryness and a gentle fruitiness. The complex grist bill features Marris Otter English pale malt, as well as British caramel and chocolate malts and a touch of roasted barley. It is hopped entirely with the English varietal hop Fuggles, but hop character is very minimal and serves only to balance the light sweetness of the malt.

Six Bridges Nut Brown Ale is light-to-medium bodied, fresh, and lively, and makes quite a good session beer whether you’re in after a hard day’s work in the shipyards or the computer lab.