Joseph Holt are a bona fide Manchester Brewery and have something of a tradition behind them having been brewing their own brands since 1849.
Manchester Brown Ale itself has been in production at The Derby Brewer since the early 1900s and its enduring appeal is certainly not based on flashy advertising campaigns
Declared as being "the taste of coming home" this ale is low on pretensions right at the outset.
Dark brown in colour with a pungent, hoppy aroma this ale delivers but in a deliberately understated way. It is unremarkable on the mouth with a demure soft carbonation, but as you continue to drink the charms begin to seep through.
It is neither bitter nor sweet and yet... and yet was that the gentle undercurrent of treacle there? The flours are as unobtrusively timid as they are pleasantly subtle. An uncomplicated ale for social drinking.
