Newcastle Brown Ale

I wanted to watch the Australian Open tonight, but since coverage didn't start until late, I put in my dvd of Three Sheets, and watched the episode on Newcastle. Having planned ahead, I had the appropriate beer on hand, Newcastle Brown Ale.
This has long been one of my favorite beers. Slightly sweet, with a lot of malt character. Some fruity esters come through mainly on the nose, but to a lesser extent on the palate. As is typical of beers from the area, it is not very hoppy. This was explained in the show that, because hops do not grow that far north, brewers traditionally used a light dose of hops rather than pay the expensive costs to transport them from the south. Whatever the reason, I'm glad of it, because I think this is a great beer. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that it defines the style of British Brown Ale.
While most people don't think too hard about food pairings  for beer, I have to point out that Newcastle Brown goes very well with spicy chicken wings. The slight sweetness counters the spice nicely, and it's light enough in body to be very quaffable.