Typically a brown ale with Belgian yeast used in fermentation. As is typical of most Belgian yeasts, this usually lends a slightly more pronounced spice note or sometimes a fruity ester to the finished beer. Overall, the beer should have minimal hop notes and the malts should dominate both aroma and flavour. Spice notes should be apparent in both aroma and flavour.

Many distinctive types of dark brown ale (or brune) are made in Belgium, especially in Flanders. The classic style, with an interplay of caramel-like malty sweetness and a sourness gained in several months of maturation (usually in metal tanks), is sometimes known as Oud Bruin. The most complex examples have a secondary fermentation in the bottle.

The flavour and acidity render these beers the perfect base for the Flemish beef stew carbonade Flamande.