Abbeydale: Old Ale Vintage 2023 (England: Old Ale: 8% ABV)
Visual: A darked amberish coloured body with darkened yellow edges. Large off white mounded head.
Nose: Lightly wheaty. Peppery. Sultanas. Crushed Blackpool rock. Cake sponge.
Body: Peppery. White bread. Wheat. Sultanas. Smooth body against a light wheaty feel. Brown sugar. Light cream. Madeira cake touch. Light caramel.
Finish: Wheaty. Peppery. Bitter. Lightly earthy. Brown bread. Madeira cake. Sour dough.
Conclusion: Ok, this is a classic style old ale that is well made. End of notes.
Wait, I need to do more or I won’t get paid. SHIT!
Ok first impression were a tad wheatier and more peppery on the nose than I expected. The expected dark fruits are there, but with savoury spice against it. No real alcohol burn despite the higher alcohol. The rough edges feel deliberate flavor choices rather than alcohol burn.
The body is surprisingly smooth – the peppery flavor gives a rough edge to the flavor choice, but booze wise this is incredibly easy to drink for an 8% – continuing the impression from the aroma. They dark fruit is the main deal here, with lots there – however first there is a wheaty, lightly creamy front you work through that makes the dark fruit something you reach and discover rather than it instantly being shoved at you.
Then in the finish you get quite savoury peppery character matched to classic British hop earthiness, which is present but never descends to that dreaded soil like level.
Overall, easy to drink, hides the alcohol well but uses the rougher flavor edges to inform you that you are drinking something heavy. Very dark fruited and rich but with a lovely savoury balance to everything. A very good old style old ale.
Wait, hold on, I don’t get paid for doing these anyway. I could have given up after that start.
SHIT! Ah well, at least not a shit beer.
Background: By happenstance I saw this article from Abberydale and I was instantly sold by the line “So, rather than a thick, chewy, triple chocolate vanilla ice cream bourbon biscuit pastry IPA, whilst the craft beer world clamours for the freshest, most progressive and boundary pushing beers, we’ve produced… an old ale.“. I mean I do enjoy the gimmick beers, but they do seem to be coming increasingly omnipresent rather than the occasional treat, so the promise of a good old ale jumped out at me so I grabbed two bottles from their webstore to try – only 200 bottles were made so it is weird to realize I grabbed 1% of them. I meant to age one, but have drunk both already. Music wise I was intending to see GBH live shortly after so was listening to GBH: City Baby Attacked By Rats. However due to illness the gig was delayed, darn it.