Old Ale
(has 3 batches)

Bottle @ Royal Oak, 3.6%. Dark brown with small tan head. Aroma is malt, caramel and bread. Flavour is malt, caramel, bread, toasted, medium sweet, little dark fruits, little chocolate and a little bitter.

Rating from 2011: So - ein "Mild Ale". Ich bin gespannt. Laut Etikett seit 1952 regelmäßig prämiert - zum letzten Mal 1998 als «World’s Best Mild Ale». Tiefschwarz steht es im Glas, kaum beiger Schaum. Der Geruch ist aletypisch-malzig und leicht süßlich. Im Antrunk zeigt es nich trocken-malzig und durch die 3,6% auch recht leicht, gerade an der Grenze zum Wässrigen. Zum Hauptteil kommt eine malzbiertypische Süße hinzu, die aber gut mit der aufkommenden Herbe harmoniert. Röstaromen deutlich erkennbar, genauso wie milder (Malz)Zucker. Sehr harmonisch. Der Nachgeschmack ist mittellang, ale-typisch trocken und malzbiersüßlich-herb, aber ohne klebrig zu wirken. --> eine interessante Kombination. Mir vielleicht einen Tick zu süßlich, aber ich denke, "das muss so". Lecker und erfrischend! --> 12,10,13,10,12,10 - 10,75

275ml bottle from farm shop near Midhurst. Pours a flat brown with a large beige head. Metallics of pasteurization are evident in both aroma and aftertaste. In between though it’s pretty pleasant with rhubarb and apple crumble, caramel and some roasty malt. Generally mildly sweet, with just a little roasty bitterness in the finish. Was probably a decent beer before they killed it with pasteurization. Such a shame.

21st February 2013
Chelmsford Winter Beer Festival in KEGS! Clear dark brown beer. Bubbly tan head. Light palate, dry and crispy. Typical Harveys eggy streak here, mercifully not too strong. Minerals. Sweetish dark fruits. Dry finish. Meh!

Bottle at home (Harveys Online) - 22/09/12. Pours a very dark mahogony brown with a thin tan head that soon dissipates. Malty nutty nose, slightly earthy, a little chocolate balsamic vinegar in the background. Toasted malts, barley, light toffee and nuts in the taste. Light to medium bodied, a little watery with soft carbonation present. An OK drinkable mild vergeing towards bland at times.

Bottle at the Copenhagen Beer Celebration Tune-Up, London. Thanks to...Duff, from RateBeer? Pours red-brown with a creamy, beige foam head. Some berries and toast in the nose. Medium sweet flavor with some berries, other ripe fruits, some bread. Medium bodied with fine carbonation. Sweet finish, pretty basic, with some further ripe fruits and bread. Nice, easy-going ’old ale’. Pretty nice character for the low ABV.

Cask@Pigs Ear Beer Festival 2011. Rubyish brown colour with a small off-white head. Aroma is sweet malts, some toast and smoke along with some tobacco and ashes as well. Flavour is quite similar. A bit thin as for the palate, so could do with a bit higher abv.

Bottle 500ml.Clear medium to dark red brown colour with a average, frothy, good lacing, mostly lasting, off-white head. Aroma is moderate malty, bread, caramel, chocolate, licorice and wood notes, light vanilla. Flavour is moderate to light light heavy sweet and light moderate bitter with a average to long duration. Body is medium, texture is oily, carbonation is soft, finish feel is light metalic. [20120113]

Bottle from the Bitter End Offie, Bromley. Dark brown pour with a tan head. Chocolate, raisin, caramel and toffee aroma. Licorice, toffee and figs in the flavour. Nice ’n’ sweet. Sweet, malty finish. Damn it I liked this one.

Cask at the Blue Dolphin, Hastings, as Harveys Old Ale. Chestnut with a reddish hue, and a loose, bright, cream head; malty aroma with a touch of smoke; farily thinly bodied (that is, not too heavy), with a malty flavour - sweet at first, but soon becoming drier, with an attractive treacle toffee finish. This is easy to drink and beautifully made, but I would have liked a touch more "weight".