About
Old Chimneys Brewery was started in 1995 by Alan Thomson, a Master Brewer who celebrated 40 years of brewing in 2017.

Located in Market Weston on the Norfolk/Suffolk border, Old Chimneys has achieved an enviable reputation for beer quality. The flagship brand,
Good King Henry Special Reserve, has for 8 years been the highest rated English beer on ratebeer.com

Alan ceased brewing at Market Weston in April 2019 to concentrate on collaborative brewing with top quality brewers in the UK and abroad,
starting with Grain (Norfolk), Northern Monk (Leeds) and Wylam (Newcastle).

The regular Good King Henry is now brewed under Alan’s supervision at Grain Brewery. The strength has been increased to 10% abv, and for the first time in 20 years it is available in KeyKeg as well as cask.

Changed to a client brewer as of 2019 on Brewver as Alan continues to brew elsewhere with the Old Chimneys name, mostly at Grain Brewery.
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McCash (16382) reviewed
Good King Henry Special Reserve from Old Chimneys
9 years ago
8.8/10 — Appearance 8 Aroma 9 Flavor 9 Texture 8 Overall 9
Bottle thanks to allmvinyl. Finally, a chance to rate this historic beer. Appearance - opaque black with a lovely fawn head. Nose - intense dark chocolate, nuts, some toffee or burnt sugar, Taste - tonnes of dark chocolate, tangy toffee, some wood but well integrated. Palate - rich and well rounded with a long delicate taper off in the finish. Overall - lovely beer.
Tried from Bottle on 09 Jan 2017 at 09:52
Inbreak (10163) reviewed
Good King Henry Special Reserve from Old Chimneys
9 years ago
9/10 — Appearance 10 Aroma 9 Flavor 9 Texture 8 Overall 9
08.01.2017, 0,275l bottle (2013 vintage) @ home, courtesy of berntholer:
Nice brown creamy longlasting head. Aroma is rich and roasted, dark malts, whiskey, minerals, oak, leather, dark sugar, licorice, vanilla, grass, hay, dried dark fruits, seaweed, tar. Taste is rich and sour-ish roasted, dark malts, minerals, oak, whiskey, leather, paper, dark sugar, hay, licorice, sour dark fruits, grass, vanilla, tar, caramel, dried dark fruits, seaweed. Medium to longlasting bitterness, slightly concentrated, syrupy and dry mineraly mouthfeel. Very nice and lovely integrated mild whiskey touch. One the other hand, I’d love to have a bourbon edition of this beer...
Tried from Bottle on 08 Jan 2017 at 16:07
stevoj (19093) reviewed
Good King Henry Special Reserve from Old Chimneys
9 years ago
9.4/10 — Appearance 8 Aroma 9 Flavor 10 Texture 10 Overall 9.5
Bottle from Colin. Absolutely superb! Sublime, mellow , catches up to you fast. Woody, sweet aroma. Taste is a melange is so many flavors, lovely textures, beautiful mouth feel. Heat creeps on you and slowly glows. Just perfect all around.
Tried from Bottle on 07 Jan 2017 at 22:21
Buckeyeboy (18930) reviewed
Good King Henry Special Reserve from Old Chimneys
9 years ago
8.6/10 — Appearance 10 Aroma 9 Flavor 8 Texture 8 Overall 8.5
275ml bottle thanks to Steveoj. Pours out black topped with a small tan head. Nose is great brown sugar chocolate some ash molasses. Taste is more of the roast malts molasses chocolate ash and a nice end. Very nice.
Tried from Bottle on 07 Jan 2017 at 22:20
JK (8152) reviewed
King Alfred's Cake Baltic Porter from Old Chimneys
9 years ago
7.6/10 — Appearance 8 Aroma 8 Flavor 7 Texture 8 Overall 7.5
Bottle at the London tasting, October 2016. Thanks to someone for bringing this, I thought it was excellent. Dark brown color. big malt aroma, sweet, rich palate, some red wine, and yeast is noticeable as well. Rich and heavy.
Tried from Bottle on 31 Dec 2016 at 18:12
Ibrew2or3 (10892) reviewed
Red Admiral from Old Chimneys
9 years ago
7.6/10 — Appearance 8 Aroma 7 Flavor 8 Texture 8 Overall 7.5
Bottle pours with a murky deep copper body that supports a thin tan head. The aroma offers up reduced sugars, brown sugar, caramel and booze. The taste delivers sweet caramel, brown sugar, some mildly bright booze and some sweeter malts. The booze is well hidden creating a pleasing sipping experience. I’ll do more of this anytime.
Tried from Bottle on 29 Dec 2016 at 21:44
marius (4934) reviewed
Black Rat from Old Chimneys
9 years ago
7/10 — Appearance 8 Aroma 7 Flavor 6 Texture 8 Overall 7
Shared at the December THT at deanso’s. Pitck black pour with a thin tan head. Notes of dried fruit, chocolate, roasted malts. Medium body, light carbonation.
Tried on 18 Dec 2016 at 07:14
cagarvie (40318) reviewed
Walnut from Old Chimneys
9 years ago
7.5/10 — Appearance 6 Aroma 8 Flavor 8 Texture 6 Overall 8
Bottle at home... Dark black.. Thin tan lacing... Soft sweet chocolate roast malts nose... Dark chocolate roast.. Soft roast malts.. Heavy chocolate roast.. Lightest nuttyness...
Tried from Bottle on 17 Dec 2016 at 09:48
Stuu (35163) reviewed
Walnut from Old Chimneys
9 years ago
7.6/10 — Appearance 8 Aroma 7 Flavor 8 Texture 8 Overall 7.5
Bottle at the hanging bat. Pours black, nose is liquorice, chocolate, nutty, taste is sweet, chewy caramel, nutty, chocolate.
Tried from Bottle on 17 Dec 2016 at 09:45
sjogert (13211) ticked
Black Rat from Old Chimneys
9 years ago
7/10
THT December at deanso’s, still. Black with light tan ring head. Dry roasted malts with sweetened milk. Light sweet and bitter. Thin body, low carbonation. Feels light and easy.
Tried from Bottle on 16 Dec 2016 at 19:53