The “old” in Old Ale refers to the English origins of this style, wherein a fresh or “mild” beer of high alcohol was purposely aged in the brewery for lengthy periods – sometimes years – prior to release. Through aging, the beer would often take on characteristics including mild oxidation and even some musty, leathery character from naturally occurring Brettanomyces yeast. Brewers often used this old ale (also referred to as “stock ale”) to blend with mild ales for flavor, yet it was also consumed and enjoyed as-is, with this old ale selling at a premium price.
Old Ale beer is malty and exhibits an amber to very dark amber-brown color. Modern versions aren’t necessarily aged as this style once was, though the style name lives on. Aroma and flavor complexities abound, with caramel, toffee, molasses and other sweet malt qualities often combined with esters evocative of dark fruits. High alcohol adds to the complexity and contributes a warming effect to the mouth-feel and senses. Old Ale body varies from medium to full, with older versions often showing less body due to a longer conditioning and attenuation period. Hop aromas and flavor are typically mild to moderate, with varying levels of notable bitterness providing background balance to the usual malt forwardness.
Old Ale’s overall flavor and alcohol strength falls between that of Extra Special/Strong Bitter (ESB) and English Barley Wine styles. The Winter Warmer style, typically released as a winter seasonal beer, is a direct relative of Old Ale that is generally maltier and more full-bodied due to lower attenuation of the malts, resulting in a correspondingly lower ABV range.
