STYLISTICALLY SPEAKING The enigma of old ale
by Ray Daniels They say youâre only as old as you feel. The phrase implies that age is a matter of perception-that what is old to one person is young to another. In the sometimes confusing world of beer style definitions, the same might be said of old ale. It appears that the "old" descriptor has little meaning these days. Furthermore, itâs hard to identify a cohesive profile of the beers marketed under this banner in the United Kingdom or the United States. Confounding all of this is the fact that current commercial practice bears little resemblance to the historical antecedents of the style. In the past, old ales really were old. Records from the 19th century clearly indicate that beers carrying this moniker were aged for a year and even longer before being released from the brewery. Two commercially produced recipes from a collection published in 1868 give the brewing details for XXX Old Ale, one from London and one from Dorset. Compared to other XXX ales of the day, they were fuller-bodied with less alcohol and only slightly less bitterness. Both resided in the brewery vat for a year or more. During aging, the old ales of a century ago developed an acidic flavor component from the action of bacteria and wild yeast. In 1890, a British brewing industry consultant noted: "There was formerly a taste among English consumers for old ale, which had to be vatted for at least a year and probably more, before it was consumed, and acquired a sub-acid flavor, particularly relished by the consumer ." A reference from 1881 substantiates this, with analytical data for two- and three-year-old samples of Somerset Old Vat. The samples range in alcohol content from 6.5 percent to 8.6 percent and show substantial levels of acidity. The acidity, as well as the bitterness, of these old ales would have prevented them from having a sweet, cloying flavor. Instead, they were most likely tart, even sharp, but full-bodied and rich with malt complexity. Also, as they were made exclusively from pale and white malts, They were probably no darker than deep amber. Contemporary US style definitions, published by the Association of Brewers, in large part reflect this turn-of-the-century characterization of old ale. Such beers are said to be amber to copper in color and medium- to full-bodied, with evident bitterness and a balance of malt and/or caramel sweetness. In a nod to the aged flavors found in classic old ales, these contemporary descriptions note that fruity/estery character and higher alcohols may contribute to the flavor profile. Still, this stops short of requiring or even allowing the acidic component that has certainly been a hallmark of the style historically. In truth, these contemporary definitions describe that half-brother of old ale known as strong ale. Like old ales, these beers contain 6 to 8 percent alcohol by volume. But unlike old ales, they are not aged at the brewery before distribution, and the consumer is expected to enjoy the product shortly after purchase. This type of strong ale constitutes the vast majority of all the commercially produced beers that might be called old ale today. In the United States, only 140 products, or less than 2 percent of all beer brands, are classified as strong ale by their brewers. Within this group, only 17 brands use the word old as a descriptor for the beerâs style. I know of only one US-made product that is available as a true old ale. Commonwealth Special Old Ale comes from the Commonwealth Brewing Co. in Boston and it is aged for periods of as long as six months before serving. The sample that I tasted at the 1996 Real Ale Festival in Chicago had a mellow complexity with dark fruit notes and some vinous alcohol character. This sample was also complemented by a touch of acidity that may have been the result of aging in the special wooden cask that was sent to the festival. Many of the strong ales made in the United States are described as winter or Christmas beers of one type or another. Others are simply considered to be strong examples of other styles such as bitter, amber or pale ale. To find more truly old ales, we must look to England, where old ale originated. At the 14th annual White Horse Old Ale Festival held last fall in London, I was able to sample a broad selection of British old ales. I found that the contemporary old ale scene in the United Kingdom provides some interesting contrasts to that of the United States. Both consumers and brewers in Britain are very sensitive about alcohol content, so some beers offered up as old ale have less than 5 percent alcohol by volume, a level that is roughly equal to that found in regular-strength American beers. In addition, sugar is commonly used in brewing these beers and this leads to a significantly lighter mouthfeel than is common in American strong ales. While American strong/old ales are generally amber to copper colored, many UK examples fit what British ale expert Mark Dorber refers to as the strong, mild type of old ale. These are quite dark and may be opaque. Also, while American brewers tend toward a liberal use of hops, these examples allow malt to dominate the flavor profile, and many are quite sweet tasting. Examples include Sarah Hughes Dark Ruby Mild, Mauldonâs Black Adder, and Harveyâs Old Ale. Other British examples are more typical of what Dorber calls the strong, and perhaps dark, bitter old ale category. These are nicely balanced with hop character and many offer a wonderful fruity complexity or perhaps some nutty or woody notes from the yeast. Pleasing examples include Burton Bridge Old Expensive and McMullen Stronghart. Among the British offerings, only a few can lay claim to old ale authenticity. Thomas Hardyâs Ale is one with true age that is well known in the United States. But perhaps the most notable of authentic old ales is Galeâs Prize Old Ale, a 9.5 percent ABV beer that is aged for a full year at the brewery before distribution. Prize Old Ale was first brewed at Galeâs more than 70 years ago and it is still made using the same brewing equipment today. After fermentation in open-topped wood fermenters, the ale is transferred to aging tanks for its long maturation. Galeâs brewers do not acknowledge the presence of bacteria or foreign yeast in the aged Prize Old Ale, yet it displays an undeniable lactic acid note. This special beer is bottled, corked and labeled entirely by hand. Although Galeâs produces fewer than 150 US barrels of Prize Old Ale each year, the beer is now being imported into the United States with established distribution in the mid-Atlantic states and plans for broader expansion. If you are lucky enough to visit England in the winter, you may also find Galeâs Winter Brew, a caramel-spiked blend of Prize Old Ale and the breweryâs ordinary bitter. At 4.2 percent ABV, this beer displays a hint of the Prize Old Aleâs aged complexity. Oddly enough, the brewery staff considers this Winter Ale-rather than their Prize Old Ale-to be the most representative of the old ale style as it is currently perceived in Britain. With this observation, we are reminded that beer styles, like most human products, evolve over time. All old ales were once truly old. Today, itâs enough for a beer to simply look like an old ale, regardless of its age. And why not? If people are only as old as they feel, perhaps a beer should be as only as old as it looks.	GALESâS PRIZE OLD ALE: (9.5 percent ABV) Cork sealed exactly like a wine, the special packaging foreshadows a beer that is equally unique. Both aroma and palate provide a feast of fresh and cooked fruit notes backed by mellow malt. A slight acidity and a dryish tannin-like aftertaste provide a counterpoint that leaves you wanting more. Already 15 months old by the time it arrives in the United States, it can be consumed immediately or aged as a special treat. BELL'S THIRD COAST OLD ALE: (approx. 10 percent ABV) Perhaps the highest volume old ale in America. Although not lacking in malt strength and complexity, this beer displays a typical American exuberance for hops with a spicy, resinous hop flavor that dominates the palate. Brewer Larry Bell feels it is best consumed 6 to 18 months after bottling. OLD THUMPER: (5.7 percent ABV) A pale example of the old ale style that originated at the Ringwood brewery in south England. The current US supply is produced by Ringwood veteran Alan Pugsley at the Shipyard Brewery in Maine. The UK cask version is soft and fruity with peach and apricot notes and a fairly sweet, malt-dominated palate that produces a lingering fruitiness in the finish. The bottled US product displays similar soft fruity notes, but it seems more vinous and alcoholic, with an incredibly dense head. THOMAS HARDY'S ALE: (approx. 12 percent ABV) Perhaps the best known and most often cited example of old ale, this beer was first brewed in 1968, but was not regularly produced until the mid-1980s. It is intensely malty and sharply alcoholic with a soft, vinous character underneath that makes it very drinkable. The year displayed on the bottle tells when the beer was brewed.
This column originally appeared in All About Beer Magazine in March 1997. © 1997 Chautauqua Inc.