Old Ale
My understanding of old ales has evolved considerably since I began learning about beer. I used to think of them as smaller English barleywines, but that definition is problematic. Then I thought about them as having some kind of barrel aging or light sourness associated with age, but that also doesn’t work in all cases. Finally, I thought they were like English winter warmers, with a chewy malt character, but again, that doesn’t fully hit the mark. I guess the problem is that there are so many different varieties and examples of old ale that a single definition doesn’t really do it justice, style-wise.
It’s not just me that has a problem categorizing old ales. English beer historian Martyn Cornell, writing in Amber, Gold & Black, said that old ale is a name given to any strong aged pale or brown beer. He likewise notes that old ale and barleywine meanings have changed over time, with barleywine being a much more recent name applied to stronger beers. Michael Jackson continually called Thomas Hardy’s Ale an old ale rather than a barleywine, but he was differentiating not on style parameters or sensory profile, but the aging characteristics of the beer. He too said, “it is not always easy to determine the difference between an old ale and a barley wine” (New World Guide to Beer, 1988).
Ray Daniels, in a presentation from the 1997 National Homebrewers Conference, said that there were three types of old ale – strong milds, strong (perhaps darker) bitters, and blended ales. He cited English publican Mark Dorber as the source of this classification. Martyn Cornell likewise suggested in his Zythophile blog that there are probably groupings of Burton-style strong ales, darker strong ales, and pale strong ales as types of English strong ale, and that calling them barleywines or old ales wasn’t really practical.
So where does this leave me, the humble categorizer of beer styles? Pretty confused, actually. The problem is that beer enthusiasts often have a single example of old ale in mind when they discuss the style, but that these commercial examples don’t share a common sensory profile. My solution to this problem was to introduce the British Strong Ale style in the 2015 Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) Guidelines, to complement the English Barleywine style. Old Ale became an ‘overlay’ of these two styles, where an age component or aging potential was evident. Overlay means that the style parameters overlap the other two styles, which is something the guidelines typically tries to avoid.
Old Ale is style 17B in the BJCP Style Guidelines. Contrast this style with styles 17A British Strong Ale and 17D English Barleywine as part of the Category 17 Strong British Ale definition to see that we are talking about beers stronger than milds, bitters, and brown ales, but that are not dark like porters and stouts. As with all things British beer related, there is considerable room for disagreement and discussion.
History
While the name “old ale” has been used for hundreds of years in England, this shouldn’t be taken as an understanding that it represented a style or that it has not changed over time. Old ale was a name given to stronger beers that were stored, aged, or kept. Think of the historical usage of “mild ale” — an unaged, running, or fresh ale, possibly strong. Old ale is the aged counterpart, and is akin to what was called a stock ale in the U.S. — a stronger ale that could be used for blending or to be enjoyed separately. Some English recipes had versions for keeping (often containing a “K” in the name) that were more highly hopped. I guess this is the beer equivalent of reserve wines, something intended to be cellared (either at the brewery or once released) and enjoyed later.
In more modern times, the name old ale continues to be used but it is not applied consistently to beers with a common profile (or history). Regional differences certainly exist in the U.K., and many examples are fairly unique or idiosyncratic. Think about a malty but unaged beer like Old Peculier, the vatted, aged, somewhat sour Gale’s Prize Old Ale, and bottle-conditioned barleywine-like beers such as Fuller’s Vintage Ale and Thomas Hardy’s Ale. In the craft era, modern attempts at creating New World examples that are inspired by classic versions has further expanded the style, including attempts to simulate age effects with additional ingredients.
The presence of “old” in the name of a commercial example is in no way an indicator whether it is an old ale. The term seems to be a popular name for stronger beers that had been properly aged, but can be found on barleywines and other beers in addition to old ales. The name and notion old ale are certainly English, even if there isn’t a consistent usage. Michael Jackson in Beer Companion muses that “some call their products old ales, others do not” and talks about multiple variations, while highlighting that it could be aged or merely traditional in style. Roger Protz in The Taste of Beer argues that it is a “beer that acquires its maturity, flavor, ripe condition, and smooth flavor by aging.”
Sensory Profile
Describing a sensory profile for a style with so many variants is a challenging task, but perhaps we can tackle the problem in a structured way. As defined for judging purposes, an old ale is simply an aged British strong ale. Purists will point out that old ales do not actually have to be aged, but simply suitable for aging, but we are separating these two broad styles based solely on age character.
Old ales are stronger-than-average English ales, so they should have an alcohol content higher than bitters, brown ales, and milds, often in the 6–8% ABV range. They are darker than pale, but not black; many are brownish. They tend to have a malty balance, and may have noticeable residual sweetness. Aging can affect this balance, as aged bottle-conditioned beers tend to become drier over time.
As a stronger English ale, the flavor profile will typically feature fruity esters from fermentation, but also developed through age. Complex malty flavors with caramel, toffee, treacle, and molasses can develop, complementing the typical bready, biscuity, nutty base of many English ales. Bitterness can vary, but the balance is often malty-sweet. Some paler examples can have stronger bitterness. Aging also affects how bitterness is perceived.
The maltiness often is accompanied by a medium to full body and a somewhat chewy texture, although this can thin out with age. Carbonation can be moderate and balanced in younger examples, becoming less carbonated over time. Old ales are often described as having a soft texture, in contrast with sharpness. I think of this in how the beer finishes, and the type of aftertaste it leaves – malty, smooth, soft, and warming.
The age character does not have to be extreme, and often can be mistaken with other familiar flavors in English beers, such as caramel and dried fruit. Examples aged for a longer time may develop more positive oxidation notes that suggest Port, Sherry, or Madeira. Commercial versions may be blended and use some barrel aging, which can introduce a light acidity. This is not required, but is also not a fault. Any oxidation notes present should be positive and enjoyable.
If we could define sensory attributes by mood, Michael Jackson may have set the proper tone with this description: “It should be a warming beer of the type that is best drunk in half pints by a warm fire on a cold winter’s night.” I wouldn’t want to see that description on a BJCP scoresheet in a competition, but if you are trying to understand what the style evokes, it’s spot on. I personally think of them as tasting like stronger dark milds or unspiced winter warmers. Yes, there are examples that are not like this, but this is what most people will think of if you hand them an old ale.
Brewing Ingredients and Methods
Old ale is a traditional English product, so British methods and ingredients are typical. The English brewing tradition uses single-infusion mashes, although many commercial breweries parti-gyle their stronger beers. For homebrewers, single-infusion mashes that produce only old ale are certainly reasonable. Pale ale malt is usually the base, but this can be supplemented with a variety of grains such as corn and wheat. Crystal malt can be used, as can brewing sugars and caramel coloring or simply black malt.
Single-infusion mashes can be conducted in the higher range (154–156 °F/68–69 °C) to produce a more dextrinous beer with a fuller finish. Top-fermenting English ale yeast favoring fruity-malty flavors and not being overly attenuative will work. Water treatments that favor chloride will give a softer finish. English variety hops are common, and the beer may be lightly dry hopped.
The beer can be blended, using a mix of old and new batches, or including batches that have some wood aging. I personally think this is difficult to control, and have had better results from simply designing beers to be aged. I prefer to bottle condition the beers with minimal oxygen uptake and allow natural cellar aging to produce interesting flavors.
Another technique I have used is to develop recipes that have an aged flavor profile when young. Increasing caramel and dark fruit flavors with darker crystal malts or darker invert sugars, while striving for a more balanced finish, will make your beer seem aged. If I expect to drink the beer relatively young, I can take this approach (which is actually how some modern English examples are made). You won’t get as complex a final product, but you will get it in a much more reasonable timeframe.
Homebrew Example
My example is inspired by Harvey’s Elizabethan Ale, which I offer in tribute to the late Queen. It is a stronger, darker, malty beer that has aging potential. I’ll be using mostly English ingredients but constructing the recipe around the flavor components I want present in the finished beer.
A base of Maris Otter seems natural, but I’ll crank up the maltiness and flavor with the completely untraditional use of dark Munich malt. Purists may wish to use brown malt instead, but it will have a different flavor and may remind some of a porter. CaraPils® malt will provide some dextrins, but the color and flavor are from brewing sugars – Invert #3, if you can find it — but a similar Belgian candi sugar if you want. (Note: Invert sugar is a liquid syrup made by hydrolyzing glucose and fructose. It comes in various grades or colors, with #3 being relatively dark and having dark, fruity, caramelized flavors. Becker’s is one available brand.) A touch of chocolate malt adds color and nuttiness but shouldn’t contribute chocolate flavors.
I’m a fan of Styrian Golding hops, even though they are from Slovenia, not Kent. First Gold is a classic hop that I’m using for a retro feel. Other English-style hops would work too, like Fuggle, Willamette, or Goldings. I’m using a Yorkshire ale yeast, but other malty or fruity strains can be used as substitutes.
When brewing beers of this strength, I normally judge them ready to serve when the alcohol heat is not forward. Typically, this means they can be served young when the residual sweetness is higher, and then aged to develop more complexity over time.
Avoid getting dragged into debates about this style — almost any position you take will have obvious counter-examples. I prefer to focus on modern interpretations and the more common range of examples. Understand that there is a much broader range to this style, and that while it is historical, it never had a good definition. If you are a brewer, you can brew whatever version you enjoy drinking, but if you enter it in a competition, realize that some judges will have a narrower view of this style. Judges should keep an open mind and reward well-made beers that are stronger English ales with some positive age character.
Old Ale by the numbers
OG: 1.055–1.088
FG: 1.015–1.022
SRM: 10–22
IBU: 30–60
ABV: 5.5–9%
Old Ale
(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.075 FG = 1.015
IBU = 40 SRM = 21 ABV = 8%
Ingredients
10 lbs. (4.5 kg) U.K. Maris Otter pale ale malt
2.2 lbs. (1 kg) dark Munich malt
8 oz. (227 g) CaraPils® or dextrin malt
2 oz. (57 g) chocolate malt
2 lbs. (907 g) Invert #3 or D-90 candi syrup
10.8 AAU Styrian Golding hops (60 min.) (2 oz./57 g at 5.4% alpha acids)
1 oz. (28 g) First Gold hops (5 min.)
Wyeast 1469 (West Yorkshire Ale), White Labs WLP037 (Yorkshire Square Ale), SafAle S-04 yeast
3⁄4 cup corn sugar (for priming)
Step by Step
This recipe uses reverse osmosis (RO) water. Adjust all brewing water to a pH of 5.5 using phosphoric acid. Add 1 tsp. of calcium chloride to the mash.
This recipe uses a single-infusion mash. Use enough water to have a moderately thick mash (1.5 qts./lb.). Mash the malts at 154 °F (68 °C) for 60 minutes. Raise the temperature to 168 °F (76 °C) and recirculate for 15 minutes. Sparge slowly and collect 6.5 gallons (24.5 L) of wort.
Boil the wort hard for 75 minutes, adding hops at the times indicated in the recipe. Add the sugar during the last 10 minutes of the boil.
When the boil is complete, chill the wort to 68 °F (20 °C), aerate if using liquid yeast, and then pitch the yeast and ferment until complete.
Rack the beer, prime and bottle condition, or keg and force carbonate as usual.
Old Ale
(5 gallons/19 L, extract with grains)
OG = 1.075 FG = 1.015
IBU = 40 SRM = 21 ABV = 8%
Ingredients
6.8 lbs. (3.1 kg) pale liquid malt extract
1.5 lbs. (0.64 kg) pale Munich malt extract
2 oz. (57 g) chocolate malt
2 lbs. (907 g) Invert #3 or D-90 candi syrup
10.8 AAU Styrian Golding hops (60 min.) (2 oz./57 g at 5.4% alpha acids)
1 oz. (28 g) First Gold hops (5 min.)
Wyeast 1469 (West Yorkshire Ale), White Labs WLP037 (Yorkshire Square Ale), SafAle S-04 yeast
3⁄4 cup corn sugar (for priming)
Step by Step
Use 6.5 gallons (24.5 L) of water in the brew kettle; heat to 158 °F (70 °C). Steep the malt for 30 minutes in a mesh bag, then remove the grains from the kettle. Turn off the heat.
Add the malt extracts and stir thoroughly to dissolve completely. Turn the heat back on and bring to a boil. Boil the wort for 60 minutes, adding hops at the times indicated. Add the sugar during the last 10 minutes of the boil.
When the boil is complete, chill the wort to 68 °F (20 °C), aerate if using liquid yeast, and then pitch the yeast and ferment until complete.
Rack the beer, prime and bottle condition, or keg and force carbonate as usual.
