XS Old Crustacean
Rogue Ales

XS Old CrustaceanXS Old Crustacean
Beer Geek Stats | Print Shelf Talker
From:
Rogue Ales
 
Oregon, United States
Style:
American Barleywine
ABV:
11.5%
Score:
90
Avg:
4.01 | pDev: 13.22%
Reviews:
721
Ratings:
1,312
Status:
Active
Rated:
Dec 22, 2021
Added:
Jan 03, 2001
Wants:
  121
Gots:
  166
Formerly "Old Crustacean"

8 Ingredients:
Hugh Baird Carastan and Rogue Micro Barley Farm DareTM & RiskTM Malts; Chinook and Rogue Micro Hopyard Revolution & Freedom Hops, Pacman Yeast & Free Range Coastal Water.

25º PLATO
110 IBU
83 AA
57º Lovibond
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Avagadro:
Photo of Avagadro
Reviewed by Avagadro from New Jersey

4.42/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Bottled in a ceramic 750 in 2008, reviewed June 2011.

A: I'm shocked by how much CO2 is still in this bottle, as a loud hiss is released upon prying the cap. Old Crustacean (OC) pours a hazy mahogany with a brilliant cream-colored head that quickly fades to a thin layer of froth.

S: Bouquet is well matured, with notes of sherry, tobacco, roasted cherries, and leather.

T: It is obvious that this beer had changed tremendously over the years, displaying the vinous sherry undertones and dusty leather notes that only come with time. Despite all the time this brew has been given, there is a distinct sharp hop bite that pervades. I'm not against a hoppy barleywine, but, in this instance, I feel that it is getting in the way of the more elegant malt flavors that have matured so beautifully in this ale; chocolate covered cherries, tawney port, vanilla, creme brulee, and cigar tobacco.

M: Full body, velvety texture, moderate carbonation, and only a slight stickiness on the finish.

O: A delightful endeavor to say the least. I have another bottle stashed away, in hopes of indulging in it around the ten year mark.
Jun 14, 2011
More User Ratings:
Photo of EMV
Reviewed by EMV from Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
2013 vintage. Poured from a beautiful ceramic bomber into a Dogfish Head tulip

L: Cloudy copper pour with 1.5 fingers of off-white head. Nice ring of lacing.

S: Hops and malts. Big and boozy.

T.F: Just like it smells. Semi-sweet toasted malts/grains. Loads of pine... caramel and citrus. Earth and spice... more citrus and fruit. Boozy and warming. Medium bodied... moderate bitterness. More malts/hops to finish.

O: A big but fairly drinkable American Barleywine. Lots going on, and for being nearly 7 years in the cellar this one held up quite well. Bonus points for such a gorgeous bottle.
Dec 22, 2021
 
Rated: 4.12 by Mikexw from New York

Jun 22, 2021
Photo of blazerkor
Reviewed by blazerkor from Nevada

4/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
It smells malty, funky and strong.

Bitterness hits you first and then a ton of complex malts and yeasts.

Thin bodied with a long fruity bitter finish.

Really good 4.8 out of 6
May 10, 2021
Photo of crazyspicychef
Rated by crazyspicychef from Pennsylvania

4.17/5  rDev +4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
A little too hoppy for my taste but a good American style Barleywine.
Feb 17, 2021
Photo of Sigmund
Reviewed by Sigmund from Norway

3.56/5  rDev -11.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
Bottle, under some obscure Japanese name, sampled at HaandBryggeriet, Drammen, Norway. Deep copper colour, decent beige head. Intense aroma and flavour dominated by caramel malts, plenty of sweetness. Full and rich mouthfeel. Pretty impressive, I guess, if you’re on the caramel wagon.
Dec 06, 2020
 
Rated: 4.25 by Velivolus1 from Vermont

Aug 03, 2020
 
Rated: 5 by Jut025 from Pennsylvania

Mar 08, 2020
 
Rated: 4.24 by Csolsen from Pennsylvania

Sep 01, 2019
 
Rated: 4.1 by WillieMoe from Massachusetts

Jul 17, 2019
 
Rated: 3.56 by tdm168 from Pennsylvania

Jan 19, 2019
Photo of Riff
Reviewed by Riff from Virginia

3.79/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Pours a reddish-brown, darker and leaning more towards the brown. Head is creamy, pillowy, leaves behind some nice lacing. Smell is molasses and pine, fairly faint. Taste is bready malt, molasses, pine, caramel, and dark fruits. Medium body. Really benefited from warming up, at first the bitterness from the hops was quite powerful, warmth allows for the softer fruit and sweet notes to come out.
Jan 12, 2019
 
Rated: 3.75 by Birdlegs from Washington

Dec 23, 2018
 
Rated: 4.18 by dafla67 from Pennsylvania

Dec 10, 2018
Photo of BerryKumquat
Reviewed by BerryKumquat from California

4.75/5  rDev +18.5%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75
L: Dark golden amber colors.
S: Strong barley wine flavors.
T: Strong ride of strange dark flavors.
F: Very heavy and dark.
O: A very dark beer unlike any other that exists.
Nov 22, 2018
Photo of brentk56
Reviewed by brentk56 from North Carolina

4.27/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
2016 bottling

Appearance: Pours a tawny burnt orange color with a rocky two finger ecru head; good retention and plenty of lacing action

Smell: Resinous pine tones abound, with notes of char, molasses, raisin, cherry and cocoa

Taste: Resinous, with cocoa and molasses forward; the raisin, cherry add a fruity dimension; through the middle, an earthy/piney bitterness builds powerfully as the 105 IBUs take over and dominate the finish

Mouthfeel: Full bodied with moderate carbonation

Overall: Not in the very top echelon of barleywines I have tasted but not far off, either
Nov 17, 2018
 
Rated: 4.25 by zotzot from Vermont

Nov 06, 2018
Photo of craftaholic
Reviewed by craftaholic from New York

4.24/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
A rich amber mahoganny hue which captures an array of glowing autumnal radiance. There's a thin veil of pillowy lace that rests atop. Has a strong note of diesel on first whiff which develops into a burnt caramel sweetness. The sip is reminiscent of an oaked cognac with flavors that dance on your palate.
Oct 12, 2018
Photo of siskiyoucellar
Reviewed by siskiyoucellar from Oregon

4.89/5  rDev +21.9%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5
This is the 2013, in my cellar for five years. And it is sublime, a really heavenly beer drinking experience. It is only fair to say though that after five years in the bottle it’s not very beautiful. It does have a nice head, even after this long, and a nice orangish barleywine glow, but it’s a bit muddy at this point. But the aroma is a different matter entirely, one of the most wonderful I have ever encountered. Sharp with hops - again, even after five years - rich with honeyed malts, it is so powerful that is just explodes into my olfactory senses. And the taste is just as amazing, so complex that it is different with every sip. There are berries and caramel and smoke and brown sugar and tart apples and much, much more. The feel is excellent, with balanced body and carbonation. Fabulous, one of the best beers to ever come out of my cellar.
Update: tonight I cracked another that had been in the cellar for two years (though dated 2015). It’s excellent, but not nearly the equal of the 5-year-old. I’d give it somewhere in the 4.3 range.
Jul 03, 2018
 
Rated: 3.79 by mltobin from Connecticut

Apr 27, 2018
XS Old Crustacean from Rogue Ales
Beer rating: 90 out of 100 with 1312 ratings