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Speight's Old Dark
New Zealand Breweries Limited
- From:
- New Zealand Breweries Limited
- New Zealand
- Style:
- European Dark Lager
- ABV:
- 4%
- Score:
- 84
- Avg:
- 3.63 | pDev: 15.15%
- Reviews:
- 12
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Jul 19, 2018
- Added:
- Oct 28, 2003
- Wants:
- 1
- Gots:
- 4
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by kylehay2004:
Rated by kylehay2004 from Illinois
3.58/5 rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Feb 21, 2016
3.58/5 rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Feb 21, 2016
More User Ratings:
Reviewed by bylerteck from Canada (ON)
2.62/5 rDev -27.8%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
2.62/5 rDev -27.8%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Pint at a pub during trivia. From notes.
A - Poured deep red with a nearly brown sorta colour. Good carbonation, one finger of creamy beige head. Good lace, film retention.
S - Nutty with some cola. Boring.
T - Nutty, quite sweet, cola.
M - Good carbonation, medium body, sweet finish.
O/D - Pretty sweet and fairly unexciting for what was advertised as a dark ale. Not terrible, just not exactly worth revisiting.
Sep 30, 2012A - Poured deep red with a nearly brown sorta colour. Good carbonation, one finger of creamy beige head. Good lace, film retention.
S - Nutty with some cola. Boring.
T - Nutty, quite sweet, cola.
M - Good carbonation, medium body, sweet finish.
O/D - Pretty sweet and fairly unexciting for what was advertised as a dark ale. Not terrible, just not exactly worth revisiting.
Reviewed by DCon from Missouri
4.15/5 rDev +14.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
4.15/5 rDev +14.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Shared a 330mL bottle of this w/ loldmopar. He brought this back from New Zealand along with another brew. Poured from the blue and yellow bottle into a Speight's Hefeweizen Glass and has Best Before 01-11-2012 on the back.
Aroma- High maltiness and has a low amount of caramel aroma. So much sweet malts present that you can't even notice any other aromas (hop, yeast, anything else).
Appearance- Pours 2 fingers of off white head that has decent retention. Has a clear, brown body but doesn't leave much lace at all.
Flavor- Has a nice maltiness and perfect level of sweetness. Almost like a light brown ale with hints of coffee and cocoa. Very light bitterness but still around.
Mouthfeel- Light-Medium Bodied, High Carbonation, Smooth, but doesn't do much... Very light on the finish.
Overall Impression- Once again, a great, malty brew from New Zealand. How could you judge a Kiwi for having a good brew? Refreshing and would certainly enjoy again if available in the states!
Aug 17, 2011Aroma- High maltiness and has a low amount of caramel aroma. So much sweet malts present that you can't even notice any other aromas (hop, yeast, anything else).
Appearance- Pours 2 fingers of off white head that has decent retention. Has a clear, brown body but doesn't leave much lace at all.
Flavor- Has a nice maltiness and perfect level of sweetness. Almost like a light brown ale with hints of coffee and cocoa. Very light bitterness but still around.
Mouthfeel- Light-Medium Bodied, High Carbonation, Smooth, but doesn't do much... Very light on the finish.
Overall Impression- Once again, a great, malty brew from New Zealand. How could you judge a Kiwi for having a good brew? Refreshing and would certainly enjoy again if available in the states!
Reviewed by dgilks from Australia
3.7/5 rDev +1.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.7/5 rDev +1.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
This was one of two drinkable in the Air New Zealand Koru Club at AKL.
Pours a clear brown colour with garnet highlights. The head is foamy, light tan and short lasted.
Mild tart roast aroma with a hint of herbal character. Nothing special.
Smooth, light malt flavour with a roasty finish. Clean, easy drinking and a fairly straight forward dark ale.
Medium-light body with moderate carbonation. Good.
This is a simple, uncomplicated Dark Ale with the flavours being clean, appropriate and unexceptional.
Jun 30, 2011Pours a clear brown colour with garnet highlights. The head is foamy, light tan and short lasted.
Mild tart roast aroma with a hint of herbal character. Nothing special.
Smooth, light malt flavour with a roasty finish. Clean, easy drinking and a fairly straight forward dark ale.
Medium-light body with moderate carbonation. Good.
This is a simple, uncomplicated Dark Ale with the flavours being clean, appropriate and unexceptional.
Reviewed by Stinkypuss from Pennsylvania
3.35/5 rDev -7.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
3.35/5 rDev -7.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Speights dark, pours a nutty brown in color. Aroma of flowery hop, dark roasted malts and Speights fruity ale yeast. Flavor is much of the same, nutty dark roasted malt, light ale like tang and a mellow bitterness though the finish is still alittle sweet. A decent euro dark lager, mild and easy to drink.
Apr 25, 2011Reviewed by lacqueredmouse from Australia
2.62/5 rDev -27.8%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
2.62/5 rDev -27.8%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Tried out of a bottle at Auckland Airport. That's mostly for my benefit when I read this review in the future, it has no bearing on the review.
Pours quite a lusciously thick deep red colour. Surprisingly goopy in the glass for a beer that's only 4% ABV. No head whatsoever, unfortunately, even with a reasonably vigorous pour. There is, perhaps a slight accumulation of bubbles around the edges that get released when it's swirled. Not bad all up, I'm quite impressed with the body, in any case, and the colour is very pleasant.
Minimal character on the nose. A bit of grainy sweetness, but very little else. Indeed, it reminds me of other Speight's beers I've had, although whether I'd say that if I were tasting it blind, who's to say. Not a lot to it, in any case.
Taste is similar. Slight honeyed grain character that lingers throughout, and dries out to a husky cardboard note on the finish. Feel is smooth, thanks somewhat to the body and somewhat to the very low carbonation levels. Not a lot to it, but it's inoffensive at least.
Not the best beer I've ever had. I think that's certainly a safe thing to say. It's mild and inoffensive, perhaps a little too sweet after a while, but otherwise pretty forgettable.
Oct 22, 2010Pours quite a lusciously thick deep red colour. Surprisingly goopy in the glass for a beer that's only 4% ABV. No head whatsoever, unfortunately, even with a reasonably vigorous pour. There is, perhaps a slight accumulation of bubbles around the edges that get released when it's swirled. Not bad all up, I'm quite impressed with the body, in any case, and the colour is very pleasant.
Minimal character on the nose. A bit of grainy sweetness, but very little else. Indeed, it reminds me of other Speight's beers I've had, although whether I'd say that if I were tasting it blind, who's to say. Not a lot to it, in any case.
Taste is similar. Slight honeyed grain character that lingers throughout, and dries out to a husky cardboard note on the finish. Feel is smooth, thanks somewhat to the body and somewhat to the very low carbonation levels. Not a lot to it, but it's inoffensive at least.
Not the best beer I've ever had. I think that's certainly a safe thing to say. It's mild and inoffensive, perhaps a little too sweet after a while, but otherwise pretty forgettable.
Reviewed by t420o from Colorado
4.01/5 rDev +10.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
4.01/5 rDev +10.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
I loved drinking this beer when I was in New Zealand on the North Island. Whenever I'd go out and get something to eat I would grab a few of these. Has a special spot in my heart as I was backpacking through and this was my favorite local beer.
It was Very easy to drink and light roasted malt taste. Sorry I cant give you more info on this one I just saw it and it made me think of the good times I had.
May 29, 2010It was Very easy to drink and light roasted malt taste. Sorry I cant give you more info on this one I just saw it and it made me think of the good times I had.
Reviewed by femALEist from California
3.02/5 rDev -16.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5
3.02/5 rDev -16.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5
Traditional brewers of fine ales since 1876. 4% abv. This poured a reddish brown with a touch of a white head. It smelled of light caramel, toffee and vanilla. This tasted like sweet malts mixed with a touch of light cherry cola. It was just ok, and slightly weird. It didn't give me that wow factor by a long shot.
Mar 23, 2010
Speight's Old Dark from New Zealand Breweries Limited
Beer rating:
84 out of
100 with
25 ratings
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