Old Izaak
Whim Ales

Old IzaakOld Izaak
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From:
Whim Ales
 
England, United Kingdom
Style:
Extra Special / Strong Bitter (ESB)
ABV:
5%
Score:
89
Avg:
4 | pDev: 10%
Reviews:
43
Ratings:
47
Status:
Active
Rated:
Jan 03, 2016
Added:
Sep 12, 2001
Wants:
  1
Gots:
  0
No description / notes.
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Ratings by oberon:
Photo of oberon
Reviewed by oberon from North Carolina

4.3/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Pours a deep red/orange mixture with a big rocky head that sticks like glue to the glass I didnt expect that large of a head I have to say.Very English in aroma some dried fruit and bready malt with a metallic note lingering.Now this is what an ESB should taste like in my opinion,on the malty side very fruity and lightly caramelly sweet with a enough herbal hoppiness to make it extremeley balanced and extremely easy to drink.How good on cask would this be,I will likely never know but I can dream thats for sure.
Dec 18, 2004
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.5 by harpus from Alabama

Jan 03, 2016
 
Rated: 4.75 by Slatetank from Pennsylvania

May 24, 2013
 
Rated: 4.25 by LJWalker from Indiana

Dec 17, 2012
Photo of kylesobrien
Reviewed by kylesobrien from Canada (QC)

4.45/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5
Pours a shade of cola brown, with a fairly thin and slightly brown head. Smells of raisins, plums and toffee. Fairly opaque; I can hardly see anything through the glass.

The flavor is relatively complex; this is a dark British ale, after all, and it would be a shame to serve it ice cold. The first taste is a mix of fruitcake, toffee, apple, plum and faintly hoppy flavors. Subsequent sips present a definite candied fruit and dark bread character -- I'm pleasantly surprised. I've only had the opportunity to sample a few bottled British ales, and of those I'm most reminded of Fuller's 1845. I realize this is an ESB, but it reminds me less of that Fuller's standard and more of the former. I'm certainly a big fan of the 1845, but I think I might like this one even more. To be perfectly honest, I'd not seen this one previously, and decided to snag a bottle since my local shop had only one left on the shelf. Now I see why.

If you enjoy ESBs and dark British ales with complex flavors, I highly recommend this selection. A particularly fine bottled example in the style of true real ales. Delicious.
Mar 15, 2011
Photo of Bookseeb
Reviewed by Bookseeb from Washington

4.02/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Appearance has a hazy light brown color with a fair head that dissapates leaving no lace. Smell of rich caramel malts and dark fruits. Taste has an interesting earthy sweetness to the malts that is nicely balanced with the hops having a clean finish in the end. Mouthfeel is medium with good carbonation. I've drank many of pints over in England and Scotland and I'd say this is a fair comparison.
Aug 04, 2010
Photo of bstewyb
Reviewed by bstewyb from Georgia

3.01/5  rDev -24.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3
Presentation: Bottle poured into a imperial pint glass

Appearance: Deep golden brown/auburn

Smell: slightly citrus, fruity nose. Mostly caramel.

Taste: Strong caramel and malts. Slightly watered down and thin with hints of hops at the end.

Mouthfeel: thin but acceptable

Drinkability: Acceptable, good start with more to come.
May 04, 2009
Photo of Minkybut
Reviewed by Minkybut from Virginia

3.97/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
I poured this unusual beer into my tumbler at 50 degrees. The beer was a dark brown color and poured a nice tam head. The smell of the beer was caramally and really goy me juicing. The taste was malty and rich with caramel hits that was well balanced. This is a great beer,buy it I will again.
Dec 07, 2008
Photo of beerkittycat
Reviewed by beerkittycat from Minnesota

4.7/5  rDev +17.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Every so often a beer comes along that when you taste it for the first time the word, "Wow" is said immediately after you swallow. Appearance is crystal-clear brown with ruby highlights and a lazy tan head. Decent lacing. Aroma is full of black-strap molasses, treacle, bitter chocolate, and maybe a hint of peat smoke. Grassy hops dance across your nose and blend with the complex malt aromas that remind me of what I think an English countryside might smell like after a soft rain. Taste (Wow) is all of the above but more intensified and balanced by a rather restrained hop bitterness for an ESB, but the mouthfeel is medium to medium-full and along with restrained carbonation it is spot-on for the style. A very tasty beer.
Aug 13, 2008
Photo of morimech
Reviewed by morimech from Minnesota

3.34/5  rDev -16.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5
Best before Dec 08.
The darkest ESB I have come across. Pours a reddish brown with a large off-white head that had good retention. Sheets of lacing but it does not stick to the glass.

I smell sweet malt and not much of anything that would lead me to believe this was an ESB. Seems to me more like a dark mild.

The taste is also big on the malt. Fruity in the middle with just a kiss of hops on the finish. A fine tasting beer but as an ESB, I am not so sure. Maybe I am too accustomed to American versions that feature the hops.

Light to medium body with good carbonation. Has a silky texture that is really pleasing.

Very drinkable with the lower ABV. I prefer the hops more in your face than what this ale offers.
Aug 11, 2008
Photo of lackenhauser
Reviewed by lackenhauser from Maryland

4/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours a deep, mahogany color though a lot lighter when held to the light. Nice sized head. You could smell the caramel and slightly roasted aroma as it was being poured. Smooth, somewhat sweet malty flavor. Nice caramel touch. Seems just a tad smokey. Pleasant bitterness but I like the sweetness behind it. Solid body for 5%. Maybe a tad thin but that just adds to the smoothness and drinkablility. Very enjoyable beer.
Mar 08, 2008
Photo of CharlieMopps
Reviewed by CharlieMopps from Virginia

3.28/5  rDev -18%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
A: Moderate pour yields a solid two and a half fingers of dense head with medium-size bubbles. Dissipation occurs fairly slowly, leaving little lace spore colonies on its descent. Transparent, burnt ruby color with a bit of shimmer to it.

S: Notes of bittering hops, somewhat floral, but pretty much a straight-up bready malt bouquet, which I have no problem with at all.

T: Fairly weak malt introduction, with only a brief appearance of toffee that leads right into the bittering hops. Finish sneaks out the back, making for a drying aftertaste that falls somewhere between tasteful execution and weak note to end on. I'm leaning toward the latter.

M: Carbonation makes it a touch creamy, but there is a watery element to this beer that I just can't get past. Not as bad as others, in this sense, but still, not assertive enough.

D: Easily drinkable, but not at the top of my list when it comes to palate. Mouthfeel is adequate, and it actually smells quite good, but doesn't hold up in the taste.
Oct 27, 2007
Photo of Sammy
Reviewed by Sammy from Canada (ON)

3.48/5  rDev -13%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Old ale like, drying bitterness long finish, though juicy citrus. Unusual bitterness ESB to my palate because of the hops. Maltiness is definately secondary. Brown cider colour, and aroma. The bitterness as what you get from cranberries.Appropriate carbonation. Drinkability not bad.
Oct 16, 2006
Photo of BEERchitect
Reviewed by BEERchitect from Kentucky

3.5/5  rDev -12.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Pretty sweet stuff...literally. Big malts evident from the opening of the bottle. Aromas of molassas and spice are released over the syrupy looking brew. Flavors all come together with a blend of dates, nuts, figs, plumbs, and a hint of raisons and chocolate. Perhaps a little too big for an ESB, but tasty stuff anyhow. The hops add a crisp spiciness and bitterness, but doesn't overwhelm. If anything, they are a little too subtle. A little less than clean in the finish because of the malt. Could almost be a Strong Ale if left to bottle condition.
Jun 26, 2006
Photo of SilentSabre
Reviewed by SilentSabre from North Dakota

3.23/5  rDev -19.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 4
A decent English ale. Nothing extraordinary by any means. Poured a brownish red colour with a khaki coloured foamy head that stuck around for at least two minutes. Nice sticky lacing. Looks good. Smells a bit sweet with some fruit in there somewhere. A good measure of malt with the usual English hops typical for this style. Smells nice, but nothing amazing. Taste is a typical, as well. It isn't bad, but it certainly doesn't grab your attention. Nice malt and hop balance, and fairly smooth and easy drinking. I could possibly see my self buying this again, but I certainly won't rush out and get some more right away. Slightly above average at best in my opinion.
Jun 06, 2006
Photo of bigblueheron
Reviewed by bigblueheron from Georgia

4.35/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
I've become a loyal fan of this somewhat obscure offering. This is a handsome, warm and friendly-looking beer. Rich mahogany in color. And such a clean floral smell with a hint of apples. It pours with a 2-finger head that settles to a lasting 1 mm thick frothy layer. Nice lace, also. At first it feels sparkley and thin on the tongue. Let it breath for a while and it becomes smooth and creamy. Very flavorful - fruity at first, then malty with notes of caramel and toffee; finishes dry and bitter. Great with food, I enjoyed this with a naked Joey Bag o' Donuts from Moe's. I've heard this is a great selection to take fishing. I wouldn't know . . . I golf. But, I'd certainly throw 1 or 2 in my bag.
Jun 03, 2006
Photo of Graebner
Reviewed by Graebner from Germany

3.93/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Looks great. Pours out cloudy and medium-dark brown, but layers out so that the bottom is clear and the top is opaque. Very neat. Has a finger or so of head that goes down to a millimeter or so after a few minutes.

Smells like bread and butter and golden apples, maybe a little bit of dryer vent. Mmmm.

Tastes malty and slightly dry and bitter at first. Finishes with some hoppy bitter that lingers for a few seconds.

Feels quit nice on the tongue. The right amount of carbonation, and a smooth and not-too-heavy feel.

Overall very good, though you should probably drink it with food. Very good beer, though.
Jan 09, 2006
Photo of daliandragon
Reviewed by daliandragon from Maryland

4.47/5  rDev +11.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
An interesting looking presentation..took me a while to figure out that was a fishing lure on the label. This is a good looking beer..dark cider color with lots of sediment and thick foamy head..very English looking, if I may be allowed a stereotype. Roasted malt is the major player in the nose with yeast, hops (noble?) and a faint hint of pine rounding out an appetising odor indeed.
Some great malt flavor in this one, the black and crystal varieties both representing particulary well in my first sip. There is some fruit tendrils as well, culminating in a mild but delicious bitterness that remind me of the best English bitters and Scottish ales and wee heavies, minus the extra alcohol. Mouthfeel is very smooth and pleasing. The aftertaste is mellow with a touch of smokiness to it.
This beer is very well put together. No one characteristic dominates the flavor but each ingredient adds a nice component to the overall melange. definitely will be looking for more from these qualty Derbyshire microbrewers.
Dec 10, 2005
Photo of horndecker
Reviewed by horndecker from New Jersey

3.88/5  rDev -3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Appearance: Reddish walnut hue. A beautiful head, darkish mocha tan, rocky, and plenty of sudsy lace.

Smell: Caramel, pine trees, hint of chocolate. Fruit, little bit grapy.

Taste: The first flush of fruit (apples?) flows to caramel and a full, nutty malt center. Bitter and dusty cocoa powder finishes along with a hops accent.

Pretty darn tasty. Decent body and plenty of carbonation for a nice busy smooth mouthfeel.

This is one I will drink again.
Oct 03, 2005
Photo of dgallina
Reviewed by dgallina from Georgia

3.71/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours a shiny translucent copper with gigantic peaky tan head and very good lace; a really great-looking beer. Caramel and biscuit malts over flowery dry hops in the nose. Tastes quite hoppy for a traditional british ale as well. Sweet malts up front, developing into slightly toasted and smoky biscuit malts in the middle. Finishes long and increasingly bitter with lots of wood-toned hops. Moderately light in body, with restrained carbonation and a good overall creaminess.

Well executed, but not as flavorful or deeply layered as the best bitters (Fullers ESB, etc).
Aug 04, 2005
Old Izaak from Whim Ales
Beer rating: 89 out of 100 with 47 ratings