Old Bastard
Great Waters Brewing

The most recent review of this beer prior to mine was in 2004. The short version of this review is: New brewer, new version, very very good! The longer version: poured on cask at the brewpub, after the cascading subsides, this is a brilliant clear burgandy color, with a small tan head, and a fair amount of lacing on the glass. The smell is slightly fruity, with plum and cherry predominating. The taste is refreshing, and includes the flavors of cherry, plum, brandy and hints of vanilla and hops. The flavors blend together smoothly. This is a fantastic example of an English Old Ale, and one I could drink all night.

Tawny brown color, fine, fluffy head,
Aroma, nice and hoppy, a little roasty, but not couldn't exuding much more than that.
Taste: good fruit in the flavor, again, neat little hop appearance, fullish body, adequate finish, but after that we're left searching, for it comes up short in so many other areas, compared to the best of even the average of this style. No complexity, not much flavor beyond the basic fruitiness, and little alcohol felt. With a name like this, you're expecting a bad boy, something devilish,and wicked, but nothing of the sort occurs here at all.
I may want to trek out here another time and try it again, but this sample was terribly underwhelming.

Murky looking brown/ruby red. Tight airy beige head. Lace is full. Aroma is malty and phenolic. Taste is too phenolic. A little sour and tart as well. Nothing at all like a good Old Ale should taste like (see Third Coast Old Ale or Old Stock Ale). Mouthfeel is a little thin and watery. This one is subpar. And it won a medal? I can't believe it. Maybe a different batch turned out better than this one.

Scarlet red/burgandy..nice creamy tan head....cookies...cinamin bread and some chocolate on the appealing nose of this beer...decent sweet malt flavors...some dark cocoa beans...a little thin for an old ale...light side of medium...a decent not spectacular old ale worth a shot....the bartenders heavy perfume hindered the experience some

On Cask: Deep dark rusty brown with caramel brown highlights, the beautiful flowing foamy bubbles cascading up the glass building the dark cream colored head slowly to about an inch high of firm thick fluffy whipped cream. A 1/4 inch foamed head sits on top the entire glass down. Aroma is quite soft with slightly grainy maltyness with a small sweetness and roastyness, notes of chocolate malts and nuts. For a strong ale its taste is not very strong, incerdibly mild and mellow with a malty sweet tang, hops are mild and dark with a smokey lingering sweet oaky finish. A short lived experience with any flavors, nothing substantial or providing. Sort of thin in the feel upfront but picks up some as it goes with a light sweet and grainy soft rounded texture. Mellow, easy, subtle, and drinkable, just low on the scale of any real outstanding qualities in nearly every aspect with the exception of how beautiful the glass of this stuff is.

On cask at the brewpub...

Nice looking, hazy ginger color, good cascading foam. Head is very creamy and sticks in at 1/2 an inch. Laces in broad sheets. Lightly candy aroma, brief toffee diacetyl. Mouthfeel is nice and lush, not even approaching sticky. Flavors are lightly carob and a bit of tropical breadfruit huskiness. Hopping is quite restrained. A good beer in texture and execution, but no monster in impression (or alcohol tones). Quite drinkable but a letdown for something I've anticipated for a couple of years.