Young's Old Nick Barley Wine Ale
Young & Co Brewery PLC

Young's Old Nick Barley Wine AleYoung's Old Nick Barley Wine Ale
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From:
Young & Co Brewery PLC
 
England, United Kingdom
Style:
English Barleywine
ABV:
7.2%
Score:
88
Avg:
3.95 | pDev: 10.13%
Reviews:
316
Ratings:
331
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Jan 14, 2022
Added:
Sep 05, 2001
Wants:
  9
Gots:
  5
No description / notes.
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Ratings by jeonseh:
Photo of jeonseh
Reviewed by jeonseh from Indiana

3.86/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
From a bottle I picked up at Citywide Liquors and poured into my crystal Snifter glass.

A - looks just like a barleywine should look. A dark ruby color with a slight cloud to it as well. Has a nice bag head that sticks around thru the glass. the head is a cream color with a light ruby tinge to it as well. Leaves a ton of lacing down the sides as well which is always nice to see when drinking any beer.

S - nose is rather fruity with a nice maltiness in the nose as well. Smells a mix of the darker grapier fruits like plums for examples and also a bit like a tarter grape juice. Lots of caramely and sugary sweetness that is in there as well. Also a slight alcoholic tinge that remains in the nose that you can pick up. Not really too alcoholic but then again it is only 7.2% for a barleywine.

T - Taste at first is kinda fruity with a bit of plum and also taste a bit like a Belgian esters. There is a light alcoholic taste in there as well that is not at all overpowering but is barely noticeable. There is also some spiciness that is mixed in there that goes well with a light hops presence that I can detect. I actually like how there is some hoppy bitterness in there that helps to offset some of the sweetness and fruitiness in the beer. I think it is a pretty cool aspect of this brew. A bit of caramely stickiness as well that is mixed in with a light sweetness that sticks around in the mouth most of the time. The sweetness goes well with the fruiter aspects of the beer. Tastes also a bit like a light port and after sitting in the mouth for a while I get a taste that is a bit like cranberry juice mixed with grape juice as well. Overall a nice barleywine which is well balanced but the flavors are not overly pronounced.

MF - At first there is a light carbonation that hits the mouth and sits on the tongue and that is mixed in with a light cloying stickiness. Actually a bit light in the mouth for a barleywine compared to some of the others that I've had and I think that hurts the MF some especially given some of the other BW's I have and the thickness that I have come to expect from them. . Leaves a nice alcoholic warm feeling in the mouth after the beer goes away which reminds you that you have drank a nice warming barleywine and also leaves a bit of a tart taste in the mouth as well that makes your mouth slightly pucker.

D - overall a good barleywine that is actually pretty easy to drink for the style which i guess goes well since it is only 7.2% which is on the lower end for a barleywine. It is not at all overpowering nor super sticky in the mouth which I have found with some of the other ones as well. While most barleywines are pure sippers, this one is one that you could actually drink a couple of them. A good beer but not one that really blows us away. I would see it being good with some cheese since it plays off the port aspects of the beer.
Feb 06, 2008
More User Ratings:
Photo of DeaconWhite82
Reviewed by DeaconWhite82 from Pennsylvania

4.2/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
This was my go to beer at Fatheads , South Side Pittsburgh back in 1994-1995. Was introduced to this with their beers around the world. Taste was malty and strong. Had a strong kick. Would stagger out and walk home. I lived on South Side at the time. Don’t drink and drive.
Jan 14, 2022
Photo of crazyspicychef
Rated by crazyspicychef from Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Why they discontinued this amazing beverage I will never understand.
Used to be a Christmas staple.
Good things never last.
Nov 12, 2020
 
Rated: 3 by Hopheadjeffery from Illinois

Dec 22, 2012
 
Rated: 4 by kobeer from Texas

Jul 22, 2012
 
Rated: 4.5 by tbeer40 from New Jersey

Jun 03, 2012
 
Rated: 4 by macrosmatic from Florida

Apr 10, 2012
 
Rated: 4 by RoryOMoore from New Jersey

Feb 27, 2012
 
Rated: 3.5 by pperez38 from California

Jan 31, 2012
 
Rated: 3 by 6demonbag from Missouri

Jan 29, 2012
 
Rated: 4.5 by Blueribbon666 from Ohio

Jan 08, 2012
 
Rated: 3.5 by KimenTshom from California

Jan 01, 2012
 
Rated: 4 by cdwil from Texas

Dec 29, 2011
 
Rated: 5 by Beertracker from Oklahoma

Dec 19, 2011
 
Rated: 4.5 by deapokid from Pennsylvania

Dec 03, 2011
Photo of magictrokini
Reviewed by magictrokini from California

3.73/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Dark mahogany with a thick foamy tan head. Cherries, malts, and nuts are int he aroma. The flavor is sweet up front with the malts and sugar, then it slowly moves into a bitter finish. Lighter mouthfeel than most barleywines, and without the hop/resin base. Very nice brew.
Dec 16, 2008
Photo of CrellMoset
Reviewed by CrellMoset from Virginia

4.1/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Bottle from Green's, Ponce location, Atlanta, GA. Haven't seen this one anywhere in quite some while. Poured into a tulip.

Appearance: Pours a turgid dirty brown, fairly thick, with a sticky, tan, one-finger head of slightly below average retention. The lacing is nice, though: fairly delicate-looking sheets remain in place after the head has faded, and fingers reach upwards towards the rim of the glass.

Aroma: Roasted and toasted malts (though more towards the lighter end of the caramelized spectrum) and a panoply of fruity notes - cherries, lots of pears, apple skins, raisins - comprise the bulk of the nose here.

Taste: Solid and rather subtle. Lots of bready malt notes, caramel, toffee - there's a definite buttery undertone here - and a healthy dose of fruity overtones as well, both light and dark. Fruits run the gamut from buttery pears to figs. Darker malt notes emerge as it warms - faint, sweet cocoa and lightly roasted coffee. Reminds me of buttered, toasted bread in places - grilled cheese without the cheese. There's also a slight leafy hop twang and an even more slight kiss of hop bitterness, though they're both practically an afterthought.

Mouthfeel: Fairly thick, though with a decent amount of carbonation that creates a slightly creamy film in the mouth. That sounds less appealing than it really is, now that I think about it.

Drinkability: For a barleywine, this one's incredibly quaffable - it's smooth, flavorful, balanced, decently complex, and low in alcohol (for the style). This one went very well with post-Thanksgiving Saturday football ... but it'd also pair very well with any number of other snacks and or situations. A good one from Young's, and an enjoyable brew. I hear it may have been recently retired (dunno how accurate this is), so pick it up if you see it.
Nov 29, 2008
Photo of hopsleeroy
Reviewed by hopsleeroy from North Carolina

3.81/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Found this bottle at a gas station while filling up. Nice find at a random place.

A-very dark but not black, deep garnet color, very cloudy, 1 inch head that faded quickly, but laced while I drank it.
S-Smell reminiscent of sweet sherry with more dark fruits. Kind of reminds me of fruit cake with rum
T-Very malt forward as this is 2-3 years old the hops have faded. Quite sweet but not cloying, dark fruit flavors with alot of raisins and figs, booze booze flavor is ther.
M-Not too bad but would have thought it would have been a little creamier and smoother after so long. Good carbo after so long.
D-This is a definate sipper and it tastes sweeter the more I drink it.
Nov 20, 2008
Photo of tayner
Reviewed by tayner from Arizona

4.23/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5
16.9 oz bottle courtesy of Aaron, leftmindedrighty, via the ??? BIF. 2006 bottle with best before 30 MAR 07 on the back label.

Pours a dark raisin color with brown edges. Head is an off white color and seemingly very sticky. nice lacing

Smell is very sweet, like candied fruit, figs, and raisins.

Taste is as sweet as it smells for sure. Lots and lots of dark fruits, raisins, figs, plums. Very sweet. I dont know if it had more hops in it when it was fresh, but there is very little hop presence in it now. Any hint of the 7.2% abv is all but gone now, making it quite dangerous.

Mouthfeel is surprisingly smooth and creamy for such a sweet beverage. From the smell I almost expected to taste granules of sugar in it, but it is off the scale smooth and creamy. very nice.

Drinkability is good. I am having this alone, but I do think it would be paired better with food. I think something rich that could stand up to the sweetness of this beer would help alot, like a sharp, robust cheese. I think you could replace a dinner wine with this and your guests would be happy, and buzzin lol

Thanks for the opportunity Aaron. this one definitely stood the test of aging. two years is very good on this one.
Aug 16, 2008
Photo of kinger
Reviewed by kinger from Ohio

4/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Not overly experienced with barleywines so I am rating this purely on the beer itself. At first I was a somewhat discouraged since I was expecting a completely different brew. Pours a rich ruby transparent red with a fluffy marsh mellow head that ultimately settles. This beer is gorgeous in the glass. Abundant aroma is given off consisting of malts, malts, and some more malts. The scent is sweet and malty with a candy-chocolate aspect. The overall aroma reminded me of burning incense, truly wonderful. This beer is exceptionally smooth and very creamy. The mouthfeel is what I would expect from a well crafted porter or stout so I was happily surprised at the smoothness of this one. Great flavor that simply compliments the aroma. Sweet, tons of malt, chocolately and candy all wrapped up in one awesome beer. It's a mild barleywine, definitely English, and absolutely a remarkable beer.
Jul 30, 2008
Young's Old Nick Barley Wine Ale from Young & Co Brewery PLC
Beer rating: 88 out of 100 with 331 ratings