X Ale, 22nd February 1945
Pretty Things Beer & Ale Project

X Ale, 22nd February 1945X Ale, 22nd February 1945
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From:
Pretty Things Beer & Ale Project
 
Massachusetts, United States
Style:
English Dark Mild Ale
ABV:
2.8%
Score:
82
Avg:
3.61 | pDev: 13.3%
Reviews:
42
Ratings:
91
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Nov 14, 2015
Added:
Mar 17, 2012
Wants:
  2
Gots:
  3
So, these are our new historical beer releases: two beers from the same brewery, brewed under the same brand name, 107 years apart. X Ale, 22nd November 1838, and X Ale, 22nd February 1945. These beers were from Barclay Perkins brewery in London (now long closed). They were brewed & sold as the same beer over these 107 years, but the recipe and process changed dramatically. The beer changed from a golden, 7.4%, extremely hopped ale in 1838 into a 2.8% dark grainy beer in 1945. Probably a lot of factors came into play: wars, hop shortages, grain pricing, rationing, taxation, patriotism, the motorcar, the industrial revolution… I’m guessing these all played a role in the weakening and darkening of this beer. Interestingly, since 1945, Mild ale in Britain hasn’t changed so much: it’s still dark, and one of the weakest beers produced.
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Ratings by jneiswender:
Photo of jneiswender
Reviewed by jneiswender from Massachusetts

3.83/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4
Poured from a liter bottle into a tulip glass. Served at cellar temperature.

Pours a dark ruby color and a nice off white head that is thick.

Smells yeast and toasty. Light earth hop smell.

Taste is yeasty and some warm toast. Chalky. Earthy clay like hop flavor. Light medicinal.

Low carbonation and kind of dry.

Great representation of the style. Tastes like a cask conditioned beer. Very nice.
Apr 15, 2012
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4 by nathanmiller from New York

Nov 14, 2015
Photo of JavierGC
Reviewed by JavierGC from Spain

4.71/5  rDev +30.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
Marrón con una soberbia espuma con buena retención y que deja encaje en el vaso. Aroma a frutos secos y algo de caramelo. Cuerpo medio y buena carbonatación. Maltosa y acaramelada, con bastante sabor para el poco alcohol que tiene.
Jan 02, 2015
 
Rated: 3.25 by LehighAce06 from Pennsylvania

Sep 13, 2014
 
Rated: 3.7 by vermilcj from Ohio

Sep 02, 2014
Photo of laituegonflable
Reviewed by laituegonflable from Australia

2.8/5  rDev -22.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5
Pours a deep red colour, streaming cascade of bubbles up the body. Head is cream-coloured, fairly dense with sticky lace. Looks good.

Smells massively sweet. Slight toasty edge with toffee, creme anglaise and buttermilk the main components; nicely but not wholly tempered by a light roasted bitterness which gives a slight boiled-sweet aroma. Some coconut and marshmallow. A bit sweet, but very nice.

Taste is very disappointingly sparse. Weakly sweet, with a hole in the middle of the palate. Sweet on the assault, then quickly watery with light pearl barley and some rice pudding notes. Slight vanilla on the finish and maybe a touch of toastiness, but it's a weird and disappointing palate, bereft of flavour and almost entirely bereft of complexity.

Quite thin, but a bit of texture to it. Gets watery again by the end. Pretty meh.

Held such promise until I tasted it. I'm really baffled as to where the charming aroma character went. Just a big gaping maw where a nice tasty beer might have been.
Aug 04, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by DGSchmitt from New York

May 18, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by Oakenator from Pennsylvania

Jan 04, 2014
Photo of DrJay
Reviewed by DrJay from Texas

3.73/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 4
Clear copper with a fluffy beige cap, sticky lacing and good head retention. Mild aroma, malty and earthy with a hint of fruit, a bit herbal -- very nice. Medium bitterness with mild malt character, herbal hops, light breadiness, perhaps a hint of mint. Very light bodied and nearly thin, with moderate carbonation and a bit of dryness. Pretty tasty and easy drinking with an interesting hop profile.
Dec 24, 2013
 
Rated: 4 by JoeMans from New York

Dec 17, 2013
 
Rated: 3.5 by jzlyo from Iowa

Nov 26, 2013
 
Rated: 3 by Kmlund from Massachusetts

Oct 03, 2013
Photo of palma
Reviewed by palma from New York

4.58/5  rDev +26.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
Appearance: Dark pale body. Small off-white head. Very good surface lace thoughout the session.

Nose: Swiss Miss hot cocoa, nutty, dark fruits, caramel, molassas, warm bread.

Taste: Rye bread, unsweetened chocolate, cream, almonds, a bit of fruity ester. Semi-dry to dry. Very lightly hopped but just enough to give a slight bitterness in the aftertaste only.

Mouthfeel: Very thin and light bodied. Dark but still refreshing and very drinkable. I could drink this all day.

Wow. Pretty Things hit this style perfectly. Props to the brewer for taking a chance and making a style of beer that is often overlooked or even dismissed, rather than trying to appease the many beer geeks out there that favor high abv/high octane beers these days. Probably the best dark mild I have ever had.
Aug 24, 2013
Photo of wisrarebeer
Reviewed by wisrarebeer from Wisconsin

3.6/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
A: clear, copper color, poured with thin, but compact, creamy head
S: medium nose, malty, roasted, toasted, grassy, nutty
T: very light but still has some decent taste, light roasted malt with some bitter/astringent finish
M: thin (obviously for ABV) but quenching, albeit light
O: thanks to Ron and Dann for recreating a style that was nearly lost, I love tasting history
Aug 21, 2013
 
Rated: 3.5 by beertardis from Rhode Island

Mar 17, 2013
 
Rated: 3.75 by Dank26 from Pennsylvania

Mar 08, 2013
 
Rated: 2.75 by Davepoolesque from Massachusetts

Jan 31, 2013
 
Rated: 3.5 by Giantspace from Pennsylvania

Dec 21, 2012
 
Rated: 3.75 by PEIhop from Massachusetts

Dec 15, 2012
 
Rated: 4.25 by ferrettman687 from Massachusetts

Nov 25, 2012
X Ale, 22nd February 1945 from Pretty Things Beer & Ale Project
Beer rating: 82 out of 100 with 91 ratings