Oak Aged Old Stone Wall Ale
White Birch Brewing

# Beer Review - White Birch Old Ale

## Introduction

I hope I’m rating the right beer. I went into White Birch today (December 24, 2015) to fill my growler and they had an “Oak-Aged Old Ale” on tap. Prior reviews seem to fit the description.

## Look

Tiny bubbles rise in several single columns within this unfiltered, sepia brew. A modest head tops the beer, possibly diminished by my quick pour and the double-pouredness of growlers in general. The sepia tone lightens to copper-brown as the glass empties. (4.5)

## Smell

At colder temperatures, the smell is oak and leather. As the beer is warmed and moved around, esters of kumquat or grapefruit emerge to join in. (4.25)

## Taste

If this brew is 10% ABV, I don’t know where it’s hiding. The flavor is light, with balanced hopping. I taste a coriander-like spiciness under the dominant oak and toasted malt flavors. It tastes like an Old Ale should. (4.5)

## Feel

Light body with an excellent effervescence; there’s more bubble feel than it looks there should be. Don’t change a thing here. (4.75)

## Overall

White Birch is really getting their chops on their oak-aging techniques. I want to grab a growler of anything they call “oak aged” this year. This beer is right up my alley: fun to watch the color change as the glass empties, a masculine and engaging taste that keeps you wanting to refill your glass, and just the right amount of carbonation that keeps the tongue happy and the burps away. Do it again, White Birch. A keeper. (4.5)

Thanks for the Christmas pour!

Well, lookee what I found in the depths of the basement beer closet! Knew there were at least a couple White Birches down there... This is a capped 22 oz. bottle (received, I believe, from sleepydave about this time last year). Poured to a teardrop, served at 'cellar temp', which on a fairly mild December evening is probably 45-50°F.

Bottled: April 28, 2010
Batch: One
Bottle: 35 of 408

A: Cap hisses and... thar she blows! Well, not an explosion, but a modest gusher of sandy tan foam that is, fortunately, short-lived - lost maybe 1 or 2 ounces down the drain. Carbonation issues in the pour as well; huge rocky fluff mounds to almost five fingers. A patient wait and the foam eventually settles, leaving a thin pockmarked topping and gobs of spongy lace. Liquid is deep mahogany, clear enough when held to light and amply carbonated with rapidly streaming bubbles. Apart from the ridiculous head initially (and with each refill), a lovely look otherwise.

S: For a strong old ale (and a barrel aged one at that), not much aroma. The temperature is right, the glassware is proper, my nose is clear and, well... it's just a light, pleasant nutty roast. A dusty sort of graininess, like the cloud drifting from the last pour out of a cereal box. A light spice (nutmeg?) and miniscule notes of honey and vanilla.

T: First taste hints at a mild tartness and papery oxidation, but with subsequent sips those aging signs are forgiven. Grassy and spicy hops, a dry and earthy rawness. A little fruit, some apple skins and mushy berries and a passing oaky woodenness that shares some toasted vanilla. It may that I've been drinking quite a few of these in recent weeks, but Deschutes Jubelale (a terrific 'winter warmer') bears a striking resemblance.

M: Never develops much creamy smoothness, as playful but pointed prickle of carbonation and a nippy spiced tang open each sip. A light tannic/woody afterglow and boozy warmth that ebbs subtly. Drier finish than expected, good balance. Perhaps a hair on the thin side for such a big ale, but no heaviness and minimal stickiness as a result.

O: It's a beer that's almost 20 months old to the day, but one with a hearty ABV that should develop for at least a couple years - so I feel completely comfortable reviewing it. I'm not sure if the over-carbonated issues were there from the start or developed over time (this is unfiltered and bottle conditioned, so 'anything goes' in there...), but they really didn't present a problem beyond the initial burst. A likable ale, glad to have tried it.

 

Had this as part of the infamous White Birch tasting at the Holistic Dramming Institute, thanks to Tim. Notes will probably be short since there were so many different beers to note, and drink.

Big frothy head fades slowly over clear dark mahogany brown.

Nose has light spicy rye, dark malts, brown sugar, nutty, nutmeg and spices. Some aged malt aromas too.

Taste is brown sugar and dark malts, caramel, a light sour mash flavor, roasty, light fruits, light oak, and very light hints of rye. Some warming booze as well.

Mouth is medium bodied with decent carbonation and some warming booze.

Drink is fairly decent, some warming booze, a little sour and spicy, the spices are there but not too dominant, not bad.

Bottled 4/28/2010 batch 1 sampled 12/17/2010 after sitting in my fridge for the better part of two months.
Pours a deep clear shade of claret with a good two finger tan/white head that slowly recedes, but leaves lots of sticky lace behind. Smells of caramel, toffee, hints of vanilla and oak mixed with an herbal spicy aroma that I assume is from the hops. This almost smells like it was aged on cedar, but that could be some weird play of the hops and the oak.
This beer tastes malty sweet with tastes of caramel, cherries, currants, plums and toffee mixed with an earthy oakiness, some higher alcohol and a slight twinge of wet cardboard. Strangely the oxidized quality went away as this warmed or maybe as I imbibed I noticed it less. Slightly spicy herbal tastes in there as well. Has an almost lactic quality to it, but also reminds me of the taste you would get from a stout that has had lactose added to it.
Medium body with a creamy velvety mouthfeel and a medium low level of carbonation.
Decent beer, not my favorite White Birch offering. I think a little tweaking to the recipe or change in the oaking schedule could do wonders for this brew.

Dated: April 28, 2010. Batch One; no. 15 of 408. Sampled on Oct. 23, 2010. It exhibits a brown opaque pour with no other hints or hues of colors seeping through. The head is about an inch thick and the carbonation is pretty steady. Malts, bread, and a backdrop of hops are the main pieces to the aroma. The alcohol is also noted since it comes in at over 10% ABV. The body is medium-to heavy with an oily texture. There is aq malted bitterness in the taste but I think it tends to be superseded by the oak-barrel aging notes of alcohol. Dry hoppy finish. Satisfying in its own way.

Got this one visiting NH. Very limited one case release in 3 stores. 22oz bottle, bottled 10/28/10...

A: deep ruby red color which is perfectly transparent. Thick 1 inch mocha colored head that fades at a decent pace. Good.

S: smells of almost earthy hoppy sugars upfront quickly followed by some toffee and caramel. Almost tiny hints of Brett funk on the backend. Interesting. Good.

T: hmm taste is where this seems to lack. Kind of a watery roasty flavor upfront with some buried hints of Brett funk in the middle. Almost a rye and dirty dishwater taste hidden on the backend. Faint caramel and slight booze. Decent.

M: medium body with a great carbonation feel. Good.

D: the abv doesn't effect this area, its the strange blend of flavors that holds back here. Decent.

All in all, this is an ok brew. Nothing special. Try if you have access, but avoid otherwise.