Ol' Oi! | Jester King Brewery
Brewed by:
Jester King Brewery
Texas, United States
jesterkingbrewery.com
Style: American Wild Ale
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 6.30%
Availability: Rotating
Notes / Commercial Description:
In Britain, what started out as young or “mild” dark ale was once aged in oak barrels to make something that was likely similar to sour brown ales of East Flanders. Using a similar base recipe to Commercial Suicide Dark Mild, Ol’ Oi! is Jester King’s tribute to that tradition.
Added by jamescain on 10-24-2011
View: Beers | Place Reviews | Events
Ratings: 421 | Reviews: 42
4.1/5 rDev -0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
4.5/5 rDev +9.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
3.93/5 rDev -4.6%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
750ml bottle, served in a willi becher glass. Pours a murky cola brown body, one finger thick offwhite head, good retention, not much lacing. Smell is lemon, brett leather, a bit of oak, light toasted grain, a bit of toffee, fairly sweet and not too acidic. Flavour is mild, like a light porter with brett in it. Touch of leather, fair bit of lemon, mild acetic acidity, fair bit of oak and a little vanillin. Mouthfeel is medium-lighter bodied, slightly watery, actually what I'd expect from the brettanomyces. Anyway, its a little thin and lacking much on the backend, maybe a slight lemony acidity. Reminds me a lot of New Glarus' R&D Sour Porter, which is another one of these beers brewed in a theoretically historical tradition, always cool to see breweries doing this.
775 characters
look: 3.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
750ml bottle, served in a willi becher glass. Pours a murky cola brown body, one finger thick offwhite head, good retention, not much lacing. Smell is lemon, brett leather, a bit of oak, light toasted grain, a bit of toffee, fairly sweet and not too acidic. Flavour is mild, like a light porter with brett in it. Touch of leather, fair bit of lemon, mild acetic acidity, fair bit of oak and a little vanillin. Mouthfeel is medium-lighter bodied, slightly watery, actually what I'd expect from the brettanomyces. Anyway, its a little thin and lacking much on the backend, maybe a slight lemony acidity. Reminds me a lot of New Glarus' R&D Sour Porter, which is another one of these beers brewed in a theoretically historical tradition, always cool to see breweries doing this.
775 characters
4.05/5 rDev -1.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
4.4/5 rDev +6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5
25.4 oz. bottle poured into Jester King Snorkel snifter
(Blend #5 — 3/8/2017; 6.2% ABV)
L: clear brown-orange pouring out of bottle, bronze more than copper with less amber and more brown in it; pushes up short but thick head of offwhite/beige foam about 1/2-inch tall; minor sticking, almost no lacing, keeps a thin but constant collar of foam
S: a cloud of vinegar/fingernail polish comes off it as it pours; super tart cranberries; kumquats, lemons, lemon peel; as it warms, quite vinous but with enough fruit sweetness (tart cranberry again) to give it that good Flanders oud bruin pop
T: tart cranberries and lots of fingernail polish, the most of any Jester King brew I've encountered, gives it just a twinge of sweetness along with vinegar, lemon, lemonade and super tart cranberries or even raspberries; as the palate adjusts, all of Jester King's yeasty barn must flavor and old beat-up hop earthiness (Golding hops in this case) takes over, and the beer begins tasting a bit more like JK farmhouse and less of a Flanders oud bruin, though the vinous and cranberry notes never stray too far; as vinous as it gets, there's almost a pinch of molasses in the finish as you near the halfway point of the first full glass
F: despite a middling show off the pour, there's loads of good bottle-conditioned carbonation that mixes perfectly with a light-middleweight liquid; JK excels in this area and does so again with Ol' Oi!
O: arguably a fantastic Flanders oud bruin ... it's main flavor is a bit more lemony than cranberry, but it does have that slightly vinous tart cranberry note of the good oud bruin; when the JK yeast profile kicks in, it becomes tied to that farmhouse outside Austin ... amazing how they've created their own signature; everything a good "sour" is meant to be
1,800 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5
25.4 oz. bottle poured into Jester King Snorkel snifter
(Blend #5 — 3/8/2017; 6.2% ABV)
L: clear brown-orange pouring out of bottle, bronze more than copper with less amber and more brown in it; pushes up short but thick head of offwhite/beige foam about 1/2-inch tall; minor sticking, almost no lacing, keeps a thin but constant collar of foam
S: a cloud of vinegar/fingernail polish comes off it as it pours; super tart cranberries; kumquats, lemons, lemon peel; as it warms, quite vinous but with enough fruit sweetness (tart cranberry again) to give it that good Flanders oud bruin pop
T: tart cranberries and lots of fingernail polish, the most of any Jester King brew I've encountered, gives it just a twinge of sweetness along with vinegar, lemon, lemonade and super tart cranberries or even raspberries; as the palate adjusts, all of Jester King's yeasty barn must flavor and old beat-up hop earthiness (Golding hops in this case) takes over, and the beer begins tasting a bit more like JK farmhouse and less of a Flanders oud bruin, though the vinous and cranberry notes never stray too far; as vinous as it gets, there's almost a pinch of molasses in the finish as you near the halfway point of the first full glass
F: despite a middling show off the pour, there's loads of good bottle-conditioned carbonation that mixes perfectly with a light-middleweight liquid; JK excels in this area and does so again with Ol' Oi!
O: arguably a fantastic Flanders oud bruin ... it's main flavor is a bit more lemony than cranberry, but it does have that slightly vinous tart cranberry note of the good oud bruin; when the JK yeast profile kicks in, it becomes tied to that farmhouse outside Austin ... amazing how they've created their own signature; everything a good "sour" is meant to be
1,800 characters
4.63/5 rDev +12.4%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
750ml bottle
Pours dark maroon red-brown with a creamy light khaki colored foam head. Smells very complex almost like a Lambic - Flanders Red mix, with mild smoke, woody cork, spice, red wine, dark fruits, tart cherry, red grapes, caramel, chocolate, molasses, dark brown sugar, toasted bready malts, oak, with floral earthy herbal grassy pine. Tastes acidic and almost vinegary with notes of mild smoke, woody cork, spice, red wine, sour dark fruits, tart cherry, red grapes, caramel, chocolate, molasses, dark brown sugar, toasted bready malt, oak, with floral earthy herbal grassy pine. Feels medium bodied, creamy with moderate high carbonation. Overall a nice barrel aged sour brown ale.
693 characters
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
750ml bottle
Pours dark maroon red-brown with a creamy light khaki colored foam head. Smells very complex almost like a Lambic - Flanders Red mix, with mild smoke, woody cork, spice, red wine, dark fruits, tart cherry, red grapes, caramel, chocolate, molasses, dark brown sugar, toasted bready malts, oak, with floral earthy herbal grassy pine. Tastes acidic and almost vinegary with notes of mild smoke, woody cork, spice, red wine, sour dark fruits, tart cherry, red grapes, caramel, chocolate, molasses, dark brown sugar, toasted bready malt, oak, with floral earthy herbal grassy pine. Feels medium bodied, creamy with moderate high carbonation. Overall a nice barrel aged sour brown ale.
693 characters
4.42/5 rDev +7.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Look: Dark brown with three inch head that recedes quickly.
Smell: Funky, smoky, sap, and bark.
Taste: Tart, Grape, red wine, funky, and smoke.
Mouthfeel: Complex and unique.
Mouthfeel: An interesting dark, tart sour ale.
221 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Look: Dark brown with three inch head that recedes quickly.
Smell: Funky, smoky, sap, and bark.
Taste: Tart, Grape, red wine, funky, and smoke.
Mouthfeel: Complex and unique.
Mouthfeel: An interesting dark, tart sour ale.
221 characters
4.23/5 rDev +2.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
4.1/5 rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours a dark, rusty brown and topped with a dense tan froth. That signature JK sour aroma floats forth welcoming. A little sugar and plum are also noticed. The vinegary sourness is obviously noticeable on the palate, but checked with faint notes of plum and even fainter notes of chocolate. Medium in body and quite dry.
More JK goodness as expected.
358 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours a dark, rusty brown and topped with a dense tan froth. That signature JK sour aroma floats forth welcoming. A little sugar and plum are also noticed. The vinegary sourness is obviously noticeable on the palate, but checked with faint notes of plum and even fainter notes of chocolate. Medium in body and quite dry.
More JK goodness as expected.
358 characters
4.06/5 rDev -1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured a pitch black color with a 1-2 finger width brown head that almost completely dissipates. Lacing is good. Has a nice tart aroma. Hints of cherry and oak. Sour cherry taste up front with some white grape and oak at the end. Mild vinegar like feel at the end. Light to medium bodied with moderate carbonation. Very smooth and balanced sour.
351 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured a pitch black color with a 1-2 finger width brown head that almost completely dissipates. Lacing is good. Has a nice tart aroma. Hints of cherry and oak. Sour cherry taste up front with some white grape and oak at the end. Mild vinegar like feel at the end. Light to medium bodied with moderate carbonation. Very smooth and balanced sour.
351 characters
4.4/5 rDev +6.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Ol' Oi! from Jester King Brewery
4.12
out of 5
based on 421 ratings.
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5