Old Peculier
T & R Theakston Ltd.

Old PeculierOld Peculier
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From:
T & R Theakston Ltd.
 
England, United Kingdom
Style:
Old Ale
Ranked #34
ABV:
5.6%
Score:
89
Ranked #12,502
Avg:
3.96 | pDev: 11.36%
Reviews:
616
Ratings:
1,078
Status:
Active
Rated:
Saturday at 12:50 AM
Added:
Jul 31, 2001
Wants:
  72
Gots:
  103
THE LEGEND! Old Peculier is possibly one of the country’s most well-known and loved ales. This unique, beautiful brew is often imitated but never matched and is sold literally all over the world. With countless awards to its credit, it is something of which every Briton can be very proud and is the epitome of the greatest of British brewing tradition. The name pays tribute to the unique ecclesiastical status of Masham as a ‘Court of the Peculier’ and is also a reference to the strong characteristic of the beer! For many years it was affectionately referred to as Yorkshire’s ‘Lunatic’s Broth’.

Old Peculier is a beautiful, yet very simple beer, brewed using a very generous blend of finest pale, crystal, and roasted barley with two bitter hops combined with the majestic and noble Fuggle’ hop to produce a beer of awesome full-bodied flavour with subtle cherry and rich fruit overtones.
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Ratings by awalsh:
Photo of awalsh
Rated by awalsh from Texas

4.25/5  rDev +7.3%

Jan 15, 2013
More User Ratings:
Photo of BubbleBobble
Reviewed by BubbleBobble from New York

3.87/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Pours from the bottle a translucent ruby brown, short 0.25" ring of head that hangs around with good lacing. Nose is sweet roasted barley, natto, peat, sea water, sweet caramel. Taste is roasted barley, pumpernickel toast, dry, bitter hops, dark toffee stripped of sugar. Lots of of roast and toast but very little sweetness. Feel is on the soft side, though there's prickly carbonation - would certainly prefer this one on cask or in a nitro can. Would love to try to canned version (not sure it's nitro), as I suspect that might be a little softer and rounder.
Saturday at 12:50 AM
 
Rated: 4.05 by Silke_Neryn from Sweden

Mar 12, 2024
Photo of BurtonRed
Reviewed by BurtonRed from England

4.2/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Lovely maltiness with sweetness lingering almost like raisins or cherries slightly, gentle pleasant bitterness on the finish. Looks like a porter but tastes less roasty and coffee than most and more like a strongish bitter. Top class beverage
Feb 19, 2024
Photo of MikeWard
Reviewed by MikeWard from Pennsylvania

4.01/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
On tap at The Old Bull's Head in Ware, Herts.

Splendid looking pint. Deep brown with burgundy body. Massive foamy light tan head doesn't seem to shrink at all. Dark berry aroma. Taste is strongly malt with dark berry/ red wine notes. Mouth is a little on the thin side. Overall, been a decade or more since I've had this beer, always a treat.
Feb 06, 2024
 
Rated: 4.25 by cryptichead from Illinois

Feb 05, 2024
Photo of jonphisher
Reviewed by jonphisher from New Jersey

4.12/5  rDev +4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours a beautiful deep dark brown/ruby red, very clear; a vigorous pour left some great lacing and a substantial cap of creamy dirty white head.

Nose is rich in dark malt; lightly toffee like, backed by light dark red fruit character.

Taste is again very malty and rich, not overbearing or sweet; toffee again but more darkened maybe some light toast character and perhaps a touch of raisin, the dark fruit does show again on the finish.

Medium bodied beer, very soft, smooth and creamy as it goes down; some light bit of bitterness on the finish; nicely drinkable for such malt forward beer.
Jan 29, 2024
Photo of gatornation
Reviewed by gatornation from Arizona

3.85/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Pous a hazed light mohogany color with a 1 finger tan head . Smell is fruity malty and bready . taste has date fruit ,malt ,yeast caramel. mouthfeel is light ,malty , has fruit in the finish.has tasting notes of scotch ale ,winter warmer and dark lager to me . Wanted a heavy ale
Jan 28, 2024
Photo of jmdrpi
Reviewed by jmdrpi from Pennsylvania

4.21/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
440 ml can, drank at cellar temperature

pours a clear chestnut brown color, with thick cream colored head. nice aroma of rich caramel malt with a touch of dark fruit. taste is similar, but not sweet, well balanced. medium bodied, softer mouthfeel
Jan 12, 2024
Photo of Phillydread
Reviewed by Phillydread from Pennsylvania

1.84/5  rDev -53.5%
look: 2.75 | smell: 1.75 | taste: 1.75 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2
One of my faves when in England. Very surprising when I had it in the States from a can how weak the body, smell and flavour is. It's decent as an average bitter but nothing like the ale back home. Maybe a nitro widget would help?
Jan 11, 2024
Photo of Bluerabbitbell
Reviewed by Bluerabbitbell from Pennsylvania

3.13/5  rDev -21%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3
12/30/23 Poured from 14.9 oz can purchased from Vintage Estate Wine and Beer in Boardman, OH.

Did not expect to find this brew so quickly in the western PA/Ohio area. Have wanted this ever since heading about it from the show McDonald and Dodds.

The look is beautiful, deep copper brown. Not really any head, but light tan bubbles around the edge of the glass. No lacing.

The aroma is cherry and banana esters, heavy malt, and slightly metallic.

Very light in the mouth, tinny, little carbonation. The initial taste is good, but leaves such an odd aftertaste of bitter medicine we are wondering if we got a bad can. Can't even finish this one. Definitely want to try another one at some point.

BBE (best before end) is 10/31/24
Dec 30, 2023
Photo of Braunmeister_1943
Reviewed by Braunmeister_1943 from Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Pours a deep reddish-amber with a creamy delicate head. Hardly any aroma. Taste is light caramel and subtle fruity notes. Very nice mouthfeel with extremely light delicate carbonation. Overall, a very good old ale!
Dec 23, 2023
Photo of beerbuddy11735
Rated by beerbuddy11735 from New York

5/5  rDev +26.3%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
Exceptional
Dec 02, 2023
Photo of DerbyDave35
Reviewed by DerbyDave35 from Australia

5/5  rDev +26.3%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
There is lots of nostalgia and affection for this wonderfully traditional ale , I'm supping it in Perth , Australia in a 500ml bottle ..we recently had the good fortune to have it on draught at one particular pub . I've enjoyed it in a Melbourne pub too

You can't fault this beer , how do you make it better ? ,, its tasty , smooth , satisfying and evokes memories of enjoying it , in days gone by , with good friends and loved family members , some no longer with us ... so its a 5 all the way from me
Nov 12, 2023
 
Rated: 4 by BrisLoganite from Australia

Oct 02, 2023
Photo of Gatch
Reviewed by Gatch from Massachusetts

4.34/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Hand pulled cask offering at The Swan in London. This is truly unique. Unlike the Old Ales we have in the US. More like a strong brown ale. Obviously booze level is much lower. Seriously rich with plenty of dark fruit and roasted malt but not such a heavy body and feel. Not a beer you drink all night, unless you’re going through some trouble, but a treat to drink.
Aug 09, 2023
 
Rated: 4.02 by Dethark from England

May 09, 2023
Photo of stcules
Reviewed by stcules from Italy

3.91/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
A very beautiful color, dark, with ruby edges. Light brown foam.
Malty smell, full, with caramel, fudge, biscuit, plums.
Full, intense. Classic, but really well done.
The taste is less sweet, and in the back there are some notes of roots, almost liquorice.
Relatively light body, earthly, great balance.
Totally english, and good.
Jan 23, 2023
Photo of Lmc93
Reviewed by Lmc93

3.51/5  rDev -11.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Dark ruby colour, 2cm cream head receding quickly.

Great smell. malty, toffee/lighter caramel notes.

Low to medium carbonation with a creamy mouthfeel.

Taste is where it's a small letdown, not matching the dark, noticeable nose. Nothing overwhelming comes through though because of this, very drinkable and hides the slightly higher abv.

Would drink again but not my top choice for a single evening beer.
Nov 12, 2022
 
Rated: 4 by Ushouldbeworkinh from England

Nov 01, 2022
Old Peculier from T & R Theakston Ltd.
Beer rating: 89 out of 100 with 1078 ratings