Pabst Old Tankard Ale
Pabst Brewing Company

Pabst Old Tankard AlePabst Old Tankard Ale
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From:
Pabst Brewing Company
 
Texas, United States
Style:
Extra Special / Strong Bitter (ESB)
ABV:
5.8%
Score:
86
Avg:
3.8 | pDev: 10.26%
Reviews:
85
Ratings:
206
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Nov 25, 2021
Added:
Feb 06, 2016
Wants:
  11
Gots:
  56
Old Tankard is a classic American Ale that was first produced in Wisconsin in the 1930s, eventually becoming the #2 ale in America. Today, Old Tankard is brewed based on a recipe from Pabst's 1937 brewer’s log, using an authentic ale yeast with an alcohol content of 5.8% and 35 bitterness units. The top fermented brew has 2-row, imported Cara-Munich and Cara-Aroma malts with Nugget, Liberty, Willamette and Cascade hops. The result is a well-balanced, sessionable craft brew with a rich copper color, creamy head, and full body taste with notes of fruit and malt.

Brewed by City Brewing out of LaCrosse, WI
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Ratings by beergoot:
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Reviewed by beergoot from Colorado

3.78/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Dark, reddish-copper colored body; thick, sticky head. Aroma produces reminders of bread crust; caramel; mild fruitiness like pear or apple. Nice malt grain base, toasty, with a well-balanced hop bitterness and twang. Medium body; bright and crisp on the palate.

I saw this at one of my favorite beer emporiums and had to try it (thinking of ye olde days of Robin Hood Ale -- for adventure!). All-in-all, a nicely balanced, cereal grain and bitter hop concoction from Pabst that winds up being quite drinkable and tasty.
Jun 06, 2016
More User Ratings:
Photo of LesDewitt4beer
Reviewed by LesDewitt4beer from Minnesota

3.76/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Scrappy notes from the 1900's.
This beer a surprise! The taste and feel are just brilliant. Oak in the ocean. That's how I describe this beer. I love it's light yet bold action.
Nov 25, 2021
 
Rated: 3.07 by TMoney2591 from Illinois

Aug 13, 2021
 
Rated: 4.04 by Johnlippi88 from Tennessee

Jan 28, 2020
Photo of Offa
Reviewed by Offa from California

4.15/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
I just discovered that I hadn't yet put my review of this on here. This review is from notes of 18 March 2016. This was a great beer, especially for the price, and I had it repeatedly during the time when it was available. I have not seen it since about 2017 or so.

Copper caramel colour with a very big tan head slowly shrinking to leave thin foamy top and wisps, hint of lace.

Aroma is lots of pine, some pineapple, caramelised toasted bread.

Taste is a very nice light pale-ale character, zesty hop zing in taste and bitterness - spice, citrus rinds, with caramelly toasty sweetness. It is characterful enough to stay interesting and engaging, yet is a very easy beer to drink, smooth, mellow, great alone or with food. I hope to see it back here.
Oct 14, 2019
Photo of gvickery
Reviewed by gvickery from Texas

4.37/5  rDev +15%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Wow. As of 11-13-2018 this beer is no longer retired. The aroma hits you as soon as you open the can, citrusy and pine. Dark amber cloudy, with a medium tan head. Taste is sweet at first followed by the bitterness of the hops and then lemon rind and pine. Finish is medium with a slight residual sweetness. Rock solid.
Nov 14, 2018
Photo of BrewyStewy
Reviewed by BrewyStewy from New York

4.58/5  rDev +20.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5
I like this ale, VERY smooth, sadly I think these ales aren't as popular as they could be because
they are not produced by a tiny brewer. I don't smoke, but I do know palates are different
for smokers and non smokers. Fortunately I can still buy all I want of this great ale for a very
low price , comes in 4/16 oz packs, but likely not for long.
Great appearance, very smooth foam.
May 13, 2018
Photo of Moir1994CT
Reviewed by Moir1994CT from Connecticut

3.62/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
I looked it up and found out this has been discontinued after i went looking for it, was a great brew but I guess the people whom buy PABST products just want normal PABST and nothing more as poor sales caused its unfortunate but inevitable discontinuation. If you ever find any leftover give it a go. A great tasting brew thats heavier than normal pabst products but not triple ipa heavy. A great balance.
Apr 12, 2018
 
Rated: 3.26 by themayorkoch from Ohio

Feb 09, 2018
 
Rated: 3.96 by AyatollahGold from Indiana

Jan 02, 2018
Photo of BeerBobber
Reviewed by BeerBobber from Nevada

4.11/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Pours a beautiful caramel color with a finger and a half of a slightly off white head. Getting some decent lacing as well.

Smells of hops and sweet bread.

Taste is nice caramel flavor that does not go over the top. Some nice light yet present hop bitterness. Rich and malty on the palate.

The mouth leans towards a medium profile with a wet finish.

Overall I must say I really enjoyed this beer. It has a hop presence and some sweet caramel maltiness on the flavor yet nothing over the top and all flavors working together. The smell seems almost chewy in a malty sort of way. Is this beer seriously discontinued? I really could not find a reason to retire this fine beer after drinking it down.
Jun 17, 2017
 
Rated: 3.62 by prost2hefeweizen from Oklahoma

May 22, 2017
 
Rated: 3.65 by andrew8626 from Minnesota

May 18, 2017
Photo of nicholas2121
Reviewed by nicholas2121 from Ohio

4.25/5  rDev +11.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Pabst Old Tankard Ale brewed by Pabst Brewing Company, with an ABV of 5.80% This Extra Special/Strong Bitter pours out a nice deep golden amber color with nice thick off white head. Really liking the copper color to this brew. There is also some nice lacing to this brew, it sticks to the side of the glass well. The smell of Pabst Old Tankard Ale , rich with sweet grians and malts. There is also a slight bitterness of hops in the smell. Between the look and smell of this brew it is really inviting. Now for the taste, it is bold with flavors, an bitter sweet. You first pick up on the nice roasted grians and malts, then a mild bitterness from the hops. This is one fine drinking brew. I will say this, it is different, but in a good way. The body of this brew is a medium to heavy. There is a lot going on in Pabst Old Tankard Ale. There is nothing overpowering about this brew, it has a real nice balance to it. The mouth feel is Bold, Rich, Clean, Smooth and Refreshing. Overall I'm giving Pabst Old Tankard Ale a solid 4.25 out of 5. I would look this brew up again givin the chance to. It is to bad that this brew is now discontinue and no longer brewed. Pabst Brewing Company, did a nice job with this brew.
May 15, 2017
 
Rated: 4 by tvenne from Minnesota

May 09, 2017
 
Rated: 4.14 by DownyIsHungry from Minnesota

May 07, 2017
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Reviewed by Bouleboubier from New Jersey

3.84/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
(16 oz can, purchased warm, best by 061516... poured into a nonic)

L: lots of speckle-y sediment suspended within what would appear to be an otherwise crystal-clear, medium amber-colored liquid... big, spongy-foamy cap of suds... nice contrast in color between the amber and the cool-tan foam; little threads of lacing, but it maintains a messy cap till the last drop

S: mineral essence, sea of caramel at its base, fruity English esters slowly rising out of the glass... remnants of delicately-spicy, earthy hops still linger... very familiar 'English ale' profile, but the potency has some thickness

T: pretty much an American take on a British pale ale - and kind of tastes like a UK import that's been languishing on the shelves (but anyone with experience can tell the difference b/w import/domestic)... the esters are spot-on for a British ale yeast, and the rich, dense, malt-forward recipe has bold caramel notes (but little other nuances) and a subtle sweetness that may be due to the hop bitterness having faded a good bit?... there IS some bitterness left, but it's rather dull and shows up mostly in the aftertaste

F: medium to medium-full bodied, maybe even a bit chewy on the edges... melanoidin-rich, and it certainly fulfills like a liquid bread... not sure I could slug a few of these and eat a heavy meal though... it's like imperial stout thick, but w/o the warming ethanol

O: not all that bad for almost a year old - not getting that hop-corpse flavor nor any harsh tones of oxidation with it being canned... I will certainly try this again (great price point) and a fresher can at that... why don't they brew Bass like this over here?
Apr 10, 2017
Photo of Ferretferret
Reviewed by Ferretferret from Wisconsin

3.51/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
This is one of the few beers I neither love, nor dislike. The relatively weak malt profile of the beer doesn't do enough to hide the harsh bitterness inherent of carbonation. However, this beer is absolutely stellar at doing nothing to offend. I'm writing this review because, if there were a single beer in this entire world a person were to drink first, this would be it. This is the single most drink-able beer I know. Got a friend turning 21? Give them this.
Mar 25, 2017
 
Rated: 3.56 by drh88 from Pennsylvania

Feb 19, 2017
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Reviewed by flaskman from New York

4.03/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
I purchased a 4 pack at my local store for $1.99 to take to a tasting with friends as a joke. 2 days later I looked it up on BA and was kinda shocked. Went back for more an it was gone. So.... It poured a nice amber color with a generous head. It smelled very sweet and what I would call bready. The first taste was quite a surprise. It was fresh and sweet. It had a very heavy malty taste that was balanced out by the hops. It was a very good tasting well crafted beer. After reading the history of it I was glad that I took it to the tasting. What was interesting is that most of the peole I shared it with including me were hop heads and it was their first experience with a very malty ale. Without exception all 6 of us liked it.
Jan 23, 2017
Pabst Old Tankard Ale from Pabst Brewing Company
Beer rating: 86 out of 100 with 206 ratings