30th Anniversary Ale
Wellington County Brewery

30th Anniversary Ale30th Anniversary Ale
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From:
Wellington County Brewery
 
Ontario, Canada
Style:
Old Ale
ABV:
8.2%
Score:
86
Avg:
3.77 | pDev: 9.81%
Reviews:
6
Ratings:
15
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Apr 15, 2018
Added:
Oct 16, 2015
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  3
Bourbon Barrel Aged Olde Ale
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Rated: 3.83 by Mousel from Canada (ON)

Apr 15, 2018
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Reviewed by Phyl21ca from Canada (QC)

3.07/5  rDev -18.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3
Bottle: Poured a hazy amber color ale with a medium size foamy head with OK retention and light lacing. Aroma of light elderberry notes with light dry caramelized notes is OK. Taste is also a mix of light dry caramelized malt with some elderberries, light residual sugar and very subtle bourbon notes. Body is about average with good carbonation. Not a big fan of this one since I thought it lacked character.
Jul 31, 2016
 
Rated: 3.12 by Coronaeus from Canada (ON)

Mar 18, 2016
 
Rated: 3.79 by spinrsx from Canada (ON)

Dec 31, 2015
Photo of andrenaline
Reviewed by andrenaline from Canada (ON)

3.99/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours a murky dark brown, thumb of head with decent retention and sporadic lacing. Musty caramel, hints of oak and bourbon on the nose with hints of musty hops and burnt caramel. The bourbon flavours are mild but present, the musty caramel dominates alongside some raisins and some candied dark fruits. Medium bodied, smooth and wet. A tasty brew, the flavours are mild but tasty. I'll probably grab one more to hang onto for a bit.
Dec 23, 2015
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Reviewed by polloenfuego from Canada (NB)

3.54/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
Pours a translucent brown/amber in color with almost no head. Some lacing, but it disappears rather quickly, just as the head did. The smell is very fruity, dark fruits are most prevalent. Almost none of the barrel is present. Taste is same fruitiness with some mild hops bitterness. It just seems to be lacking the depth of the Old Ale style, no real malt and zero of the promised barrel. The feel has low carbonation and medium body. Not a great effort on this one, not a great example of the style and just a mediocre beer.
Dec 18, 2015
 
Rated: 3.82 by Molson2000 from Canada (ON)

Dec 14, 2015
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Reviewed by taxandbeerguy from Canada (ON)

3.84/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
750 ml resealable bomber purchased from LCBO for about $10 CDN. Served at cellar temperature into a tulip glass.

Appearance - Pours a cloudy, brown colored beer with plenty of visible carbonation. Topped by a small three quarter finger of tan head, the retention is modest coalescing in a small wispy froth on top for the duration.

Smell - Kinda complex with some dark fruits of figs, plums and raisins, with some spicy esters mixed in. There's a decadent caramel and toffee mixture in behind that overall forms something close to a Christmas fruitcake, albeit a very high quality one.

Taste - A little boozy to start with some sharpness before mellowing out some with the raisin and fig combo with some definite bourbon added for good taste. Oakiness shines through mid-sip to the conclusion making this an interesting flavored beer. Taste is a little hot and overly alcoholic as it drinks like a higher percentage beer than the advertised 8.2%. Bitterness keeps the malty sweetness in check although the beer never becomes intrusively bitter on its own accord.

Mouthfeel - A little hot in terms of alcohol although the body is modest and quite drinkable. Carbonation seems a little limp by the back end.

Overall - Not super impressed, The 30th anniversary ale is nonetheless a well-crafted ale that certainly represents some of the innovation and dedication that Wellington County Brewery has brought to Ontario in the last 30 years. Certainly worth a try,although aging this for a few months might mellow out the sharpness a bit and make for an even more enjoyable beer. Definitely the sort of beer to enjoy while it warms and that can only enhance all aspects of this beer.
Dec 02, 2015
 
Rated: 4.24 by RedAleMan from Canada (ON)

Nov 29, 2015
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Reviewed by thehyperduck from Canada (ON)

4.12/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
750 mL swing-top bottle from the LCBO; best before Sept 25 2016 and served slightly chilled.

Pours a ruddy, translucent brownish-amber colour, topped off with one inch of foamy, light tan-coloured head. It remains seated at the surface for at least five minutes, slowly being reduced to a smooth, creamy cap and wide collar. A full curtain of lacing adds to the already-appealing aesthetic of this brew; looks like a fine strong ale to me. The nose is complex, but none of the individual constituents are particularly dominant - instead uniting and blending to form a harmonious, enticing whole. Toffee, treacle, oak and subtle bourbon notes come through, along with herbal heather, berry/currant and some leafy, floral hops character.

Very nice. Treacle, toffee and some bready, nutty malt sweetness are the first flavours to cross the taste buds, followed by a mixture of elderberry and raisin. The latter half of the sip takes a sharp turn, with a combo of oaken woodiness, toasted malts, vanilla and some earthy hop bitterness leading up to the climax - a nice, solid bourbon kick, along with herbal heather and anise. It warms the throat accordingly, with an herbal astringency and bourbon-y flavour lingering into the resilient aftertaste. Medium-full in body, with relatively restrained carbonation levels that gently prickle the palate. This strong ale drinks smoothly, with a hefty gravitas and satisfying nature that befits its high abv and barrel-ageing pedigree. The alcohol is an unabashedly noticeable presence, but I get the feeling that this is what they were going for.

Final Grade: 4.12, an A-. Wellington's 30th Anniversary Ale is a whopper of a strong ale, and it's one bottle that I would enthusiastically encourage others to purchase while it remains in stock. This is a bold, intense sort of beer, with multiple disparate flavours vying for your tongue's attention - sweet, dark malts and orchard fruits; oak, bourbon and ethanol; herbal heather and hop bitterness. I cracked this bottle open tonight mostly because I wanted to see if it would be worth picking up another bottle (before they're gone), and I'm pretty sure I'll be doing just that. Cheers to 30 years of serving Ontario with high-quality beers!
Nov 24, 2015
 
Rated: 4.13 by Bf_89 from Canada (ON)

Nov 18, 2015
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Reviewed by DaveBar from Canada (ON)

4.33/5  rDev +14.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Purchased at the LCBO for $10.95 750ml swing top bottle. Served at 7deg C in a tulip

A- Opens very well and pours a 1" high brownish head that lasts for a few minutes before film out. Very dark gold almost brown colour. Even the head looked creamy

S- WOW a lot of complexity here. Fig, molasses and cinnamon.

T- Lots of complexity. So many levels on this one. Sweetness is definitely there but tame. The scent is just like the flavor. Nice light bourbon flavor.

M- Dry and tart. Heavy and sweet

O- Excellent blend of beer. Has a heavy hand to it all around. I do like it although the bourbon barrels must have been reused a few times as there is not much there.

Food Pairing

This nice little brew went well with......... Garlic bread with a nice assortment of mozzerala, aged cheddar and Swiss. The garlic was locally grown, not that white stuff you get from China that has no flavor.

Enjoy!
Nov 17, 2015
 
Rated: 3.41 by bylerteck from Canada (ON)

Nov 12, 2015
 
Rated: 3.88 by spycow from Illinois

Oct 31, 2015
 
Rated: 3.5 by Pmicdee from Canada (ON)

Oct 28, 2015
30th Anniversary Ale from Wellington County Brewery
Beer rating: 86 out of 100 with 15 ratings