Dirty Old Man Imperial Rye Porter | Tyranena Brewing Company
Brewed by:
Tyranena Brewing Company
Wisconsin, United States
tyranena.com
Style: American Porter
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 7.90%
Availability: Rotating
Notes / Commercial Description:
Aged in Rye Whiskey barrels.
Added by Atron67 on 02-10-2008
This beer is retired; no longer brewed.
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Reviews: 352 | Ratings: 572
4.14/5 rDev +0.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Pours out a nice dark brown color, nearly black, but I can see a bit of reddish brown highlights. The head is kind of thin, and as slowly as I drank this, it basically disappeared. Looks pretty good I think. The smell is good too. Lots of oaky, woody goodness, that toasted, vanilla (but not too powerful), with a little burn, making your notrils tingle a bit in the end. Exiting I think, but I can really smell the influence of maltose, it's like a bit nutty, somewhat grainy, but nice and roasted and toasted, like nearly burnt dense bread. The taste is good, too. A bit more one-dimensional. It reminds me a bit of like cola poured into whiskey, with just like a splash of coffee on top. But the caramelly sweetness on top of whiskey is the main taste. Very good, still, there is a nice influence of grain, sticky. I think it's good. The body is nice and full. I like it, with a nice little bite of carbonation, that slowly disappears as I get to the bottom of the glass - gets almost syrupy. I think the drinkability is good - despite the ABV. I mean, a sipper, a really sipper, but it's so enjoyable that I wish I had more and more. Really a good beer.
★ 1,157 characters
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Pours out a nice dark brown color, nearly black, but I can see a bit of reddish brown highlights. The head is kind of thin, and as slowly as I drank this, it basically disappeared. Looks pretty good I think. The smell is good too. Lots of oaky, woody goodness, that toasted, vanilla (but not too powerful), with a little burn, making your notrils tingle a bit in the end. Exiting I think, but I can really smell the influence of maltose, it's like a bit nutty, somewhat grainy, but nice and roasted and toasted, like nearly burnt dense bread. The taste is good, too. A bit more one-dimensional. It reminds me a bit of like cola poured into whiskey, with just like a splash of coffee on top. But the caramelly sweetness on top of whiskey is the main taste. Very good, still, there is a nice influence of grain, sticky. I think it's good. The body is nice and full. I like it, with a nice little bite of carbonation, that slowly disappears as I get to the bottom of the glass - gets almost syrupy. I think the drinkability is good - despite the ABV. I mean, a sipper, a really sipper, but it's so enjoyable that I wish I had more and more. Really a good beer.
★ 1,157 characters
3.87/5 rDev -5.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
A: Dark brown to black in color with a inch and a half thick layer of head from a hard pour. Nice rings of lace are left behind.
S: Roasted malts and vanilla from the barrel. Very pleasant but not powerful.
T: Roasted and burnt chocolate flavors with a slight hint of vanilla. It is good but I don't get much of the rye or and the whiskey flavor is very minimal.
M: A bit chalky. Good amount of body and creaminess.
D: Obviously it is only partially Barrel aged but the flavors all seem slightly dull. It is tasty but just seems like it is missing something.
★ 562 characters
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
A: Dark brown to black in color with a inch and a half thick layer of head from a hard pour. Nice rings of lace are left behind.
S: Roasted malts and vanilla from the barrel. Very pleasant but not powerful.
T: Roasted and burnt chocolate flavors with a slight hint of vanilla. It is good but I don't get much of the rye or and the whiskey flavor is very minimal.
M: A bit chalky. Good amount of body and creaminess.
D: Obviously it is only partially Barrel aged but the flavors all seem slightly dull. It is tasty but just seems like it is missing something.
★ 562 characters
3.65/5 rDev -11.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Poured from a bottle into a nonic pint glass.
A: A dark brown color with no head on a nice even pour. Carbonation was just a thin ring around the edge at the top. Minimal if any glass lacing.
S: Dark roasted malts with chocolate, burnt coffee and a sweet candy smell.
T: The roasted flavors come through first with tastes of burnt coffee, dark chocolate, some woody oak flavors and some toasted malts. The middle yields the sweetness from the whiskey barrels which yielded a very strong vanilla sweet flavor coupled with some sweeter chocolate flavor. I actually found it a bit sweet for my taste. Finish was smooth and creamy with the roasted flavors lingering. I was left with some sort of metallic aftertaste I was not really digging.
M: Creamy and smooth, but a bit thin actually. Slight alcohol burn.
D: Really? I didn't think this was a beer I could ever drink more than one of. The sweetness really wore on me.
Overall I was so eager to try this beer, but left disappointed. I just didn't care for how the whiskey barrels changed the flavor with so much sweetness. I love barrel aged beers, but this one just didn't do it for me.
★ 1,142 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Poured from a bottle into a nonic pint glass.
A: A dark brown color with no head on a nice even pour. Carbonation was just a thin ring around the edge at the top. Minimal if any glass lacing.
S: Dark roasted malts with chocolate, burnt coffee and a sweet candy smell.
T: The roasted flavors come through first with tastes of burnt coffee, dark chocolate, some woody oak flavors and some toasted malts. The middle yields the sweetness from the whiskey barrels which yielded a very strong vanilla sweet flavor coupled with some sweeter chocolate flavor. I actually found it a bit sweet for my taste. Finish was smooth and creamy with the roasted flavors lingering. I was left with some sort of metallic aftertaste I was not really digging.
M: Creamy and smooth, but a bit thin actually. Slight alcohol burn.
D: Really? I didn't think this was a beer I could ever drink more than one of. The sweetness really wore on me.
Overall I was so eager to try this beer, but left disappointed. I just didn't care for how the whiskey barrels changed the flavor with so much sweetness. I love barrel aged beers, but this one just didn't do it for me.
★ 1,142 characters
3.94/5 rDev -4.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
AdamHarbaugh sent this one to me. Thanks Adam.
A very dark brown body that lets some light through even at the very center. A tiny tan head creeps up but disappears almost immediately, leaving no head.
A big malt aroma that mixes a bit of chocolate with molasses. The barrel characteristics are in the background, featuring oak and whiskey.
The chocolate and molasses appear once again in the flavor, and are still the predominant characteristic, but the barrel flavors are stronger than in the odor. An overall rye spiciness, either from the whiskey or the rye malt, permeates the beer. Woody oak comes through, as does whiskey and a hint of vanilla. Pretty well balanced.
Moderate body and carbonation; pretty good.
Good drinkability on this one, another nice beer from the Brewers Gone Wild series.
★ 806 characters
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
AdamHarbaugh sent this one to me. Thanks Adam.
A very dark brown body that lets some light through even at the very center. A tiny tan head creeps up but disappears almost immediately, leaving no head.
A big malt aroma that mixes a bit of chocolate with molasses. The barrel characteristics are in the background, featuring oak and whiskey.
The chocolate and molasses appear once again in the flavor, and are still the predominant characteristic, but the barrel flavors are stronger than in the odor. An overall rye spiciness, either from the whiskey or the rye malt, permeates the beer. Woody oak comes through, as does whiskey and a hint of vanilla. Pretty well balanced.
Moderate body and carbonation; pretty good.
Good drinkability on this one, another nice beer from the Brewers Gone Wild series.
★ 806 characters
3.97/5 rDev -3.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
mikesgroove is a dirty old man. Thanks to him and the Fight Club Project Mayhem BIF.
12 oz bottle poured into a standard shaker pint. Inch of dark tan head, though no real lacing. Color is black/brown. Very standard porter.
Smell is a rich chocolate malt with just a tingle of floral hops. Taste is dark coffee and burnt cocoa beans. I'm not sure where the rye is...oh wait, it's waaaay in the back. Rye bitterness is lighter than hops and sneaks in to add just enough extra to the finish. Interesting little twist.
Mouthfeel is creamy with a fine coffee ground grit. Smooth going down and easy to drink.
Blipped "Dirty Old Town" by the Pogues
★ 647 characters
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
mikesgroove is a dirty old man. Thanks to him and the Fight Club Project Mayhem BIF.
12 oz bottle poured into a standard shaker pint. Inch of dark tan head, though no real lacing. Color is black/brown. Very standard porter.
Smell is a rich chocolate malt with just a tingle of floral hops. Taste is dark coffee and burnt cocoa beans. I'm not sure where the rye is...oh wait, it's waaaay in the back. Rye bitterness is lighter than hops and sneaks in to add just enough extra to the finish. Interesting little twist.
Mouthfeel is creamy with a fine coffee ground grit. Smooth going down and easy to drink.
Blipped "Dirty Old Town" by the Pogues
★ 647 characters
4.47/5 rDev +8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Picked up a single bottle on my last trip to Milwaukee and got this at Discount Liquors. Bottled on date reads 04Feb08.
A: Pours almost completely black with any bit of brown only showing at the edges. Has only a half centimeter of of mocha/darker khaki colored head and leaves a little lacing as I drink.
S: Smells like spicy chocolate, roasted malts, pepper, some whiskey or bourbon type smells, vanilla, coffee...very interesting and pleasant aroma
T: Really good, that's for sure! Similar to the smells, but not as intense as the smell would leave you to believe, which is good to me. Roasted malts, chocolate, a little coffee, some spiciness/pepper notes from the rye, and then some minor whiskey and bourbon flavors with not much bite from them, but defintely some vanilla and other barrel aging flavors.
M: This has lower carbonation, which probably went even lower because this beer has been sitting for almost a year and a half. This is one of the creamiest american porters I've had, it's not thick per say, but really full and mouth coating feel.
D: Highly drinkable despite my expectation when I read the bottle. I wouldn't think that this "Imperial Rye Porter Aged in Rye Whiskey Barrels" would be very drinkable. There is nothing harsh about this beer as the title would lead you to believe. The alcohol is higher (hey, it's imperial) but you can't really tell in the flavor and it tastes good enough to keep drinking it.
★ 1,440 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Picked up a single bottle on my last trip to Milwaukee and got this at Discount Liquors. Bottled on date reads 04Feb08.
A: Pours almost completely black with any bit of brown only showing at the edges. Has only a half centimeter of of mocha/darker khaki colored head and leaves a little lacing as I drink.
S: Smells like spicy chocolate, roasted malts, pepper, some whiskey or bourbon type smells, vanilla, coffee...very interesting and pleasant aroma
T: Really good, that's for sure! Similar to the smells, but not as intense as the smell would leave you to believe, which is good to me. Roasted malts, chocolate, a little coffee, some spiciness/pepper notes from the rye, and then some minor whiskey and bourbon flavors with not much bite from them, but defintely some vanilla and other barrel aging flavors.
M: This has lower carbonation, which probably went even lower because this beer has been sitting for almost a year and a half. This is one of the creamiest american porters I've had, it's not thick per say, but really full and mouth coating feel.
D: Highly drinkable despite my expectation when I read the bottle. I wouldn't think that this "Imperial Rye Porter Aged in Rye Whiskey Barrels" would be very drinkable. There is nothing harsh about this beer as the title would lead you to believe. The alcohol is higher (hey, it's imperial) but you can't really tell in the flavor and it tastes good enough to keep drinking it.
★ 1,440 characters
4.53/5 rDev +10.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Looks like a nice beer. Poured out like a light syrup. Nice head, color of cappuccino foam. Thins out nicely.
Hot, whiskey aroma. Is this what an Irish Car Bomb is?
Roasted, warming, sensing some vanilla. Very lasting burnt flavor. Creamy, burnt rye bread. Some dried prunes. Dry. Refreshing. Wish I could have this all the time.
Filling, medium to full body. Maybe a bit heavy, but something needs to balance the whiskey.
I think this was expensive, it definitely tastes like it.
★ 487 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Looks like a nice beer. Poured out like a light syrup. Nice head, color of cappuccino foam. Thins out nicely.
Hot, whiskey aroma. Is this what an Irish Car Bomb is?
Roasted, warming, sensing some vanilla. Very lasting burnt flavor. Creamy, burnt rye bread. Some dried prunes. Dry. Refreshing. Wish I could have this all the time.
Filling, medium to full body. Maybe a bit heavy, but something needs to balance the whiskey.
I think this was expensive, it definitely tastes like it.
★ 487 characters
4.05/5 rDev -1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Picked this up during my "make a sixer" fest in Madison. Thanks to Steve's Liquors - great people. Since then, Tyranena is in Chicago and I'm looking forward to trying more of their brews.
A: Poured from a 12oz bottle, the color is dark reddish brown - almost black. The head was small, coffee stained and creamy. It dissipated quickly to a ring and a dusting. Glows reddish when held up to the light and has some mahogany on the edges. No lacing to speak of.
S: Whiskey type burn in the rose but does also have a deep roasty malt in the background. Booze is definitely the victor in this battle though.
T: Roasty burned malt flavor which is quickly taken over by the whisky flavor. The booze attacks the palet. The finish and aftertaste is a dry, roasty, coffee/dark chocolate/vanilla with the booze sticking around. A very robust flavor. Roastiness came through stronger as the drink progressed.
M: Nice creamy mouth feel that makes the medium body feel fuller. There is a prickliness from the alcohol and low carbonation.
D: I'm someone who doesn't enjoy overly boozy beer but this was very drinkable. Having said that, I did find that the booze did get in the way of appreciating the porter aspect of the brew. Very nice beer.
★ 1,235 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Picked this up during my "make a sixer" fest in Madison. Thanks to Steve's Liquors - great people. Since then, Tyranena is in Chicago and I'm looking forward to trying more of their brews.
A: Poured from a 12oz bottle, the color is dark reddish brown - almost black. The head was small, coffee stained and creamy. It dissipated quickly to a ring and a dusting. Glows reddish when held up to the light and has some mahogany on the edges. No lacing to speak of.
S: Whiskey type burn in the rose but does also have a deep roasty malt in the background. Booze is definitely the victor in this battle though.
T: Roasty burned malt flavor which is quickly taken over by the whisky flavor. The booze attacks the palet. The finish and aftertaste is a dry, roasty, coffee/dark chocolate/vanilla with the booze sticking around. A very robust flavor. Roastiness came through stronger as the drink progressed.
M: Nice creamy mouth feel that makes the medium body feel fuller. There is a prickliness from the alcohol and low carbonation.
D: I'm someone who doesn't enjoy overly boozy beer but this was very drinkable. Having said that, I did find that the booze did get in the way of appreciating the porter aspect of the brew. Very nice beer.
★ 1,235 characters
4.3/5 rDev +4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
12 oz. bottle (big thx to milwaukeeclassic!) poured into my Deschutes snifter, Dirty Old Man is a super dark garnet/brown, with a tan head that leaves decent lace.
Smell is sweeter crystal malt and bourbon, with clean alcohol vapors coming out as it warms.
Taste is also rather malty, a bit strong on the iced tea notes I get from crystal, but with strong rye whiskey notes and a really nice, light smokiness, and spicy rye finish. Frankly, they could have marketed this as wee heavy or old ale, these strong dark American style barrel aged beers are pretty much a style of their own. This one really grew on me by the finish though, very nice, in spite of my preference for more chocolate then caramel notes in a strong porter.
Mouthfeel is pretty smooth, really lush, creamy carbonation, medium body, slightly dry, tannic finish.
Drinkability is pretty good. Not my favorite of the Tyranena's Duane hooked me up, I'd like more vanilla from the barrels and chocolate from the malts, but for what it claims to be, an Imperial Rye Porter aged in Rye Whiskey Barrels, it's really a tasty beer that I'd be happy to have again.
★ 1,130 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
12 oz. bottle (big thx to milwaukeeclassic!) poured into my Deschutes snifter, Dirty Old Man is a super dark garnet/brown, with a tan head that leaves decent lace.
Smell is sweeter crystal malt and bourbon, with clean alcohol vapors coming out as it warms.
Taste is also rather malty, a bit strong on the iced tea notes I get from crystal, but with strong rye whiskey notes and a really nice, light smokiness, and spicy rye finish. Frankly, they could have marketed this as wee heavy or old ale, these strong dark American style barrel aged beers are pretty much a style of their own. This one really grew on me by the finish though, very nice, in spite of my preference for more chocolate then caramel notes in a strong porter.
Mouthfeel is pretty smooth, really lush, creamy carbonation, medium body, slightly dry, tannic finish.
Drinkability is pretty good. Not my favorite of the Tyranena's Duane hooked me up, I'd like more vanilla from the barrels and chocolate from the malts, but for what it claims to be, an Imperial Rye Porter aged in Rye Whiskey Barrels, it's really a tasty beer that I'd be happy to have again.
★ 1,130 characters
4.57/5 rDev +11.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5
Bottle thanks to Emerge.
Pours a very dark brown, near black in color. There's a very nice reverse cascading head the develops on the pour, but is quickly gone before I get back to my seat.
Smell is heavenly. Some whiskey, some dark roasted malts and just a hint of alcohol. This is what I'm about.
This is one absolutely delicious beer! I've not enjoyed a Tyranena beer this much since the "Who's Your Daddy". Nice, roasted flavors along with the whiskey barrel. A nice hit of oak and vanilla. Amazing and complex. I could drink this all day long. I wish Tyranena was local to me, this is one amazing beer. Getting a bit of cocoa in there as well. Don't know where it's coming from, but it's there and I like it. Somewhat bitter from the roast, but still incredibley smooth and complex. I could drink a whole lot of this beer. Simple and amazing, what a beer.
★ 861 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5
Bottle thanks to Emerge.
Pours a very dark brown, near black in color. There's a very nice reverse cascading head the develops on the pour, but is quickly gone before I get back to my seat.
Smell is heavenly. Some whiskey, some dark roasted malts and just a hint of alcohol. This is what I'm about.
This is one absolutely delicious beer! I've not enjoyed a Tyranena beer this much since the "Who's Your Daddy". Nice, roasted flavors along with the whiskey barrel. A nice hit of oak and vanilla. Amazing and complex. I could drink this all day long. I wish Tyranena was local to me, this is one amazing beer. Getting a bit of cocoa in there as well. Don't know where it's coming from, but it's there and I like it. Somewhat bitter from the roast, but still incredibley smooth and complex. I could drink a whole lot of this beer. Simple and amazing, what a beer.
★ 861 characters
4.15/5 rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Another fine beer courtesy of BuckeyeNation. You're the man, Brad. Thanks.
Dirty Old Man appears to be very dirty, indeed. It's dark chocolate brown and is nearly opaque. There's faint garnet highlights due to a little light getting through. Not much at all though. A mocha colored patch of bubbles covers the surface. It's not quite enough to call it a head. It receded quickly, leaving trace amounts of lace behind.
The nose is interesting 40% of Dirty Old Man is aged in rye whiskey barrels, yet none is appreciable on the nose, at least as far I can tell. A nice blend of roasted and chocolate malts are the primary features. It doesn't smell sweet, but is very, very malty. A little molasses and coffee are noted at the secondary level. They add nice depth and complement the malts nicely. Alcohol is blended very well and is not noticeable. I don't the abv on this one, but it doesn't smell strong at all. All told, it's a nice smelling beer. But, the effect of the rye whiskey barrel aging is noticeably absent. I suspect its presence would've improved it, perhaps dramatically.
The flavor profile is a little deeper than the nose, but suffers from the same problem. There's a hint of whiskey and spiciness, but it's very muted and faint. Primarily, it's roasted and chocolate malt heavy. It has a nice bittersweet chocolate and cocoa-ish flavor rather being sweet. Light roasted coffee and molasses are secondary, but their roles nicely. There's a hint of vanilla here, as well. It features slight yeasty and bready flavors on the tail. Alcohol is not at all noted. Nice job there. This one has a nice flavor overall and is a good beer. No question. But, again, the effect of the barrel aging is minimal. It doesn't exactly suffer as a result, but it sure as hell misses a grand opportunity.
Its body is on the lighter side of full and is very smooth. Carbonation is light and restrained resulting in a very satisfying feel. This is probably Dirty Old Man's greatest asset. Drinkability is very high. Despite my slight complaints about the flavor, it is good, goes down easy, and doesn't appear to be too strong. I'd gladly had another.
Dirty Old Man is a bit of a misnomer. In fact, he's mild mannered and relatively tame. This release from Tyranena is no doubt a success, but is far from their best work. My biggest complaint about it is obviously the lack of flavor attributable to the barrel aging. I believe I'd like to try a version where 100% is barrel aged. 40% apparently doesn't have the effect it needs. Having said that, Dirty Old Man is a nice beer that's well worth checking out.
★ 2,606 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Another fine beer courtesy of BuckeyeNation. You're the man, Brad. Thanks.
Dirty Old Man appears to be very dirty, indeed. It's dark chocolate brown and is nearly opaque. There's faint garnet highlights due to a little light getting through. Not much at all though. A mocha colored patch of bubbles covers the surface. It's not quite enough to call it a head. It receded quickly, leaving trace amounts of lace behind.
The nose is interesting 40% of Dirty Old Man is aged in rye whiskey barrels, yet none is appreciable on the nose, at least as far I can tell. A nice blend of roasted and chocolate malts are the primary features. It doesn't smell sweet, but is very, very malty. A little molasses and coffee are noted at the secondary level. They add nice depth and complement the malts nicely. Alcohol is blended very well and is not noticeable. I don't the abv on this one, but it doesn't smell strong at all. All told, it's a nice smelling beer. But, the effect of the rye whiskey barrel aging is noticeably absent. I suspect its presence would've improved it, perhaps dramatically.
The flavor profile is a little deeper than the nose, but suffers from the same problem. There's a hint of whiskey and spiciness, but it's very muted and faint. Primarily, it's roasted and chocolate malt heavy. It has a nice bittersweet chocolate and cocoa-ish flavor rather being sweet. Light roasted coffee and molasses are secondary, but their roles nicely. There's a hint of vanilla here, as well. It features slight yeasty and bready flavors on the tail. Alcohol is not at all noted. Nice job there. This one has a nice flavor overall and is a good beer. No question. But, again, the effect of the barrel aging is minimal. It doesn't exactly suffer as a result, but it sure as hell misses a grand opportunity.
Its body is on the lighter side of full and is very smooth. Carbonation is light and restrained resulting in a very satisfying feel. This is probably Dirty Old Man's greatest asset. Drinkability is very high. Despite my slight complaints about the flavor, it is good, goes down easy, and doesn't appear to be too strong. I'd gladly had another.
Dirty Old Man is a bit of a misnomer. In fact, he's mild mannered and relatively tame. This release from Tyranena is no doubt a success, but is far from their best work. My biggest complaint about it is obviously the lack of flavor attributable to the barrel aging. I believe I'd like to try a version where 100% is barrel aged. 40% apparently doesn't have the effect it needs. Having said that, Dirty Old Man is a nice beer that's well worth checking out.
★ 2,606 characters
4.09/5 rDev -0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
12oz. bottle into shaker pint on 4/18/09. Thanks to akorsak for sharing.
A - Poured a dark brown body with thin quarter-inch tan head that receded to a patchy film and left behind some spotty lace.
S - Vanilla and oak up front with hints of chocolate and iced coffee. Some roasty malt and earthy hop notes also emerge.
T - Chocolatey and malty with an oaky character that provides a slight dryness. Subtle bitter coffee notes emerge in the middle that are complemented by vanilla sweetness. Minimal alcohol presence. Finishes with a roasted malt character and a good bit of earty hop bitterness.
M - Medium to full-bodied with a slick, oily texture and creamy mouthfeel. Slightly dry finish with moderate bitterness and mild alcohol sting on the palate.
D - Very drinkable, unique brew with lots of flavors that complement each other. Another fine offering from Tyranena's Brewers Gone Wild series.
★ 907 characters
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
12oz. bottle into shaker pint on 4/18/09. Thanks to akorsak for sharing.
A - Poured a dark brown body with thin quarter-inch tan head that receded to a patchy film and left behind some spotty lace.
S - Vanilla and oak up front with hints of chocolate and iced coffee. Some roasty malt and earthy hop notes also emerge.
T - Chocolatey and malty with an oaky character that provides a slight dryness. Subtle bitter coffee notes emerge in the middle that are complemented by vanilla sweetness. Minimal alcohol presence. Finishes with a roasted malt character and a good bit of earty hop bitterness.
M - Medium to full-bodied with a slick, oily texture and creamy mouthfeel. Slightly dry finish with moderate bitterness and mild alcohol sting on the palate.
D - Very drinkable, unique brew with lots of flavors that complement each other. Another fine offering from Tyranena's Brewers Gone Wild series.
★ 907 characters
3.95/5 rDev -3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Poured from a stubby 12 ounce bottle into my nonic pint glass. Appears a nearly opaque dark brown color with about a finger of ecru foam. Smells of molasses, cocoa, caramel, and mild whiskey notes. Tastes of bittersweet chocolate, coffee, touch of coconut, oak and whiskey. Alcohol is muted. Medium in body with mild to medium carbonation. The mild whiskey and alcohol notes make this one quite drinkable for my tastes.
★ 419 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Poured from a stubby 12 ounce bottle into my nonic pint glass. Appears a nearly opaque dark brown color with about a finger of ecru foam. Smells of molasses, cocoa, caramel, and mild whiskey notes. Tastes of bittersweet chocolate, coffee, touch of coconut, oak and whiskey. Alcohol is muted. Medium in body with mild to medium carbonation. The mild whiskey and alcohol notes make this one quite drinkable for my tastes.
★ 419 characters
4.47/5 rDev +8.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Bottled: 02/04/08, picked up at Three Cellars in May 2008.
Appearance: Pours very dark brown, bordering on black. Carbonation is noticeable, but only mustered about a 1/2 inch chocolate colored head.
Smell: Probably the best smelling beer I've ever consumed. Smelled of gourmet chocolate, vanilla, bourbon, and cocoa.
Taste: Fantastic. Some spicy notes from the rye. A nice cocoa flavor with a very nice bourbon finish. A very slight fig-like quality plays in the background. The finish is more bourbon than rye, and there is a very nice alcohol warming sensation. Definitely surpassed my expectations.
Mouthfeel: Much stiller than I thought it would be, but that seemed to play in the beers favor. Coated the tongue and the warming effect from the alcohol pleased the palate.
Overall: Wish I had a few more laying around as this was a superb offering from Tyranena. Hopefully, this gets rebrewed in the future.
★ 916 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Bottled: 02/04/08, picked up at Three Cellars in May 2008.
Appearance: Pours very dark brown, bordering on black. Carbonation is noticeable, but only mustered about a 1/2 inch chocolate colored head.
Smell: Probably the best smelling beer I've ever consumed. Smelled of gourmet chocolate, vanilla, bourbon, and cocoa.
Taste: Fantastic. Some spicy notes from the rye. A nice cocoa flavor with a very nice bourbon finish. A very slight fig-like quality plays in the background. The finish is more bourbon than rye, and there is a very nice alcohol warming sensation. Definitely surpassed my expectations.
Mouthfeel: Much stiller than I thought it would be, but that seemed to play in the beers favor. Coated the tongue and the warming effect from the alcohol pleased the palate.
Overall: Wish I had a few more laying around as this was a superb offering from Tyranena. Hopefully, this gets rebrewed in the future.
★ 916 characters
4.27/5 rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Bottle shared with shigadeyo.
Pours clear dark brown color with a moderater frothy brown head that mostly lasted with good lacing. Heavy toasted dark chocolate, woody and bourbon aroma. Medium to full body with a thick smooth texture. Heavy bourbon & wood bittersweet flavor with a medium to heavy bittersweet finish of long duration.
This is a standout porter.
★ 363 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Bottle shared with shigadeyo.
Pours clear dark brown color with a moderater frothy brown head that mostly lasted with good lacing. Heavy toasted dark chocolate, woody and bourbon aroma. Medium to full body with a thick smooth texture. Heavy bourbon & wood bittersweet flavor with a medium to heavy bittersweet finish of long duration.
This is a standout porter.
★ 363 characters
4.7/5 rDev +14.4%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5
pours a black that when put up to the light has a redish hue to it, this one had head for days, thick and rich tan in color that runs away scared leaving a thin lacing around the glass, the smell was of burbon and sweet dark malt. the taste at first sip was sweet and a hint fo coffiee, the middle was rich malt and burbon, the finish is sweet alchoal and a hint of hops. this is a dream come true, i need more of these
★ 419 characters
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5
pours a black that when put up to the light has a redish hue to it, this one had head for days, thick and rich tan in color that runs away scared leaving a thin lacing around the glass, the smell was of burbon and sweet dark malt. the taste at first sip was sweet and a hint fo coffiee, the middle was rich malt and burbon, the finish is sweet alchoal and a hint of hops. this is a dream come true, i need more of these
★ 419 characters
4.12/5 rDev +0.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Received as an extra from BigDaddyWil. Pours a very dark brown with a one finger dark brown head. There is little lacing or retention. The aroma is of semi-sweet dark chocolate and roasted malt. Other aromas are of black coffee, and a very pleasant whisky note. Alcohol is noticeable.
The roasted malt imparts certain sweetness to the beer that is nicely balanced by a dry bitterness. I'm once again reminded of chocolate and coffee. The whisky barrel aging is apparent. The alcohol is well hidden for its strength, which I believe is 7.9%. The finish is dry and reminiscent of whisky.
Medium full bodied with a dry and sticky, chewy mouthfeel. Carbonation is good.
★ 668 characters
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Received as an extra from BigDaddyWil. Pours a very dark brown with a one finger dark brown head. There is little lacing or retention. The aroma is of semi-sweet dark chocolate and roasted malt. Other aromas are of black coffee, and a very pleasant whisky note. Alcohol is noticeable.
The roasted malt imparts certain sweetness to the beer that is nicely balanced by a dry bitterness. I'm once again reminded of chocolate and coffee. The whisky barrel aging is apparent. The alcohol is well hidden for its strength, which I believe is 7.9%. The finish is dry and reminiscent of whisky.
Medium full bodied with a dry and sticky, chewy mouthfeel. Carbonation is good.
★ 668 characters
4.3/5 rDev +4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
12oz bottle poured into a penn pilsner pint glass. Bottled Feb 08, thanks to Goryshkewych.
A- Dirty Old Man is indeed dirty coming out of the bottle. Once poured it is a very dark brown bordering on black color. A lot of bubble action resulted in a 1 1/2 inch dark tan head that stuck around. Very condensed that left fuzzy lace after calming down.
S- Perhaps the year in the bottle calmed the scents down some as this was tame but still has the makings of a baltic porter. I got some dirty roasty malt backed with the rye with slight whiskey lingering. Also slight chocolate and old coffee. Maybe some dark berries? A lot of layers to this baltic porter.
T- A nice amount of the whiskey barrel is present & improves with warming as the rye kicks up a notch as well. Oak as well as vanilla which is always welcome by me. The rye is a nice offset to some of the more sweet factors of this beer. A lot of roasty factors come with this. I wonder what this tasted like fresh, as this gives off some heat towards the end. This is delicious beer.
M- Thick and lucious mouthfeel that is quite chewy at times. DOM is very rich with sweet tones creating a smooth texture. A little more carbonation would be nice but this will do. The combo of rye/whiskey creates a nice burn that does not distract. I want to gulp this but sippin is quite fine.
D- Not sure of the ABV on this but I wish I had more. This is my first in this series and it left a great impression. Dirty old man is a nice sweet baltic porter with a identity of it's own with the Rye/Whiskey mix but drinks with a smoothness making you want more.
★ 1,606 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
12oz bottle poured into a penn pilsner pint glass. Bottled Feb 08, thanks to Goryshkewych.
A- Dirty Old Man is indeed dirty coming out of the bottle. Once poured it is a very dark brown bordering on black color. A lot of bubble action resulted in a 1 1/2 inch dark tan head that stuck around. Very condensed that left fuzzy lace after calming down.
S- Perhaps the year in the bottle calmed the scents down some as this was tame but still has the makings of a baltic porter. I got some dirty roasty malt backed with the rye with slight whiskey lingering. Also slight chocolate and old coffee. Maybe some dark berries? A lot of layers to this baltic porter.
T- A nice amount of the whiskey barrel is present & improves with warming as the rye kicks up a notch as well. Oak as well as vanilla which is always welcome by me. The rye is a nice offset to some of the more sweet factors of this beer. A lot of roasty factors come with this. I wonder what this tasted like fresh, as this gives off some heat towards the end. This is delicious beer.
M- Thick and lucious mouthfeel that is quite chewy at times. DOM is very rich with sweet tones creating a smooth texture. A little more carbonation would be nice but this will do. The combo of rye/whiskey creates a nice burn that does not distract. I want to gulp this but sippin is quite fine.
D- Not sure of the ABV on this but I wish I had more. This is my first in this series and it left a great impression. Dirty old man is a nice sweet baltic porter with a identity of it's own with the Rye/Whiskey mix but drinks with a smoothness making you want more.
★ 1,606 characters
4.12/5 rDev +0.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
A- half inch light brown head, that thins to almost nothing in about a minuet, minimal lacing. Dark brown almost black colored beer.
S- Huge malt sweetness and some hints of whiskey to the nose. Chocolate, caramel, brown sugar and oak. A hint of coconut. Minimal hop aroma.
T- Whiskey and charcoal up front, some bite from the hops then sweet malty flavors come through. Again I get a hint of coconut, Some milk chocolate and and smokey flavors in the end leaving a smokey sweet after taste.
M- thick, milky and smooth almost oily. Very minimal carbonation.
D- Very smooth and drinkable.
Over all a pretty good beer not as bold as I would expect from a imperial porter but it was very drinkable.
★ 704 characters
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
A- half inch light brown head, that thins to almost nothing in about a minuet, minimal lacing. Dark brown almost black colored beer.
S- Huge malt sweetness and some hints of whiskey to the nose. Chocolate, caramel, brown sugar and oak. A hint of coconut. Minimal hop aroma.
T- Whiskey and charcoal up front, some bite from the hops then sweet malty flavors come through. Again I get a hint of coconut, Some milk chocolate and and smokey flavors in the end leaving a smokey sweet after taste.
M- thick, milky and smooth almost oily. Very minimal carbonation.
D- Very smooth and drinkable.
Over all a pretty good beer not as bold as I would expect from a imperial porter but it was very drinkable.
★ 704 characters
3.99/5 rDev -2.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Poured into a snifter early New Year's Eve.
A-Deep, dark brown, looks to be quite opaque. Head is virtually nonexistent, with sparse bubbles of the light brown variety.
S-Nuanced whiskey and oak aromas on the pour, which continue to show up here and there through duration of this beer. The main aromas are chocolate and roasty malts, also with hints of bready malt.
T-Hearty, big, and roasty with a bit of coffee, and almost a little chocolate character. Spicy/funky rye character is present, with oak and whiskey barrel mingling in. Bitterness is detectable and provides some balance. Finishes with a slight whiskey appearance trailing to a dry finish.
M-Low carbonation is velvety, allowing for subtle flavors to emerge; perhaps a slightly higher level would have provided a nicer feel, though. Slow-moving in my mouth, with a kind-of fine-grain viscosity (if that makes sense). There is a warmth going down, remniscent of a sip of liquor, especially with the slight whiskey barrel character.
D-This one is hard to judge. This beer is enjoyable, but I wasn't wholly digging the whiskey barrel characters all too much, as I'm not a huge fan of the liquor. That said, I like how the character comes through subtley, without actually offending my palate. So, although I'm not the biggest fan, I think it's well done and drinkable.
★ 1,335 characters
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Poured into a snifter early New Year's Eve.
A-Deep, dark brown, looks to be quite opaque. Head is virtually nonexistent, with sparse bubbles of the light brown variety.
S-Nuanced whiskey and oak aromas on the pour, which continue to show up here and there through duration of this beer. The main aromas are chocolate and roasty malts, also with hints of bready malt.
T-Hearty, big, and roasty with a bit of coffee, and almost a little chocolate character. Spicy/funky rye character is present, with oak and whiskey barrel mingling in. Bitterness is detectable and provides some balance. Finishes with a slight whiskey appearance trailing to a dry finish.
M-Low carbonation is velvety, allowing for subtle flavors to emerge; perhaps a slightly higher level would have provided a nicer feel, though. Slow-moving in my mouth, with a kind-of fine-grain viscosity (if that makes sense). There is a warmth going down, remniscent of a sip of liquor, especially with the slight whiskey barrel character.
D-This one is hard to judge. This beer is enjoyable, but I wasn't wholly digging the whiskey barrel characters all too much, as I'm not a huge fan of the liquor. That said, I like how the character comes through subtley, without actually offending my palate. So, although I'm not the biggest fan, I think it's well done and drinkable.
★ 1,335 characters
4.25/5 rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Thanks to Lordsloth for the bottle.
Pours a thick dark maple brown color with very little head and a sharp ring of lacing.
Scent of rye, oak, chocolate, dark fruits, and coffee. This has a nice balance and complexity, but it isn't too intense.
Taste of chocolate, coffee, rye, anise, and oak. Finishes with oak and vanilla flavors, damn good stuff.
Mouthfeel is medium bodied and pretty heavy, carbonation is pretty light.
★ 426 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Thanks to Lordsloth for the bottle.
Pours a thick dark maple brown color with very little head and a sharp ring of lacing.
Scent of rye, oak, chocolate, dark fruits, and coffee. This has a nice balance and complexity, but it isn't too intense.
Taste of chocolate, coffee, rye, anise, and oak. Finishes with oak and vanilla flavors, damn good stuff.
Mouthfeel is medium bodied and pretty heavy, carbonation is pretty light.
★ 426 characters
4.52/5 rDev +10%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Purchased in a 6 pack sampler of BGW series beers. I think I paid $11 for all six, which is a bargain. These sell at about $2.60 per single.
Poured from a 12 oz brown bottle into a tulip.
Black in color with no glawing. 2 finger creamy brown head sits for a very long time leaving a good half inch of retention.
This thing leaves nice thick lines of lace all the way down.
I do pick up some tobacco, whiskey and woody aroma are very much present. Whisky is smokey and quite smooth at the knose without any heat or alcahol funes. Theres hints of ceder in there too. Just a touch of chocolate grains...Man that whiskey brings out some really appealing aromas.
Creamy with a slippery feel on the tounge. Just right with carbonation, its there but its smooth and laid back.
Some protein oaty flavors. Lightly toasted oak and at the swallow the whisky comes around. Its hidin behind the oak, but definatly plays a role in the flavor department.
A bit more tobacco in the flavor. Any hops that were added are lost in the spiced whisky oaky flavors. Hints of rye are present through the first few sips up front with just a touch of spice.
This is adelicious. I'm wishing I had more then one bottle. Its definatly not a sessionable beer. The flavors and sweetness had me sipping this down slowly. Quite the delicious desert beer, or after dinner beer.
★ 1,347 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Purchased in a 6 pack sampler of BGW series beers. I think I paid $11 for all six, which is a bargain. These sell at about $2.60 per single.
Poured from a 12 oz brown bottle into a tulip.
Black in color with no glawing. 2 finger creamy brown head sits for a very long time leaving a good half inch of retention.
This thing leaves nice thick lines of lace all the way down.
I do pick up some tobacco, whiskey and woody aroma are very much present. Whisky is smokey and quite smooth at the knose without any heat or alcahol funes. Theres hints of ceder in there too. Just a touch of chocolate grains...Man that whiskey brings out some really appealing aromas.
Creamy with a slippery feel on the tounge. Just right with carbonation, its there but its smooth and laid back.
Some protein oaty flavors. Lightly toasted oak and at the swallow the whisky comes around. Its hidin behind the oak, but definatly plays a role in the flavor department.
A bit more tobacco in the flavor. Any hops that were added are lost in the spiced whisky oaky flavors. Hints of rye are present through the first few sips up front with just a touch of spice.
This is adelicious. I'm wishing I had more then one bottle. Its definatly not a sessionable beer. The flavors and sweetness had me sipping this down slowly. Quite the delicious desert beer, or after dinner beer.
★ 1,347 characters
3.9/5 rDev -5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
A 12 oz bottle from a trade with gford217.
A: The baltic porter is dark, the color of roasted coffee beans that combines both black and dark brown. The ale didn't generate much head on pour and what did bubble up was quick to dissapate away.
S: The nose is dominated by baltic porter aromas, dark malts, vanilla and starchy beans. Following the porter, barrel-aged strength shines through. The aromas are boozy but not nearly as sweet as bourbon. The rye is a nice touch because it isn't so over-the-top.
T: More baltic porter leads off a sip. The dark malts are heavy, smoothed out by the yeast strain. Beans, both the vanilla and kidney varieties, are present. Both add different qualities, one sweet and one drying. The rye adds an oaky flavor, wooden with vanilla and toffee. The rye was an interesting choice because it is similar enough to bourbon to impart some, but not all, of the same flavors.
M: The barrel adds a great deal of smoothness to the beer. I'm not familiar with rye whiskey, so I wasn't sure of what to expect. The outcome does work though.
D: The beer is pretty big with the alcohol catching up to you at the midpoint of the glass. An interesting beer that doesn't work as well as some of Tyranena's other BGW series.
★ 1,246 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
A 12 oz bottle from a trade with gford217.
A: The baltic porter is dark, the color of roasted coffee beans that combines both black and dark brown. The ale didn't generate much head on pour and what did bubble up was quick to dissapate away.
S: The nose is dominated by baltic porter aromas, dark malts, vanilla and starchy beans. Following the porter, barrel-aged strength shines through. The aromas are boozy but not nearly as sweet as bourbon. The rye is a nice touch because it isn't so over-the-top.
T: More baltic porter leads off a sip. The dark malts are heavy, smoothed out by the yeast strain. Beans, both the vanilla and kidney varieties, are present. Both add different qualities, one sweet and one drying. The rye adds an oaky flavor, wooden with vanilla and toffee. The rye was an interesting choice because it is similar enough to bourbon to impart some, but not all, of the same flavors.
M: The barrel adds a great deal of smoothness to the beer. I'm not familiar with rye whiskey, so I wasn't sure of what to expect. The outcome does work though.
D: The beer is pretty big with the alcohol catching up to you at the midpoint of the glass. An interesting beer that doesn't work as well as some of Tyranena's other BGW series.
★ 1,246 characters
3.92/5 rDev -4.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Bottle: Poured a deep black color stout witha nice fomay bhead with good retention and good lacing. Aroma of whiskey notes with some warmimg notes. Taste is a mix between some dry roasted malt with some notes of whiskey. Full body with some good carbonation and light alcohol noticeable. Lacking complexity but still very enjoyable.
★ 332 characters
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Bottle: Poured a deep black color stout witha nice fomay bhead with good retention and good lacing. Aroma of whiskey notes with some warmimg notes. Taste is a mix between some dry roasted malt with some notes of whiskey. Full body with some good carbonation and light alcohol noticeable. Lacking complexity but still very enjoyable.
★ 332 characters
Dirty Old Man Imperial Rye Porter from Tyranena Brewing Company
4.11
out of 5
based on 572 ratings.
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Picked up from the brewery today before the Beer Run. Just bottled per sales person.
A - Nearly black with with a solid 2 finger light tan head. I would think the head would be darker given the color of the beer. Laces quite nicely down the glass.
S - Roasted malt, coffee and minor barrel influences (woodiness, earth and some vanilla).
T - Rich, very rich with a hit of bourbon and vanilla off the bat followed by chocolate. Finishes with a slightly bitter, coffee infused finish. Tasty.
M - Medium to full bodied with no syrupyness. Could use a bit more carbonation.
D - Not a session brew - one to savor slowly on a cold night. Tyranena does imperial style porters really well.
★ 691 characters