Best Old Ale

Not sure about best, but I have a worst nominee..

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/181/679

 

You crazy

 

Bell's Third Coast is mighty tasty.

 

Olde Suffolk and Olde Peculiar. Both are on my all time favorite beer list and I wish more breweries would emulate them. Cooper's Vintage and Haverstion Old Engine Oil gets honorable mention.

 

North Coast Old Stock. Extra points for availability.

 

Knocked back a 2011 4D over the weekend and it was fantastic - though not nearly as fantastic as Fruet.

 

HotD Dave

 

Best one I`ve had so far is Smuttynose`s Really Old Brown Dog, but then again there`s a lot of supposedly really good old ales that I haven't had yet.

 

Crazy for liking 4d or for cellared old ales? Both seem pretty sane to me.

 

Fruet

 

I was being sarcastic about your not wanting to wait 5 to 10 years every time you want a beer.

 

For something entirely different, I very much enjoyed Nissefar by HaandBryggeriet when I had it on tap about a year ago.

 

Ah, sorry.

 

It's been mentioned. But Bruery's Fruet by far exceeds every other old ale I've tried.
I enjoy the occasional Old Ale but it's not a go-to style of mine. That said, Fruet is one of the best 5 beers I've ever had. Phenominal.

 

The first time I had Kuhnhenn's regular 4D it was from the 2004 batch. It was phenomenal, the beer that got me into looking for Old Ales. For the past few years though the normal version has been too sweet in my opinion. I love sweet beers, really for an old ale or barleywine I feel like the beer needs the sweetness, but recent 4D has been too much, like cloyingly sweet and hard to drink. I disliked past years enough I didn't even try any of the normal variety this year.

The BA 4D on the other hand is an almost perfect beer.

I love Bell's Third Coast Old Ale... but it's listed as a barleywine on this site...

To me Curmudgeon is overrated, I don't think it's that great of a beer.

 

Non barrel aged:
Adam
Fourth Dementia (4D)

Barrel aged: I wouldn't know, I haven't had the pleasure

 

Bobby McGee's OldTimer Old Ale is good stuff.

 

Kuhnhenn is king.

HOTD, Bruery, and Founders are all capable of making good Old Ales, but they're just not in the same league as Kuhnhenn.

 

I just realized I have this in the cellar. I can't wait to crack it open!!!

 

I came here to say North Coast Old Stock Cellar Reserve (Bourbon Barrel), but then I read your caveat of "non-barrel aged"... While I haven't had the normal Old Stock Ale, I'd have to imagine it's pretty excellent to yield such a mind-blowing product when barrel aged, and since others have suggested that one as well I'll go with that! =)