I'm new to old ales

Curmudgeon is good

 

Kuhnhenn Bourbon Barrel Fourth Dementia is the best, imho.

 

My "big three" are Old Stock, Hibernation, and Curmudgeon.

English Old Ales deserve a little respect, and I highly recommend Fullers Vintage Ale and Theakston Old Peculier as excellent starting points. They may not get much love from reviewers, but Greene King also has some fine ones in Old Suffolke and Old Crafty Hen.

 

I used to enjoy Gale's Prize Old Ale-have not seen it in several years.

Old Peculiar I find to be a bit on the light side. Fuller's Vintage is good !

 

Love this beer!

 

That's because they are two names for the same thing.
https://zythophile.wordpress.com/20...e-difference-between-barley-wine-and-old-ale/

 

JW Lees Harvest is in town and I'll buy 'em and drink 'em until they are gone. Wonderful Old Ale! Err...Barleywine. My bad, lol!

 

I always thought that true Old Ale is English Barleywine.
I'm pretty sure that BASS coined the term "barleywine" for their old ale (Bass #1) in the beginning of the 20th century. Perhaps a hard core historian among the ranks here could confirm or verify that.

 

Hehe...funny you should mention No.1. I added the beer and pic and thought it was simply outstanding when I drank it. As for an English Old not being the same as an English Barleywine, bring it on! As far as historians go, Jess Kidden? Ron Pattison?

 

The way I understand it is that Old Ale is a fairly large category- not really a style, but more of a process, in which the ale was aged for a while- covering a range of colors and gravities. In that sense, Barleywine would be a strong type of Old Ale beyond a certain gravity.

 

I've got some going on 3 years and it's drinking fantastically well. I read an article a while ago about Larry Bell serving a 20 year old bottle at a tasting once and people raved about it.

 

I find Old Ales to be a bit smoother. More creamy caramel, less malt grain bite, and a bit less dense. Maybe it's just me, but Founders Curmudgeon and Kuhnhenn 4D to me are a lot easier drinking than an Anchor Foghorn or Arcadia Cereal Killer. Tough say though, as most English Barleywines that are popular in the states have some kind of barrel aged treatment.

 

^ This!

Old Ale vs Barleywine is just another Porter vs Stout argument.

 

Avery Jubilation. Winter seasonal but had it for first time this year great old ale and affordable

 

Honestly I dislike the style though a good one comes about every then and again. It's too heavy a style with unsavory flavors for me.

 

They call it a barleywine on the site, but Bell's Third Coast Old Ale blew me away...

 

OP, if you like old ales you may want to seek out The Bruery's Anniversary ale which I think goes into distribution next month. You should be able to find it in Nevada.

The price point is high but worth it in my opinion.

 

I've had an Olde English Ale - Yukon Brewing Lead Dog Ale. I thought it was outstanding.

It was nothing like a barley wine.

It sounds to me like old/olde Ale is a very, very broad term. :-)

 

The first time I had this beer I found a dusty bomber in a bin under the bottom shelf of my local shop. Turned out to be four years old and may have been one of the best beers I've ever had.