Iron Hill Oak Aged Old Tom

Formerly brewed at Iron Hill Wilmington
Style: Barley Wine
Wilmington, Delaware USA

Growler shared by miketd. This was an odd bird. Aroma very funky with some underlying malt and hop tones no doublt from the barley wine, but this baby has transformed to something completely different. Lots of wood in the flavor along with the tart lambic qualities. A dry finish with a lingering hoppy bite. A very unique beer that I am glad I was able to try.

Huge thanks to GMCC2181 for sending this one out to me, thanks Gabe. This is very interesting. Pours a flat, murky brownish-orange with no head. Very cloudy. The lambic from the oak is noticeable right away in the aroma, very sharp and tart. Flavor is the bittnerness and tart of a lambic with the complexity and malt profile of a good barleywine. The labic features come up front, slight funk and lemon, while the barleywine makes itself known on the back end with a nice hop and yeast profile. Notes of oak as well, a slight vanilla and wood flavor. The finish is very dry and slightly sticky. Overall a good brew and a nice experiment, although it did leave me wondering what regular Tom tastes like without the addition of Lambic. Thanks again Gabe!

Shared by StFun. Pours a caramel color with no head. Lots of toffee with a unique tart twang. Flavor is tart and smoke and bitter and oak. Medium body. Slight carbonation. Bone dry.

Hand-bottle… This beer rocks!... Cloudy amber ale with an orange tint and a small, creamy, white head. The absolutely wonderful nose is woodsy, funky and fruity with notes of cherry Swee Tarts really standing out alongside a nice touch of vanilla. Full-bodied and very creamy with modest carbonation. Interesting flavor – funky, caramely - tangy, fruity goodness. This unusual marriage of styles works super well and totally blew me away. Big-time kudos goes out to axilla for shipping this beauty to me!

On tap and then two days later from a growler Willington DE location. First off why the hell was this thing served ice cold?? I had to let it sit for about forty inutes before it was even close to being at a proper temperature. Once it warmed up this beer only had aromas of a labic...lots of funkiness..slight lemon citrus and fruity..oak. Appearance was a murky muddy brown with a small amount light beige head. Flavor once again had taken on labic characteristics and was funky and fruity but the soe sweet dark fruit flavors from the barleywine remained along with lots of oak. Highly original idea that translates well although labics style arent y favorite style.

Draft at IH Wilmington. This one has a really pretty reddish copper cloudy color with nary a head. Aroma is pure funk and Oak barrel lots of sugar, green fruits, sourness, a d loads of wet oak wonderful smelling! Flavor has a nice sweetness with tart/acidic berries, funky mushrooms, rich sugar and malt, with a pleasant sour/oaky/funky thing that is pretty awesome. Fantastic mouthfeel. Well, seems pretty obvious that this one is fantastic on draft and terrible when handbottled - much like the Oak Aged Quad With Brett Was. Nevertheless on draft this is not only the best beer Ive had from Iron Hill, but probably the best beer Ive had on the East Coast. Awesome.

Lambic version. Ghastly. Absolutely ghastly. Darkish brown and cloudy, no head. Complex but stinky aroma. Smells like mopwater off a drugstore floor. Tastes the same - chemical, overwrought, over-thought. Drain pour.

Hand bottle from Swolf3, BIG thank you Steven. Dark orangish/brown color. Very nice aroma, slightly sour and fruity, raspberry maybe. Flavor is much the same, very smooth though, slightly woody, warming alcohol in the finish. Very tasty.