Iron Hill Old Ale

Brewed by Iron Hill Newark
Style: Old Ale
Newark, Delaware USA

2002 vintage reserve bottle from North Wales. This beer was a wonderful find. It looks old, it smells old, it tastes old, and those are wonderful things. The pour is ruddy muddy turbid light brownish, with off-white head. The color of mud on an old running shoe left in your grandmother’s barn. The aroma is of caramel, cobwebby, dank malts, plus some funky fruits and moldy toffee. The flavor is complex, hitting you with some fruit and caramel malt up front, but it is old fruit, and the caramel malts have spent some time in your uncle’s root cellar. The finish is rather on the dense side and complex, with a lot of old smoky fruits hitting the tongue, including orange, grape, pear, and apple, pus a good finishing dose of funky malt and oats. A very unique style and a very delicious style. Iron Hill has done it again, and that’s the bottom line.

Sitting here waiting on Santa Claus and this beer fits the bill. Courtsey of hopdog, the 2004 bottled version pours caramel brown with a small white head. Man is this a good beer. Aroma is pure caramel. Flavor is malty sweetness balanced by mild hop flavor with light alcohol notes. Reminds me of Fish Tail Old Woody.

In short: A rich caramelized yet very fruity juicy beer. Excellent.
How: 750ml bottle, 4 years old (2004 vintage). Tasting session on my roof with Montreal crew
The look: Cloudy orange-copper body with a medium beige head
In long: Luxuriant full body with a crunchy rich caramel flavour. Toffee, citrus fruits and apricots join in. That beer skilfully mix an almost decadent maltiness with a juicy hopping. Some earthy notes. An overall extra smooth feeling despite the heavy flavour profile. Yet another Old Ale that is different from just about all other Old Ale I’ve had, I really don’t get that style but this beer was excellent. It was a 2004 bottle drank in 2008, I guess that makes it a Very Old Ale.

very nice beer, great for sipping and enjoying after dinner. Very dark with a red body. Jred called it right with the dark fruit aroma. Im Bologna for the record. Flavor of malts and alc. Very good, worth getting

Oct. 2006 - 2004 Version thanks to eaglefan538. Dark oak color pour, nice head. Strong aroma of caramel. Rich caramel flavor, warm flavor of alcohol, molasses, some fruitiness (cherries maybe?) and a touch of butter. Bitterness from the yeasties came out as it warmed. Complex, rich, spicy. Wonderful!

2004 Bottle shared with Axilla at Lancaster Iron Hill. Poured an amber color with a beige head. Carbonation is very good. It looked like champagne with the way the light was shining through the glass. Taste was sweet with caramel and hints of nuttiness to it. Raisins and dark fruits were evident. Spices balanced well. Very nice.

2004 holiday vintage Pours a deep maroon and ruby color w/ a thick tan well laced head glows a little when thrown into light. Aroma is very malty lots of carmel and some almsot brown sugar like flavors hints of toffee and some dark fruit as well as a hint of alcohol. Palate is thick and creamy. Oooh delicious flavor brown sugar and toffee some plum and hints of bittersweet chocolate. Very very good.

2009-07-31. Hazy brown body with a foamy beige head. (3+) Sweet aroma of caramel, rasins, figgie puddin, sweet malt. (8+) Flavour is similar, sweet caramel, fruit, dark fruit/figs, dates. Sweet malty base. Lovely. (8+) Smooth medium bodied palate. Really good! 2005 Vintage Bottle at BCTC 2009