Olde English 800 High Gravity - Miller Brewing Co.

SometimesIfart

Michigan

2.18/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 2 | smell: 1.75 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 2.5

A - Drank from the 40oz bottle. Darkinsh gold with a slightly frothy head.

S - Metal, aluminum, grains, alcohol.

T - seriously grainy up front, slight aluminum soon follows, small amounts of rice adjunct, and alcohol in the finish.

M - Light bodied with creamy heavy carbonation. Nice for what it is.

O - Overall, good for the price and one forty got me pretty well lit.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2013 05:46:29 | More by SometimesIfart

jimmah120

Minnesota

2.2/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 3 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

40oz out of the bottle

Smell.... there isn't really any smell. Maybe some corn and a little malty goodness. As it warms, slight apple and fruit come out. Taste is slick and sweet, lots of grain, malt, and corn. Sickly sweetness like that of steel reserve(garbage juice). Finishes like rubbing alcohol. Not very pleasant, but if you drink it fast while it's ice cold, it can be inoffensive. While cold, the 8% is hidden well. If you let it warm, be ready for it to burn like cheap whiskey.

If you're looking for something to sip on, this ain't it. If you want something chuggable that'll get you good and buzzed, this isn't a bad choice.

Serving type: bottle

09-05-2012 07:01:10 | More by jimmah120

thisismyname

British Columbia (Canada)

2.88/5  rDev +26.3%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

Sometimes a guy just wants a bottle of some good old cheap swill.

Here in BC, this is just called Olde English 800... I am writing this with regards to the fact it is a malt liquor, not just any other beer. I'm not expecting a plethora of flavours and smells to jump out of this one.

Consumed the only way you can cosume it: Straight out of the 40 ounce bottle. It would be a disgrace to both malt liquor etiquette and my Unibroue snifter to pour it into anything else but my mouth.

Prior to opening, a humble soapy head of large white bubbles is perched atop this translucent copper brew. An abominable sweet putridity begins to emanate from the bottle as soon as the lid is cracked open.

When ice cold, a majority of the typical cloying alcohol taste is muted and the brew is rather drinkable given the 8% ABV. Don't let this one sit too long. The flavours are minimal; however cheap grainy adjuncts, bread, and cooked corn are distinguishable.

Like all malt liquors I've tried, it is highly carbonated in a justified effort to mask as much alcohol flavour as possible. It is better to chug rather than sip beers like this.

Overall, it could be a LOT worse (Colt 45). This is and always has been my favourite malt liquor. It is a wonderful option when you're looking for cheap party material. I've downed more than 3/4 of the bottle and I'm already pleasantly buzzed.

FELLOW BEER DRINKERS: I warn you! This is by NO stretch of the imagination beer pong material. I have tried it and it's just tempting fate. It may be intended to chug; however, chugging at your own pace and chugging in a drinking game are 2 separate stories.

Cheers

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2011 01:54:29 | More by thisismyname

ElCommodoro

Texas

3/5  rDev +31.6%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 1.5

Smells like an Olde English. Has a musky wet corn smell. More musky than a regular Olde English. It has a much more metallic smell than I'm used to. So, that's disconcerting. Taste is extremely neutral. I was expecting something harsher from a high gravity beer. This is actually quite delightful. It's a bit bitter and has a corn flavour, but also a pronounced cheap malt flavour. The metallic flavour that I smelled is still present, but it's not TOO bad. Honestly, this is a lot better than I was expecting. It's a lot more bitter than I was expecting and somewhat less sweet. Very corn-flavoured and definitely some sweetness, but not more so than a regular Olde English. The only thing that makes it worse than a regular OE is that the bitterness is overly metallic in nature. That's gonna get old fast.

After consuming the entire bottle, I can say this: it will get you drunk in a very pleasant manner. I wouldn't drink it for partying because of the fusel alcohol content, which makes me sleepy, but it is excellent for playing video games and/or watching Stargate SG-1 until you pass out. That's right, nerds rejoice and have a damn good time.

Note: If you start sobering up before you go to sleep after drinking this, prepare to enter hell. There's no going back and there's no saving you. Filling up on food won't even help. Good luck not killing yourself. What is it in hobo beer that can make you feel so terrible?

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2011 04:15:20 | More by ElCommodoro

Wasatch

Utah

2.03/5  rDev -11%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Pours a golden yellow color, nice carbonation, with a nice one-finger creamy white head, with some sticky lacing left behind. The nose is kinda malty, grainy/ricy. The taste is slightly sweet, grainy/ricy. Light Body. Not too bad, but would most likey not try again.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2011 04:35:30 | More by Wasatch

steven9000

Alberta (Canada)

1.55/5  rDev -32%
look: 2.5 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1.5

This one is the Canadian 8% version.

golden straw color with medium carbonation. The head is off white tight one finger head

smell- It has a really sweet alcoholic smell and thats about it.

taste- Same as the taste its really sweet and alcoholic. pretty bad if you ask me.

mouthfeel- its a medium mouthfeel with medium carbonation

overall- What can you really say about this beer? Its pretty gross. If you want to get drunk for cheap then buy a olde English 800 thats all its good for.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2011 03:45:45 | More by steven9000

FreshHawk

Illinois

2.28/5  rDev 0%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

A - Not a bad pour. Very light apple juice colored gold with a large, light, fluffy, sticky, bright white head. Somewhat thick, very good retention, and a decent patchy lace.

S - Pretty subdued. Sweet corn and malt with a touch of cooked vegetable. Some of that overly sweet, slightly tart and acidic apple, but not in a good way. Slight alcohol.

T - Typical malt liquor flavors. Sweet corn and malt flavors. A lot of sweet candish apple mid sip toward the finish. A bit of a cooked vegetable flavor as well. A bit of an off floralish flavor. Definite grainy finish.

M - Light, thin body with average carbonation. Dry, sticky finish.

D - Not offensive, but no where near easy to drink. Sweet, alcoholy, and a touch cloying/sticky. Not easy to drink plenty of.

Notes: Meh, not overly impressed, but what I more or less expected. Average high gravity malt liquor. Overly sweet with corn and apple and alcohol.

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2011 06:28:06 | More by FreshHawk

olympuszymurgus

Minnesota

3.75/5  rDev +64.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A white elephant gift. A review to style.

What shoudl an American Malt Liquor look like? Perfectly clean, clear, golden water. This beer has accomplished that with a grace unlike others. The clear bottle showcases this marvel of modern chemical engineering. It boggles my mind that they even used yeast to make this it appears so perfectly clean.

The smell is minimal, it's coming right from the 40 to my lips afterall. A nice crisp sweetness, banana comes out and kisses my lips with each sip. There is a twinge of gross, an unbalanced-swing for the fences-lets make booze taste that hinders this Malt Liquor, but that can be expected.

Mouthfeel is spot on, the perfect amount of carbonation and a superb drinkability. This malt fricken' liquor, hobo booze. And it's perfectly executed to style.

Miller, you have won.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2010 03:37:04 | More by olympuszymurgus

TheKingofWichita

North Carolina

1.68/5  rDev -26.3%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 1.5

An awfully boozy taste...
Pours a poor yellow color with a big white head. No lacing. Smells of booze and sweet corn. Tastes of corn, bread, and grain. You can taste the alcohol... quite nasty. Mouthfeel is too thin with poor carbonation. Drinkability isn't the best.

Serving type: bottle

10-11-2010 17:15:36 | More by TheKingofWichita

womencantsail

California

3.45/5  rDev +51.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to Phil for providing me with this 40oz tick that (for whatever reason) is not available here in Southern California.

A: Since it's a clear 40, there's really no pour required to see the appearance. A rather dark color for malt liquor, golden with a rocky white head.

S: The smell is sweet and rather unoffensive. Actually some notes of bananas along with the usual tooth-rotting sweetness. Apple juice, corn syrup, corn, and even a little bit of a sweet bread aroma.

T: A rather pleasant flavor, too. Sweet banana bread, apple juice, and corn syrup. A bit of a malty character to this beer which is sort of a welcome surprise.

M: The body is quite full for a malt liquor. The carbonation might be lacking a little bit, unfortunately, though.

D: I had my fill of this and shared it with friends (it was a buddy's birthday and it was a "40s" party). All agreed this was a pretty damn good malt liquor.

Serving type: bottle

10-11-2010 02:15:20 | More by womencantsail

waterintobeer

Texas

1.83/5  rDev -19.7%
look: 3 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

A typical high alcohol 40 found throughout the country.
The apperance is a strong gold color. Without the label one would assume good things were to come.
The smell is of a typical Macro that has been left out for a few days. Musty, no hops, little malt.
The taste is very poor and tastes of faint malt and high alcohol.
The beer has so much carbonation it is almost painful to detect any flavor and ends up dry.
For high alcohol malt liquors this is one of the better. Needless to say, it goes down with a struggle.

Serving type: bottle

08-14-2010 06:37:00 | More by waterintobeer

jnheinz

Minnesota

3.65/5  rDev +60.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Not bad for a 40... Seriously.

I have been drinking 40's cause I'm sick of buying big 24 packs of beer to suit my needs.

So I go back to the 40's of my teens.. Drink 1 40oz and you're set for the night.

This 40 looks like your average 40.

When you crack it open at refrigerator temp -- It tastes pretty good -- as it warms up it starts to feel harder to swallow.

Good malt liquor. I am a fan of OE800. They make good stuff.

Taste smooth as you throw it back. An hour later my 40oz is gone. I feel buzzed and well. Olde English done me well.

Serving type: bottle

08-12-2010 22:17:13 | More by jnheinz

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

3.48/5  rDev +52.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

There are many things in life that make sense to me and an equal number that do not. The CANQuest (TM) makes sense to me on some neanderthal level and by extension, so does Olde English 800 High Gravity's 8.00 ABV. When I was a teenager and malt liquors were routinely kicking my ass, I assumed that 800 referred to either its ABV or the number that we were to dial to hear some heavy breathing ... Oops. I am starting to digress. OK, so if 800 is neither a telephone prefix nor a measure of ABV, how did they hit upon the number "800"? It may be like the number of licks that it takes to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop - the world may never know. How many licks does it take to get to the center of my tootsie? She ain't tellin'! CAN we puh-leeze have a review?

Somebody in one of the forum posts about CANs in general and The CANQuest (TM) in particular was put off by the auditory nature of CANs. He hated the "glug, glug, glug" noise associated with a CAN pour, if you CAN believe it. My brother, when they package beer in a 24 fluid ounce CAN and you want to transfer it into a glass with a minimum of spliiling, "GLUG!" is all you're gonna hear! I had a whole buncha bone-white foam as the result of trying to pour into the glass and not the keyboard, but let's be fair and honest and call it about a finger with good retention after settling. Color was a deep golden-yellow with NE-quality clarity. Nose was closer to an adjunct lager than a malt liquor. It was honey-sweet underlain with whatev. There was a little of the fusel sharpness of the style, but I have been subjected to far worse in this epic journey, believe me. Really, this was not obnoxious and for a high gravity malt liquor, that is saying something. Mouthfeel was medium and the taste was the standard sweetish fuel-like intensity of the style. Finish was bone-dry and I began to wish for a Hammond's pretzel as an accompaniment. Beautiful, heavy lacing throughout. I am not a fan of the style, by any means, but this was pretty dang good as they go. tone77, where did you find this in a CAN? I'm not recommending it for the cooler, but it might be something worthwhile in a paper bag without the weight of glass and a whole 40 to oneself. I'll bet I'm the high reviewer, yo!

Serving type: can

08-03-2010 17:46:00 | More by woodychandler

twiggamortis420

Texas

1.43/5  rDev -37.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 1 | feel: 2 | overall: 1

40 oz clear bottle gives a crack and a hiss and off we go...pours a very clear, medium gold color with a fairly dense and creamy white foam. Retention is surprisingly good, as is the lacing. Pretty good looking beer if you dont know where it came from.

Nose is corny grain sweetness with a hint of cardboard and sweaty feet. Not appealing, but not necessarily horrid either.

Sweet and corn syrupy. Thick mouthfeel. I already know I wont be finishing this bottle, should have gotten this beast ICE cold first. I dont mind some regular OE every once in a long while, but this is not really all that fun to drink. Sweetness is pretty overwhelming with virtually no hops to help. The only other flavors I am getting is some lager yeast sulfur and heavy alcohol. Carbonation keeps things moving along better when drank straight from the bottle. Pretty foul concoction here, even by malt liquor standards.

Serving type: bottle

07-08-2010 20:01:44 | More by twiggamortis420

colts9016

Idaho

3.33/5  rDev +46.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a pint glass at 37 degrees.

Appearance: A one finger foamy off white head with some retention. The color of the beer is a amber color with copper hues. There is a lot of carbonation in this beer. The clarity of the beer is clear to brilliant.

Nose: A yeasty bread, malty aroma. Smells of lemon, floral, phenols, solvents and a biscuit note. There are also scents of corn and its sweetness.

Taste: Corn and malt flavors in the beer. There are notes of phenols, solvents, yeast, biscuit, a heavy bready note, floral and fruity esters. The mouthfeel of the beer is carbonated, alcohol warming, and a little dry.

Overall: A medium body with a medium to full finish. This malt liquor actually isn't too bad. The alcohol is present in the beer but not too overwhelming.

Serving type: can

05-17-2010 06:29:53 | More by colts9016

brewerburgundy

California

1.35/5  rDev -40.8%
look: 3 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 1

24oz can, jam jar for a drinking vessel, and I forgot to look for freshness dating (as if it matters).

The color of a dehydrated human's urine, dark apple juice. Rather a nice whitish head, better than some macro lagers, that fades to a ring in a minute.

Sweet with apple juice notes. Industrial chemicals, corn.

Sweet, very processed apple juice, preservatives out the ying-yang. Creamed corn, a sour, almost hoppy twinge on the finish fading into a continually objectionable and chemical laden aftertastes. You know there is 8% abv too.

Fizzy and light, though with more body than macro lagers.

None, I can't stand the manufactured and treated flavor. It isn't refreshing and it warms the belly, firewater in the truest sense.

Since I already consumed the KBS I had wanted to be my 100th review, I thought a gag (literally) review would be funny. Joke's on me, my 100th review ended up being my first drain pour.

Serving type: can

05-16-2010 22:22:19 | More by brewerburgundy

RonaldTheriot

Louisiana

3.55/5  rDev +55.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Luckily, this sample, poured from a 40 oz. clear bottle was neither skunked nor spoiled. Olde English High Gravity 800 has a thick, white head, and a deep golden appearance, with spider-web lacing. Aroma is sharp, pungent, corny, and even bready. Taste is rich and fruity, but not overly sweet or alcoholic. Mouth-feel is medium and crisp. Overall, this is a very enjoyable drink; one of the better malt liquors on the market. Unfortunately, it has a limited distribution (not available in Louisiana). I like this one and would recommend that you try it.

RJT

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2010 15:27:30 | More by RonaldTheriot

BedetheVenerable

Missouri

2.73/5  rDev +19.7%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

Presentation: 24oz can; scary looking, truth be told

Appearance: Dark gold/straw colored beer, low CO2, thin white cap actually is pretty sticky

Smell: Surprisingly neutral; light, dirty/sweet corn/adjunct aromas, not much else

Taste: OHHH so very sweet. Like, cloying. One of the sweetest Malt Liquors I've had I think. Almost candy-like. Light metallic notes as well. A touch of burning alcohol on the finish, shocker.

Mouthfeel: Actually pretty full, smooth, and round

Drinkability: 1 can after two other beers (earlier) is gonna get me buzzed I think, but the sweetness means I could never have more than one of these (even if I wanted to)

Conclusion: We were having crappy beer night tonight as a joke. My wife bought Bud Light Golden Wheat and I bought OE as a joke 'cos I'd never had it and I'm doing my M.A. on medieval England. Not terrible, but not something I'd get again either. Better than Steel.

Serving type: can

04-17-2010 00:56:53 | More by BedetheVenerable

tone77

Pennsylvania

3.13/5  rDev +37.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured from a clear 40 oz. bottle. Has a golden color with a 1/2 inch head. Smell is very malty. Taste is a combination of malts, corn, and alcohol. Feels light in the mouth and has average drinkability. Overall this is a decent brew as far as malt liquors go.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2010 13:58:40 | More by tone77

Lacesoutcody

North Carolina

2.73/5  rDev +19.7%
look: 2 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

WOW, this is not a good high gravity. As legendary as the original OE is, this is a sad comparison, at barely more ABV.

A: A murky, dark piss yellow, as if you've been drinking this beer for a few days or weeks...nothing special.

S: A little rancid note, of artificial fruit and metallic.

T: Exactly the same, except slightly watery, and a very small hint of corn.

M: Not exceptional, heavy on the foam and carbonation, It's not easy to down, but it isn't overtly hard either.

D: I don't know if I'll ever have this again, it's a strong malt with a lot of bad characteristics, not terrible, but certainly not worth the time or money, try Hurricane, or dare I say it Steel Reserve.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2010 04:24:20 | More by Lacesoutcody

puboflyons

New Hampshire

2.88/5  rDev +26.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

From the 40 oz. bottle marked AUG3109-DO5111908. Sampled on December 15, 2009. After looking at earlier reviews I was expecting the worst. But quite frankly, I did not think this was as bad as all that. The pour was a hazy pale yellow with a generous supply of fizzy head. The aroma was of mild malts and hops with almost no noticeable alcohol, which tends to be common in these high gravity beers. The taste was a bit tart and pungent but not offensive. This is not the kind of beer I would buy regularly but for the purposes of this review, it was tolerable.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2009 00:15:46 | More by puboflyons

Mints

Colorado

1.33/5  rDev -41.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1.5

so much worse than the standard olde english which i love
ill never drink the high gravity again
has a very chemical taste to it and just is not worth the extra 2% abv
i love me some olde english but ill pass on this high grav
big thumbs down for me

Serving type: bottle

09-27-2009 05:54:07 | More by Mints

Bookseeb

Washington

2.33/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Appearance from this big olde 40oz. bottle is a light golden yellow with a very thin head and no lace. Smell is corny. Taste is sweet with somekind of chemical bitterness. Mouthfeel is a light medium with a lot of carbonation. Going down is not all bad (considering), but the chemical bitter aftertaste is what gets me.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2009 00:33:35 | More by Bookseeb

kguyty

Missouri

1.95/5  rDev -14.5%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 1.5

Looks like a typical malt - corn yellow, with little head. The smell is fusel alcohol with a metallic bite. The taste is about the same... fairly strong alcohol taste is present, even though this is a 'weaker' high gravity. One reviewer said that this is the only 40 that he can get hungover by after drinking - I agree - the next day is pretty harsh, even if you have had only one. In college I made the mistake of drinking two in about two hours and was wishing for death the rest of the night and the next day.

Serving type: bottle

09-17-2008 17:39:23 | More by kguyty

rye726

Colorado

1.33/5  rDev -41.7%
look: 2 | smell: 1 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1

Oh my, the Old Englsh High Gravity. This is going to be a doozy. It is a viscous golden colored liquid with a very poor tanish head. Smells very grainy and has some harsh alcohol aromas. The taste is also strong with bad alcohol and bitter grains. A medium body with lots of carbonation. 40oz of this about 39oz too much.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2008 03:40:29 | More by rye726