XS Old Crustacean - Rogue Ales

bishopdc0

Maine

3.98/5  rDev -1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Had on tap at the tap take over at Novare Res.

The appearance is amber with a hefty head formation. It pours over the glasses edge multiple times at the bar tender pours it. The head stays and leaves a generous lace.

The aroma is very nice, notes of vanilla, honey and earthiness from the hops comes through, it is all backed by pale malts.

The taste mimics the aroma starting with sweet flavors of vanilla and honey it begins to dry as the carbonation subsides and a bitter earthiness finishes to the end.

Serving type: on-tap

08-22-2011 00:11:34 | More by bishopdc0

adman08

Wisconsin

4.22/5  rDev +5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A-Pours a cloudy reddish, amber color with decent head.
S-Aromas of citrus, strong alcohol and very sweet malt.
T-Very sweet, tons of malt with a slightly caramel flavor. Significant hop bitterness.
M-Huge malt body, very sticky. Light carbonation.
Overall, a very good barleywine. Great hop flavor with huge malt body. Excellent balance, not too hoppy, not too sweet.

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2011 18:33:18 | More by adman08

alexhahn82

California

2.83/5  rDev -29.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

2010 Mini Bottle (8 oz?)

A - A cloudy amber orange, Zero head, no lace.

S - Smells sweet and boozy hot.

T/M - BOOM! Malt, malt, spicey/pepper, sweetness, a finish that is bitter/bitey/dry if you will.

O - A tasty little beer, been aged for a year, didn't get to try it prior to the aging and this was left over at my house after a tasting. Dare I say I would like it a lot more if it were fresh? I know this will settle down but I would like a more sweet upfrontness in a barley wine, I will wait to see how the other bottle is in a few years.

PP (Price Point) - Unknown, free leftovers from a BA tasting!!

Serving type: bottle

08-19-2011 00:42:03 | More by alexhahn82

Masticon

Washington

3.3/5  rDev -17.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

First off I'd like to point out that this brew is frequently considered to need significant aging before being ready to drink. We did not do this. We had a 7 oz bottle of 2011 which we cracked open and drank So that's what I'll review here. I'm sure some people are crying out against the crimes we committed against the beer. But all of these brews were off the shelf.

Appearance - 3.0 : The big lack here was under carbonation. Little to no head, nice light amber color. I felt that it poured a bit thin for a barleywine.

Smell - 3.5 : Dominated by a strong American hops smell. I had difficulty tracing down much of any malt aroma through the hops. This promised to pack a punch with all those hops. Right up front. However, smelt more like an IPA to me.

Taste - 3.0 : Big upfront bitterness that ended with a citrus and floral hop finish. Malt flavor absent. No noticeable alcohol burn. Mild dryness overall. This seemed to me to mirror a double IPA and definitely lacked the malt flavor I was seeking in a barleywine. As a double IPA would have been fine.

Feel - 4.0 : Smooth with decent thickness. What I didn't see in the pour I felt when drinking.

Overall - 3.5 : My primary disappointment here comes down to expectations and prince. While not a bad beer it really didn't measure up to my expectations of a barleywine. I really feel that I over payed for this beer. At $5 for a 7oz bottle I'd expect flavors I couldn't find in a six-pack of Torpedo IPA. Save some money and just get a double IPA instead.

You can read a comparison of this and a couple other barleywines on my blog at dearmondfood.blogspot.com

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2011 02:44:43 | More by Masticon

mdfb79

New York

3.88/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From 07/03/11 notes. 2002 vintage. Poured from a 12 oz, glass into a snifter.

a - Pours a mahogany brown color with one inch of tan head and moderate carbonation evident. Still looks pretty good.

s - Smells of caramel malts, dark fruits, molasses, toffee, and bready malts. No real booze, this smells really good and has held up wonderfully.

t - Tastes of caramel malts, musty notes, bready malts, light sweet fruit and molasses, and very light alcohol. Not quite as good as the nose, as it was slightly musty, but still in good shape.

m - Medium to full body and moderate carbonation. Not much alcohol warmth, the time has really mellowed this one out.

o - Overall a very good barleywine that definitely holds up. Not too much alcohol considering the ABV, I'm guessing because of the age, and it smells amazing. Would like to have it again sometime.

Serving type: bottle

08-01-2011 18:02:19 | More by mdfb79

phiberoptik

Ohio

4.08/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Ratings above are for 2002 bottle but ratings below are 2002/2010 bottle comaprisons. Thanks to Brad and Cam as well for these tastes.

First things first. AGE THIS BEER. 2010 was WAY too young.

2002 (4.5) - Pours a calm deep mahogany, amber, almost like a bourbon. Very little head, as expected.
2010 (4) - Significantly lighter shade of coppery amber.

2002 (4) - Tons of aroma coming off this tasting. Raisins, plums, caramel, alcohol. All very rich.
2010 (3.5) - Sharp alcohol right up front. Slightly biscuity but still getting some of the brandy soaked raisin aromas.

2002 (4) - Very smooth and rich, velvety. Raisins, sweet caramelness, as well as a nice alcohol warming in the finish.
2010 (3.5) - A bit of floral hops up front, maltiness, and a bitter finish. You can just tell its young.

2002 (4.5) - Very velvety and rich. Almost like a snifter of brandy.
2010 (4) - Nice low carbonation, good tongue feel.

Overall: 2002 (4) & 2010 (3.5) - Again, it would have been nice to try something in the middle ground but 2010 was still too young for this and I am thinking 2009 and maybe even 2008 would be as well. 2002 might be a bit too late, so someone try a 2004 or 2005 and let us know!

Serving type: bottle

07-31-2011 16:24:03 | More by phiberoptik

ColdPoncho

Ohio

4/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From notes, 7-30-2011
2002 and 2010
thanks Brad and Cam

A - 02 is clear mahogany with no head, whereas the 10 is cloudy red/brown with no head

S - 02 is very barleywiney (I still can't figure out how else to describe it), and 10 is quite biscuity

T - some chocolatey notes, nice sweetness, good overall barleywine character.

M - smooth and fairly robust

O - it's a good beer that ages and changes well.

Serving type: bottle

07-31-2011 14:30:01 | More by ColdPoncho

brew3crew

Ohio

4.25/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

2002 bottle

A-looks like brandy almost. No head at all

S-smells a little like aapples ....

T-carmel and mslt are the main things I taste. Very good for being 9 years old. Wow

M-medium body and so smooth

O-very good especially for the age. Definitely cellar this beer.

Serving type: bottle

07-30-2011 20:17:24 | More by brew3crew

fostachild

Ontario (Canada)

4.1/5  rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

7oz bottle.

pours a dark red/brown color. decent head that leaves some lacing.

nice fruit, alcohol in the smell. grape/berries aroma.

taste is strong/bitter upfront but nice. slightly fruity/sweet. well balanced, good carbonation - overall really good and true to the barleywine style.

Serving type: bottle

07-18-2011 07:17:14 | More by fostachild

stakem

Pennsylvania

3.8/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle, vintage 2002. Slightly rusted cap comes off with hardly a hiss of carbonation. However, the pour into a snifter yields a finger of creamy tan head. A light swirl agitates some bubbles from solution which holds around the edge of the glass and creates spotty lacework. This brew appears a dark brown color with lighter brown around the edges. When held to the light, it is a transparent color of deep ruby red.

The aroma of this brew is very sweet with hints of molasses, caramel, minor herbal hops, fruity booze like plum and raisins. Hints of chocolate and a very light touch of oxidation across the back. As this brew warms up, it picks up more scents of hops still present with fruity and rindy character somewhat like pulp. This brew smells very good with sweet indications that are very deceiving when you take your first sip.

The taste is big and boozy with a flavor of herbal hops. Some chocolate indications through the body provide a bit more bitterness that is lightly roasty. There is a huge hop presence in this brew with a very long lasting bitterness that tastes of a mixture of oily rinds. Quite toasty and almost a bit woody in flavor across the backend. Almost excessively hoppy in a way that some other flavors of this brew are still lost behind the bold hop inclusion.

This is a very bold brew with big fusel alcohol and even more dominating bitterness. For being 9 years old, I think it could continue to age for several more years. Medium to full bodied with a light, enjoyable level of carbonation. This is quite an oily bitter brew that seems a bit onesided in taste which is not what the aroma leads you to believe. Overall a very aggressive american style barleywine that is worth a try. I have a ceramic 750ml bottle that I have been ancy to open up, after having this experience I am in no rush to open it anytime in the next 10 years, it might need that much time to make it a bit more palatable.

Serving type: bottle

07-14-2011 18:34:27 | More by stakem

chugalug06

Colorado

4.33/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

*Update* 2008 Ceramic bottle

I'm only going to state differences and upgrade my scoring...

A - Very nice clarity has come to the brew. Spotty lacing. up from 2.5

S - No play-doh smell. Very malty. smooth, sweet and delicous. Up from a 2.5, very nice b-wine.

T - Grape has subtlety faded. Very deep flavor.

M - Awesome!

O - What an awesome brew! I wish Rogue still brewed like this...perhaps they do! I will pick up some "new" Old Crustacean ASAP!!!!

Fresh 2011 Old Crustacean

A - pours very little head, what's there is white. Brew is foggy amber color. Average.

S - Smells a bit like play-doh... Not as hoppy as typical B-Wines have. Lots of bready yeast. Much like a amber.

T - Very different. Lots of grape! Perfect for a b-wine. lots of great flavor deep inside that the scent doesn't represent.

M - Awesome carbonation! Impressively, no heat. Fantastic feel.

O - All over the board... This brew is great tasting, but lacks looks and scent. Worth trying, I'll buy one to sit on. Boo to the 7 oz. bottle.

Serving type: bottle

07-13-2011 04:31:58 | More by chugalug06

rundocrun

Iowa

4/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 7-oz bottle into a snifter glass. Bottled in 2010 and says "best when aged for 1 year." I'm sure that it's not been exactly 1 year since this was bottled, but I really just want to give this one a try before going through the psychological work of holding on to a bottle for several years.

A - Pours a very dark coppery orange color. Somewhat cloudy. Minimal head forms, but what is there is off-white. No lacing on the glass.

S - Like many barleywines I've tried, this beer is big and malty in the nose. Lots of dark fruity esters. This beer almost smells candy-coated. Maybe just the slightest suggestion of pine from the hops. Also a hint of sweet orange as the beer warms. Also a good amount of spiciness from the alcohol. Bold and complex.

T - Caramel, figs and prunes up front along with an immediate shot of alcoholic spice. An immense hop presence comes in soon after and takes over the flavor profile until the finish. In the finish I get a lingering hop bitterness, but a wine-like tang is also noticeable among hints of vanilla and dry, biscuity grain. If this beer were given at least 2 years to age and get the hops mellowed out a bit, I think it would be top-notch.

M - Thick and syrupy. Just like I'd expect from a barleywine. Mild, but very smooth carbonation. Lingering boozy warmth after each sip.

Serving type: bottle

07-13-2011 00:52:33 | More by rundocrun

StaveHooks

Oklahoma

4.15/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

2010 7oz bottle.

A - Pours a cloudy dark apricot with 1.5 finger off-white head.

S - Sticky slabs of rich caramel, doughy, caramelized brown sugar, ripe oranges, fruity alcohol, strawberry compote, fresh leather underneath

T - Moderate bitterness off the top-spicy, the sugary caramel malt sneaks in and brings in dark fruits that are hard to pick out. The hops quickly take over again with a concentration grapefruit pith sensation that covers everything all the way through the finish. Sweet tobacco comes out when warm.

M - Super creamy, very tight carbonation, full bodied, alcohol is evident. Very long bitter finish.

The nose is all malt but the taste is very hop forward, very complex though. One of the hoppiest American Barley Wine out there. This is good as is but would love for some age to bring out more of that malt in the flavor.

Serving type: bottle

07-13-2011 00:04:40 | More by StaveHooks

Urbancaver

Ohio

3.78/5  rDev -6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a orangeish brown with a touch of off-white head. Smells very hoppy and caramel heavy. Tons and tons of hoppy bitterness on the nose and on the tons. Its a bit rough on the tongue. Well carbonated but a bit harsh from the hop bitters and the CO2. The caramel malts are very nice. Overall its pretty solid.

Serving type: bottle

07-09-2011 22:00:43 | More by Urbancaver

Ryan011235

Ohio

3.9/5  rDev -3%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On tap in a pint glass at Bodega on 2/14/11

Dense, hazy copper/brown. Not much of a head save for an island of wispy retention and a tight collar. A few strands of lace, but not many.

Aromas of citrus (think orange) and pine nips bleed into toasted, sugary notes of caramel, dark fruits, candied malt and a hint of dry bread. Doesn't smell too boozy.

Tastes similar albeit with an appreciable alcohol heat. Hoppy citrus and pine at the onset. The mid-section is robust malt territory - toasted bread, caramel, brown sugar, raw sugar and a dash of cocoa. Even burnt at times. Despite the sugars Old Crusty maintains a dry appeal. Dry, lingering bitterness builds to a long, tapered finish.

Medium-full feel and a dry grit. Carbonation seems fine; maybe could be a notch lower. Definitely stimulates the feelers. Rather warming.

Old Crusty is quite good in the realm of hoppy barleywines. Certainly it could hold up over time; however, it's fine right now.

Serving type: on-tap

07-06-2011 02:25:25 | More by Ryan011235

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.68/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Dove deep into my wallet for this one. I ordered a vintage bottle from 1994 at the Farmhouse in Emmaus. This beer was brought out with the old design that's shown here on BA. The Beer was poured out into a wine glass. The beer had a few bubbles left but not nearly as much as any fresh brew. The color of the beer was a reddish brown color with some sediment floating around in it. The smell of the beer was pretty boozy, with some wine like aromas coming off of it. The taste of the beer has some malty fermented fruit flavors in there. There is also a heat in there coming from the ABV. The mouthfeel of this beer was pretty thin now and flat. Overall it was a lot of fun having a beer this old. I wouldn't pay for one of these again though.

Serving type: bottle

07-05-2011 16:05:05 | More by Knapp85

dgilks

Australia

3.88/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Clear, dark copper colour with a non-existent head. Some lacing.

Sweet, burnt caramel. Nutty. Slightly earthy. Good.

I wonder where the hops are. There is certainly hop bitterness but there is far more burnt sugar, toffee and malt.

Full body with moderately-low carbonation. Fine.

A decent beer but nothing overly impressive. I think it needs a touch more fresh hop character to build up the flavour profile.

Serving type: on-tap

07-01-2011 21:06:24 | More by dgilks

OakedCanuck

Washington

3.93/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

750ml ceramic bottle poured into Duvel tulip. 2008 vintage.

A - Pours a ruddy brown with reddish edging. Very little to no head formation; same goes for the lacing

S - Sweet cherry, plums, dates, leather, caramel. Some hop bitterness of pine forest is still lingering but also brings with it a boozy aroma

T - Nice flavour profile. Very strong caramel and brown sugars, quite sweet. Distinct cherry, plums and currants. This one is pretty sweet actually, but there is a bitterness balance. I do get a woody, smoky aftertaste (leather?); and some molasses

M - Sticky, pretty boozy hot, tacky aftertaste.

O - A nice 3 years old BW with no noticeable oxidation happening yet. A bit boozy and sweet but still a tasty beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-30-2011 18:40:03 | More by OakedCanuck

rhoadsrage

Illinois

3.4/5  rDev -15.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

(Served in a snifter)
bottled in 2010
A- This beer pours a hazy brown body with a slight burnt sienna hue to it and a thin wispy white foam head. There are a few big bubbles stuck to the base of the glass.

S- The sweet caramel wort aroma has a soft green hop pellet finish. As the beer opens up there is a fresh silage note and some dog biscuit notes in there aswell.

T- The big bitter hops have a dandelion bitterness all the way to the finish. There is a faint papery caramel sweetness that pops through but it remains in the background.

M- This beer has a medium-light mouthfeel with a slightly slippery texture and a tight fizz. There is a very soft alcohol warmth in the finish.

O- There is no real malt backbone in this and the only hops are bitterness with no real aroma or flavor hops.

Serving type: bottle

06-22-2011 22:03:37 | More by rhoadsrage

cjacobsen

Illinois

3.85/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

sweemzander brought over this 2008 vintage out of a ceramic XS bottle.

(A) Darker beige head that sat atop a clear amber/burnt orange color. The head retention was pretty awesome.

(S) Sweet with fruits, figs, some fresh raisin, and a decent load of hops were present in the nose.

(T) For being 3 years old, the hops hadn't faded, really at all. I'm sure being bottled up in that ceramic bottle away from light definitely helped, but the hop character was very present. The sweetness from the nose doesn't make itself known at all. Bitter with the aftertaste of a weak booze.

(M) Ends a lot dryer than expected. It's very smooth and not really sharp like barleywines can be. Doesn't attack the palate.

(O) If you handed me this beer and said to taste it without any knowledge of what it was, I'd flat out tell you it was probably an IPA. I'm now curious as to what it would be like fresh.

Serving type: bottle

06-20-2011 19:34:50 | More by cjacobsen

grittybrews

Washington

4.13/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

2010 bottle, opened 06/2011. Poured a muddy ruby amber into a tulip with half a finger of light khaki head. Aroma of grapefruit and pine with some sticky caramel and light booze.

Moderate carbonation and a medium body. Huge malty caramel up front with some subtle dark fruit and a blast of muddled hops dominated by bitter pine. Some light alcohol warmth on the finish.

Relatively easy-drinking and smooth, given the ABV. This was my first barleywine back in 2004, and at the time I remember thinking how completely vile and undrinkable it was. My, how times/tastes change...!

Serving type: bottle

06-14-2011 04:54:31 | More by grittybrews

Avagadro

New Jersey

4.38/5  rDev +9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottled in a ceramic 750 in 2008, reviewed June 2011.

A: I'm shocked by how much CO2 is still in this bottle, as a loud hiss is released upon prying the cap. Old Crustacean (OC) pours a hazy mahogany with a brilliant cream-colored head that quickly fades to a thin layer of froth.

S: Bouquet is well matured, with notes of sherry, tobacco, roasted cherries, and leather.

T: It is obvious that this beer had changed tremendously over the years, displaying the vinous sherry undertones and dusty leather notes that only come with time. Despite all the time this brew has been given, there is a distinct sharp hop bite that pervades. I'm not against a hoppy barleywine, but, in this instance, I feel that it is getting in the way of the more elegant malt flavors that have matured so beautifully in this ale; chocolate covered cherries, tawney port, vanilla, creme brulee, and cigar tobacco.

M: Full body, velvety texture, moderate carbonation, and only a slight stickiness on the finish.

O: A delightful endeavor to say the least. I have another bottle stashed away, in hopes of indulging in it around the ten year mark.

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2011 23:11:51 | More by Avagadro

CuriousMonk

Virginia

3.35/5  rDev -16.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured on tap into sampler glass at ChurchKey. Pours dark amber in color with a smooth look to it. Nice cloudiness to it. Some carbonation could be seen streaming up from the bottom of the glass, with a nice amount odd white head sitting on top of it. Smooth settle, left behind only trace amounts of side lacing. The aroma was rich, light notes of alcohol and a ton of bready malts. Hints of pine resin hops and a nice, touch of grain mingling in throughout the profile. The flavor was smooth as could be, a very mellow barley wine with hints of caramel and a muted hop note. Interesting balance here, with the alcohol mostly hidden in amongst the profile. Mild carbonation throughout.

Serving type: on-tap

06-09-2011 20:38:06 | More by CuriousMonk

Kshock

California

3.78/5  rDev -6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A- Deep amber to slight burnt brown. Very little carb and minimal head retention but good lacing. a little lacing around the edge of the glass.

S- very mild but smells like dark sugars, slight earthy hops underneath.

T- Great flavors and carbonation. Malty, dry and hops make themselves know a lot more than in the nose.

M- Nice carb level, not very abrasive at all. fairly clean finish, leaves some dryness and a little hint of the sugars.

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2011 03:01:55 | More by Kshock

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

3.73/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

First had: bottle at Eulogy, Philly, PA

Poured from a corked 750 into a stem glass, a dark, hazy amber with little to no head; a bubble here and there. Sugar and malts in the aroma, boozy, resinous. Toffee and brown sugar in the taste, alcohol bite, piney and resinous, and a bit medicinal, but mostly due to the alcohol. Heavy-medium body, good, but I think a 750 was a bit much, even though I split the bottle with my girlfriend--who became my fiancé that night. (She hated it.)

(The beer that is.)

Serving type: bottle

06-06-2011 18:08:48 | More by Rifugium