Duchy Originals Organic Old Ruby Ale 1905 - Wychwood Brewery Company Ltd

IdeaSpeeder

Ontario (Canada)

3.1/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Serving Type - 500ml bottle poured into a nonic pint glass

Appearance - Beer pours a red-amber colour. A creamy white head forms but quickly disappears. A thick trail of lacing is left behind.

Smell - Predominantly a 'bready' smell. And Grains. A light hop aroma, tho I can't tell anything more specific. Some fruit is evident, most likely berries of some sort.

Taste - The 'bready' smell comes through here as well. Followed by a pleasant hop kick. The bitterness lingers, along with a light cherry like flavour.

Mouthfeel - Quite a decent body, but not particularly noteworthy for the style. Carbonation is very low.

Overall - 3/5

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2013 01:55:59 | More by IdeaSpeeder

Kremlock

Ontario (Canada)

3.15/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A: Deep copper in colour. Pours a nice 1/4 inch head that settles to a nice film. Beer is clear and no particles visible.

S: Malt backbone present with some bread and cherries.

T: Smell come through on the flavours with a bit of medicine flavours. Hop bitterness present and well balanced with the malt.

M: Well carbonated, a bit sharp on the palate.

O: Honestly, I remember this beer being a lot more fruity and inviting. This bottle is sharp, bitterness balanced the malt but it's a bit harsh.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2013 00:27:34 | More by Kremlock

ChrisCage

Alberta (Canada)

3.44/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A- Pours a very cloudy orange-red color....quite nice to look at and quite unique in my opinion. There appears to be above average carbonation rising to the top, and as far as the head goes, unfortunately there is little to be desired here, as there isn't much going on to start and it fizzles out rather quickly. There really isn't much lacing going on here either which isn't what I was hoping for either. Outside of the brilliant coloration, the overall appearance isn't anything to get overly excited about.

S- The aromas are smooth and subtle, with barley malt noticed right up front, which has caramel notes. There are also some yeast and fruity esters present, primarily of banana peel and perhaps some citrus notes...orange comes to mind, but is is definitely in the background. The end has some mild hop aroma which really rounds out the overall aroma profile.

T- Well the flavors are actually a lot more muted overall than I has expecting! It isn't offensive by any means but I really feel that it is missing it's "oomph". It's balanced between the malt and bitterness on the finish, but there isn't much substance in between...it's actually quite clean tasting. The malt is noted, with muted flavors of caramel/toffee, followed by clean barley grain. The hop profile seems hidden on the finish, leaving my palate without any real sense of what I just have tasted...

M- This brew has a light-medium mouthfeel to it, and the carbonation is plentiful, but very fine, which really leaves the overall feel smooth and creamy....I'm guessing due to the suspended yeast within the liquid. As mentioned before, this is very clean overall and is pleasant enough on the palate flavor-wise, but it seems like it is missing something.

O- I would say that this is a very highly drinkable brew, as it's probably one of the mildest English Pale Ales that I've ever had. I would actually quite enjoy drinking several of these in a row and think this makes a superb Ale to enjoy in hot weather, or as an easy going beer to enjoy anytime. I will probably get this again at some point and recommend trying it...just a little disappointed in the somewhat uninspired take on the style overall.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2013 00:40:45 | More by ChrisCage

janubio

Spain

3.33/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

500 ml. bottle. Pours an orange reddish beatiful colour, with a small head that dissapears soon. Smell of orange and caramel, some earthy character. Thin and light on the palate. Taste is the same as the smell: caramel, orange. Earthy and dry finish.

Serving type: bottle

11-14-2012 16:04:25 | More by janubio

funkengruven

Ontario (Canada)

3.35/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Found this lurking in my cellar, I suspect it has been there for at least a year and a half. anyway here it goes.

This poured a deep reddish amber with a bit of head and minimal lace. Smell at first was a little sour but then the sourness subsided with the aroma of caramel malt. Taste is sweet, a touch bitter, a little tangy, not too bad actually. The mouthfeel is a little thick, I had to take this one slow as it just felt like a heavy beer.

Overall it's decent. I was hoping for something a little less sweet and a little more hoppy but either way I wasn't thoroughly disappointed.

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2012 23:14:59 | More by funkengruven

mick303

Ontario (Canada)

3.1/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

BB (30/04/13) Pours quite little head, colour is definitely on the ruby side of brown, with the barest of carbonation.

The aroma has some fruity notes mixed with malt, red fruit and berries, but fairly restrained. Seems like it could use a little bit more hops, something about the malts seems overly candy-sweet and unbalanced.

Taste is initially dominated by malt, very sweet malt, has some cherries also. Hops presence is lacking. Has the normal flavour of biscuit malt meshed with sweet fruit. Doesn't come across as having a huge depth of flavour, sweetness is on the harsh side.

Mouthfeel is fairly smooth initially, before a bit more bitterness comes through, carbonation is light, with a medium body. Not bad, but not great, leaves a fair bit to be desired. Drinkability is acceptable.

Surely one of the more unremarkable EPAs I've tried. Found little going on, cloying sweetness, bit unbalanced. Tolerable when cold. Superior beers out there than this.

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2012 03:37:57 | More by mick303

thehyperduck

Ontario (Canada)

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

Pint bottle from the LCBO; best before April 30th 2013. I used to be a big fan of English pale ales, but in the last few years my interests have drifted elsewhere - and in the last few months specifically, I've barely tried any new EPAs at all. This one was on sale, so it was as good a time as any to tick it off.

Pours an attractive clear copper-amber colour, generating a bit more than a finger of foamy off-white head. Fairly good retention, with decent smears of lacing left behind in its wake. The aroma is nice, but pretty standard for the style - bready, biscuity pale malts, fruity peach or apricot notes, with maybe a brush of floral, grassy hops.

Decent flavor that meets most of my prerequisites for the style - biscuity malts and light toffee sweetness, with some fruity esters of apples, pears, or perhaps some other sort of orchard fruit. Light, leafy, earthy bitterness toward the finish from the English-style hops. Good balance between hops and malts for a relatively pleasant, bittersweet flavour. On the light side of medium-bodied, very smooth with soft carbonation. Quite drinkable.

Final Grade: 3.48, an acceptable B-minus. This is a decent, relatively simple brew that is mild, balanced, and overall quite refreshing - a respectable EPA, for sure, with a good, strong flavour profile for a 5%er. I'm enjoying this pint, and I may enjoy another one in the future.

That being said, it's not really worth buying frequently unless you are specifically looking for organic beer. There are other (cheaper) EPAs that are much more readily available and of comparable, if not superior quality. This one is worth a try for the tick, but don't expect to have your socks knocked off.

Serving type: bottle

06-03-2012 06:48:28 | More by thehyperduck

Rutager

British Columbia (Canada)

3.4/5  rDev +0.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to Arron for this one!

Appearance. Pours a lightly hazy amber-orange with a finger of off-white head.

Smell. Sweet grains, caramel, a little citrus fruits and some grassy hops.

Taste. Sweet malts, caramel, a little bit of mixed citrus juice, a little bitter with some grassy hops in the finish.

Mouthfeel. Below medium in body with medium carbonation.

Ovrall. Not bad. Nothing about it really stands out for me, but nothing offensive either. I'd drink it again.

Serving type: bottle

06-03-2012 02:32:24 | More by Rutager

karait95

Mexico

3.53/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Color is amber reddish it is a nice presentation with a medium carbonation and it has a withe head that presents a medium retention also, with small bubbles that forms a permanent layer on top of the beer.

S: Some malts concentration, not other intense aromas can be easily detected.

T: Very classic flavor, full of malts and with some hops, also it should contain some classic English ingredients like maybe some fruits.

M: Some sweetness at the beginning not a disgusting or difficult sensation that is well balanced and then changes into a bittersweet medium and at last a more bitter ending that last good enough. Body sensation is between medium and thin.

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2012 04:35:43 | More by karait95

Digimaika2

Ontario (Canada)

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

A: Pale copper colour with a creamy stark-white foam head. Very good retention and equal lacing.

S: Toffee, biscuit, nutty, herbal element, orange-grapefruit citrus, and lemon zest. Quite refreshing and appealing, albeit a little subdued.

T: Biscuit-like malt and toffee with a refreshing citrus hop element that's quite subtle. Floral aspects poke through. Detecting an appealing slight earthy (grassy) funkyness.

M: Medium body with a medium carbonation. Oily character with a robustness and lingering deep bitterness. Very good considering the ABV.

D: I enjoyed this english pale ale quite a bit. Will be keeping an eye out for other Wychwood Brewery offerings.

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2012 03:30:00 | More by Digimaika2

xuptygm

Nebraska

3.73/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Verbatim from notes: Light copper color. Looks like a decent amount of carbonation. White soapy head. Aroma is very faint, somewhat hoppy. Tastes a bit bitter, malt is nice. A little too much carbonation for me. Easy drinker. Smooth finish. Glad I tried it but I don't know if I would buy it again.

Serving type: bottle

08-27-2011 04:10:19 | More by xuptygm

Rijtjeshuis

Ontario (Canada)

3.18/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

LOOK (3.5/5) the look was fairly good, ideal for the style. Not so much ruby, as per the name, but copper with some interesting garnet highlights when held to the light. Some nice carbonation clings to the glass. The head is large, about two and a half fingers. It reduces to a cap that last and leaves some lacing.

SMELL (3/5) the smell is pretty crisp. The nose is dominated by some sweeter, biscuity malts and some fairly herbal hops. The main problem is that the hops take a somewhat metallic character which was unpleasant.

TASTE (3/5) the taste is a lot like the nose. It is very crisp and on the drier side. Initially, there is some biscuit malts, which are a little less sweet than in the aroma. The hops were, again, fairly herbal. The metallic character of the hops was also present and quite unpleasant (I wonder if this is possibly sediment or hops or hop/malt interaction). The bitterness was appropriate for the style, and the balance was well achieved between the between malts and hops.

FEEL (3.5/5) this is a strength of the beer. The hops stick around with an oilier character than you might expect from a brew with a body that could be describes as medium-light. The medium-high carbonation compliments the dry finish and makes up for the metallic hops slightly.

DRINK (3.5/5) A good session beer, especially if you are given to crisper brew (of the ESB or English Pale-Ale variety). This was a pretty refreshing beer, but maybe not complex enough to warrant getting again. Also the metallic notes were somewhat unpleasant.

Serving type: bottle

07-16-2011 23:27:34 | More by Rijtjeshuis

AgentZero

Illinois

2.75/5  rDev -18.6%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

A - Orangish colored beer with a white head that left a good amount of lace and spots on the side.

S - Smells like sweet BO. That's not a smell that really belongs in a beer. A little fruit with some toasted grain. Yuck.

T - It does taste better than it smells. Some sweet caramel that's slightly fruity. Little bit of toasted grain.

M - Lighter body, some active carbonation.

O - No reason to drink this again. Unpleasant smell does this one in almost from the beginning.

Serving type: bottle

07-16-2011 19:49:56 | More by AgentZero

MasterSki

Illinois

2.8/5  rDev -17.2%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Bottle received as a birthday gift - almost certainly purchased at the LCBO. Served in a pint glass.

A - A finger-plus of white foam settles to a thin cap, leaving glass-coating lacing. Hazy honey orange body.

S - Yikes - the first things that come to mind are vomit and sweat. There's also a bit of skunk in there. As it warms up, some herbal notes and toasted grains come out, but this does not smell very good.

T - Taste is better. Pretty standard English ale flavors - fruity English ale yeast, a bit of treacle, as well as some lemon and herbal hop flavors. Light bitterness in the finish.

M - Pleasant medium-low carbonation, light body, crisp, clean, and slightly dry finish.

D - Smell is horrible. Otherwise this is pretty middling. When will someone (other than Cantillon) make good organic beers?

Serving type: bottle

07-16-2011 16:17:52 | More by MasterSki

jazzyjeff13

United Kingdom (England)

3.28/5  rDev -3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A 500ml bottle with a BB of May 2012. The front label mentions that it contains a variety of English barley called Plumage Archer, dating from 1905.

Poured into a Sam Smith's pint glass. A clear coppery-amber hue with good carbonation. Produces a small head of pale tan foam that lasts for a minute or two before subsiding. Aroma of sweetish malt with notes of caramel and dry, leafy hops. Hints of solvent/alcohol.

Tastes of sweet malt with a mild bitter finish. Notes of caramel and leafy hops with the faintest hint of citrus in the background. Mouthfeel is smooth and slightly astringent. Aftertaste of sweet malt.

Nicely composed and well-rounded, but a little dull. The malt could do with more hops to balance the flavour. Not bad, but won't blow your socks off.

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2011 00:47:32 | More by jazzyjeff13

brendan13

Australia

3.88/5  rDev +14.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A - Slightly hazy dark orange with a 2cm slightly off white head that falls fairly quickly.
S - Light caramel malt aroma with some earthy/grassy and light citrus marmalade hop character.
T - Like the taste, a light caramel along with some dry bready notes folowed by light earthy & marmalade fruit flavours.
M - Low to medium carbonation, medium bodied with a moderate bitterness.
O - A decent enough english style pale ale.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2011 08:57:38 | More by brendan13

Kartoffeln

Ontario (Canada)

3.8/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: Pours a bright, coppery amber with a modest but dense white head. Gradually dissipates to a foamy ring, leaving plenty of lacing.

S: Sweet biscuit malts with slightly grassy hops. Hints of caramel, honey, and candied fruit.

T: Sweet, bready malts balanced with floral hops, plus some nice undertones of roasted malts and fresh fruit.

M: Carbonation is crisp but smooth, bolstering the somewhat light body. The finish is dry and enduring without being overpowering; it's a pleasant, floral astringency with roasty notes.

D: Very drinkable on account of the standard ABV, smooth mouthfeel, and lasting, bitter finish. A good English pale ale, on the whole.

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2011 00:26:39 | More by Kartoffeln

SgtStout

Ontario (Canada)

2.13/5  rDev -37%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Pours a nice red/orange colour, a head of about half a finger which disappeared almost immediately, absolutely no carbonation.

When poured there was a faint aroma of strawberries and some small floral notes, but one in the glass and after the head was completely gone it was hard to really smell anything. Reminded me of the smell of flour, i guess it has a smell but it's not worth noticing.

The taste was along the same lines, there was some very faint hop bitterness and fruity notes but barely perceptible.

Overall not worth the try.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2011 14:39:35 | More by SgtStout

tbeckett

Ontario (Canada)

3.38/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A - Pours a light copper or golden-ish with lot's of carbonation leading to a fluffy one finger, white head. Tremendous lacing sticking to the glass the whole way and a quarter-finger cap of soapy head remaining. Bright.

S - Lot's of nice caramel mingling with subtle English hops. Lovely balance in the aroma. Smells a little like a cracker with a tropical fruit spread on it or something. Quite biscuity, butterscotchy, and fruity. Very inviting, but not powerful.

T - Largely the same. Quite complex for its abv. Quite biscuity up front and slightly sweet, fading to a fruity character, finishing sweet, yet balanced with a mild, fruity bitterness. There's also a sort of appley, fruity note there too, keeping it a little lighter. Sort of soapy and metallic as well; largely the reason this is held back.

M - Medium bodied with a significant amount of carbonation. Carbonation stands out as it's probably more than I'm used to for the style.

D - I could have a number of these in a pub but it's not something I will be seeking out as a sessionable ale any time soon. A tasty beer, just not what I'm looking for to have alot of.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2011 00:12:25 | More by tbeckett

biegaman

Ontario (Canada)

2.98/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Curious that Old Ruby should have no actual ruby colour in it what so ever; even calling this fair auburn beer orange seems a bit of a stretch. That's not to say, however, that it isn't an attractive beer. On the contrary, its toasty complexion, frosted clarity and fine trim make it look quite dapper. 'Ruby' must just be British slang for something.

This aroma (lack there of) is a testament to the fact that the most environmentally sensible ingredients are not always the most gastronomically sensible. Anyone who's tried replacing beef with tofu is likely to agree. It's comforting to know these malts were selected from near-by organic farms, but it's unfortunate that that's resulted in much less character.

I bet the people in charge of Duchy Originals listen to a lot of easy rock. And find pepper too spicy. And find stripes too flashy. This taste is plainer than plain white bread. No honey. No jam. Just toast. Dry toast. I'm tempted to pass some credit to the hops, but the earthy, floral element they lend dissipates too quickly and is so muted to begin with. Grainy, biscuity sweetness is what we're given and that's all we get.

I'm all for organically grown and sustainably produced food products. I do wonder, however, what sense it makes for a brewery working towards those ends to ship their products half way around the world. With regards to their ecological footprint it seems counter-productive, no? Either way, they shouldn't have - we make our own dull beers!

The brewers of the world have yet to convince me that 'organic' doesn't equate to 'bland'. While I'm sure that that doesn't *have* to be the case, it has been so far. Duchy's organic ales obviously do a lot of good but they also have one fault: they're boring. The brewery should do the next environmentally friendly thing: stop exporting them!

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2011 23:21:16 | More by biegaman

SebD

Ontario (Canada)

3.7/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: : It has a nice amber/ruby colour to it. It has a nice white head that dies down moderatly and lacing is present.

Smell: The aromas definitly give out hints of sweet malts, floral hops, with hints of caramely and fruity notes.

Taste: Like the aromas, it has a nice caramely flavour to it along with a fruitiness. The malts and the hops are well balanced and the hops also give a slight bitterness.

Mouthfeel: It has a low carbonation with a nice balance and is very smooth with a dry finish.

Drinkability: It's a very drinkable beer accompanied with good flavours and aromas.

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2011 05:05:45 | More by SebD

andrenaline

Ontario (Canada)

3.58/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

From my tasting notes...

A - Pours a nice amber colour, finger of head with decent retention, sporadic sticky lacing, and some fine visible body carbonation.

S - Some leafy biscuit malts with sweet caramel, though slightly bitter and metallic.

T - More of an earthy herbal hop off the top followed by a bready caramel malt on the finish. Bitter hops linger on finish, making for a nice hop / malt balance, though nothing outstanding.

M - Medium bodied ale that goes down smooth and finishes with a touch of dryness.

D - Overall, a very tasty amber ale offering a nice hop / malt balance with some nice bitterness that lingers. Flavourful UK offering and worth a try, though not to be interpreted as anything mind blowing.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2011 02:23:12 | More by andrenaline

paxkey

Ontario (Canada)

3.35/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

pours out amber with ruby highlights. small head is gone quickly. very little carbonation that i can detect. looks inviting.

i smell hops and malt. a little piney. smells amazing.

bitter, with bready malt on the finish. more carbonation than i expected based on the appearance. also more bitterness then i expected. its fantastic.

the hops and bitterness do not overpower the malt, a fine balance is achieved.

very drinkable, the bitterness begs for more sipping. a winner.

just revisited this and not really impressed. the beer is probably the same but i think my palate at this tasting is much different. a very boring average beer . gonna keep up the original review but alter the score to reflect my new opinion.

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2011 02:56:53 | More by paxkey

bryehn

Ontario (Canada)

3.38/5  rDev 0%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This is the second or third time I've picked this one up. Halfway through a glass I poured roughly 30 minutes ago.

I've never tried an "old ruby" ale before, but it looks nothing like the ruby beers I've tried recently; namely Hobgoblin and St. Peters Ruby Red Ale.

That said, this beer does have a nice colour to it, a rich copper-amber tone that started with a frothy white head and left a fair amount of lace on my glass.

The aroma is rather faint, I get a fresh grainy smell laced with a honey-like sweetness and deep malt backing. Easily the best smelling organic beer I've tried.

I find the mouthfeel satisfying and creamy with a low carbonation. Maybe a bit yeasty feeling, but not sticky or offensive.

I get a malty, toasted biscuit taste primarily with a very crisp, dry bite quickly following. I'm also noting a citrus taste that I can't quite put my finger on. There is also a sort of mineral or metallic taste noticeable when first poured as well, but it does dissipate.

The aftertaste is on the bitter side and I find this long-named beer quite drinkable. I should start getting more than one at a time.

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2011 21:20:49 | More by bryehn

shamus

Ontario (Canada)

3.58/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

This looks gorgeous. A deep red beer as described by the word "Ruby" I suppose. The head vanished rather quickly into a thin dishwater type layer. The smell was inviting, but this tastes a bit too much of butterscotch and treacle for me. Even so it has a very sharp tinny bitterness to it. An adequate product but nothing to rave about.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2010 23:55:10 | More by shamus