Once Upon A Time 1832 XXXX Mild Ale - Pretty Things Beer & Ale Project

OtherShoe2

Massachusetts

3.58/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours dark gold with a good cream colored head and some lace.

Fruit, booze, woody notes in the nose. A little wet newspaper.

Boozy beer. Dry bitterness with some brown/over-ripe stone fruit. But the sweetness is instantaneous and gone in a flash. Dry, booze and bitterness that is a bit like boiled grain or...wet paper. Odd finish is not particularly enjoyable.

Dried out and a bit astringent. Medium bodied. Ok carbonation.

Not bad. The alcohol helps this one along, but this is a drink that is heavy with bitter mush. Worth a try for something unique.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2012 20:20:27 | More by OtherShoe2

agreenman19

Connecticut

3.75/5  rDev +4.2%

06-12-2013 01:12:11 | More by agreenman19

jkermitj

Mississippi

4/5  rDev +11.1%

03-27-2013 00:42:28 | More by jkermitj

spycow

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev -2.8%

03-10-2013 20:31:44 | More by spycow

michelob654

2.25/5  rDev -37.5%

02-20-2013 03:09:25 | More by michelob654

PEIhop

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +11.1%

02-09-2013 21:56:39 | More by PEIhop

jwps214

Massachusetts

3.25/5  rDev -9.7%

02-09-2013 02:38:02 | More by jwps214

Thomas_Picton

Florida

4/5  rDev +11.1%

01-29-2013 02:05:17 | More by Thomas_Picton

ComRock12

Massachusetts

3.5/5  rDev -2.8%

01-25-2013 21:27:39 | More by ComRock12

jlindros

Massachusetts

3.83/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

I'm a fan of English milds, but they're usually on the order of 3-4% abv and full flavored, but then again this follows the history of the style. I love that Pretty Things is doing that, so I hope this recipe is good.

Pours a nice large fluffy 2 finger head that sticks around for a while, reinforced by all the bubbles streaming from the etch at the bottom of the SA PP glass, fades eventually with nice layered and soapy thick lacing, quite clear amber-ish orange color.

Nose starts with a bit of booze actually, some phenols with that booze aroma, some golden blond style malts under that, fair amount of sweet malts, hint of citrus zest like and maybe a touch of clementine, hint of esters, mild grassy hops and grassy hay like malts even, fairly earthy like aroma.

Taste starts with malts this time at first, little grainy with grassy and earthy chewy malts, strange like malts actually, a bit of a golden blond style too. Then jumps into phenols, the booze with that, typical Belgian yeast like phenols and a hint of fusel booze, as well as a little estery. Fruits come along with those, mild green apple, touch of pear and tangerine. Hops cut in surprisingly as I didn't think they used that many hops back then, with slight herbal vegetal hop, typical hedgerow U.K. style like, little grassy and earthy as well, and fair bitterness. The bitterness turns spicy as it finishes, although not as dry as I expected, little sweet sticky, and some lingering golden and grassy malts, long lingering earthy herbal spicy hops, and some phenolic booze.

Mouth is med to fuller bodied, fluffy carb, plenty of warming booze but not quite tingly, maybe a bit too much carbonation.

Overall OK, but not great. Nothing by what could even closely resemble today's milds, although this is the XXXX variety, so strong and big. I do like the bite of booze bringing the phenols, and grassy herbal earthy hops are a nice touch although not my fav hops by any means, and fairly tasty but not amazing. Fairly balanced though for the booze, sweetness, and bitterness.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2013 03:06:17 | More by jlindros

rowingbrewer

Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev +18.1%

01-11-2013 12:46:21 | More by rowingbrewer

kaelingirl

Massachusetts

3.75/5  rDev +4.2%

01-10-2013 00:44:31 | More by kaelingirl

Massbmx

Massachusetts

3.75/5  rDev +4.2%

01-01-2013 23:22:48 | More by Massbmx

raythealeman

Connecticut

3.5/5  rDev -2.8%

12-28-2012 01:51:50 | More by raythealeman

spokeydonkey

New York

3/5  rDev -16.7%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Hard to rate this one according to style, since it's a recreation of a style that doesn't really exist any more. Rated more on how much.I enjoyed it.

Pours a hazy light copper with a solid white head. Good head retention.

Smells very malty and syrupy. Very little hop aroma. Not much of interest here.

Malty and sweet up front. Almost a barley wine character. Followed up by an assertive bitterness, but not too much hop flavor. A lot of alcohol heat in this one. Website claims its brewed without refrigeration, which might account for that. A bit of apple and grainy huskiness, but its really dominated by sweetness and alcohol heat.

Full bodied and bordering on syrupy. A bit of astringency and alcohol heat in the finish as well. Low carbonation.

Overall, an interesting beer for historical reasons, but I can see why such beers aren't brewed frequently today. Relatively simple maltiness and bitterness without a lot of flavors to fill it out. I really lke that pretty things is doing this project, but I wouldn't buy this again.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2012 02:34:04 | More by spokeydonkey

PeterIngemi

Massachusetts

3.43/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Split a 22oz bottle poured into a pretty things stemmed beer glass.

A: pours a hazy orange amber with half a finger of white head after a standard pour. Recedes to a film, some decent lacing, nice looking beer.

S: some fruity malty sweetness, along with some earthy, bready, yeasty notes. Not a very pungent, or incredibly inviting aroma.

T: sweet citrusy malt and alcohol, with some earthy bready notes, reminds me of a pale barleywine almost. Some bitterness in the as well.

M: medium body with a bit of viscousness to it, moderate carbonation, again the mouthfeel is reminiscent of a barleywine to me. Dry and bitter on the finish

O: this is an interesting beer, with an interesting story, and I am glad to have tried it, but i don't see myself rushing back for seconds on this one and I'm glad I split the bottle w/ someone.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2012 00:58:15 | More by PeterIngemi

Pdrufo

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +11.1%

12-19-2012 01:20:46 | More by Pdrufo

smcolw

Massachusetts

3.48/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottled in November, 2012

Large, nearly pure-white head. Settles in a rocky fashion leaving plenty of ring lace. The broth is orange-amber with a bit of a haze.

There's a strong, unattractive earthy smell. Without being too cruel, it smell a bit like a baby's diaper. Slightly sour.

Thank God the flavor is a dramatic improvement. It starts with a neutral pale malt begin. There's a bit of hot pepper in the background. Notable alcohol in the swallow while the aftertaste is strongly bitter. I wouldn't describe this as balanced but rather that this beer takes you through a taste journey. The body is neutral but not oily from the alcohol level. Plenty of carbonation.

Overall, if you can get by the smell, you'll likely enjoy this beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2012 20:05:24 | More by smcolw