Old Flame - DuClaw Brewing Company

RollBounce

New York

2.2/5  rDev -40.1%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2

full laceing, but an obnoxious nose, bourbon coconut, and a blue cheese powder that is transferred directly to the palate, thick mouth feel. Overall A disjointed beer is all I can say may be better if rested.what is the only beer of my samples that I did not like.

Serving type: on-tap

05-17-2013 20:24:56 | More by RollBounce

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

3.43/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

This is a very malt-forward brew. Loads of sweetness, and I'd have to say too much so. I think some hop influence would be a good thing for this beer and would help it balance out, if done right. The beer is smooth and easy enough to drink. It's just not really that interesting.

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2013 04:01:24 | More by RblWthACoz

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

3.7/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Snagged a single for $3.50 at the House of 1,000 beers.

A - Color is a very clear deep amber brown with a 1/4 inch of head that settles back rather quickly to just a sticky lace ring. Very sticky indeed.
S - Smells of molasses, caramel like malt, and brown suagr. Something about old ales reminds me of oak barrels with the smell...
T - Has a pretty good balance of sweet malts, molasses, and brown sugar goodness. Hops come in the finish giving it a sort of acidic twang but quickly to a sweet finish. Not a bad beer at all.
M - Medium bodied and very drinkable.
Overall quite a good old ale, with balanced flavors and a somewhat easy drinking ABV. Too bad on the price point or I would get it again.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2013 05:12:41 | More by DrDemento456

tone77

Pennsylvania

3.48/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a brown 12 oz. bottle. Has a bronze color with a 1/2 inch head. Smell is mild, a bit of sweetness, a hint of smoke. Taste is malts, caramel, alcohol, some notes of fruit. Feels medium bodied in the mouth and overall is a pretty good beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2013 06:35:30 | More by tone77

philbe311

Pennsylvania

3.68/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Two fingers worth of crisp slightly fluffy froth with a tinge of an orange hue... Average retention gives way to a splotchy thin veil of lace in the center of the glass and a thin collar... The color is a mix of light caramel and dark amber... A mix of moderate paced carbonation with some quick speedy bubbles mixed in...

S - Light grape juice... Assorted dark fruits... A light caramel scent... A bit of brown sugar... Just a kiss of molasses.. Simple, but quite pleasant...

T - Much different than I expected... Lots of earthy and woody flavors... The sweetness of the molasses is next to cut through... The dark fruit notes are present, but take a definite back seat...

M - Medium bodied... Pretty smooth... Brisk carbonation... A bit chalky and gritty on the finish...

D - A decent beer which should be no surprise from the fine folks at DuClaw... However, I'm not sure it's a great representation of the style... To me it's a a decent but unremarkable brew without a true category... While the individual parts aren't bad, the total package is rather average...

Serving type: growler

02-16-2013 02:09:02 | More by philbe311

Dodo2step

Pennsylvania

3.89/5  rDev +6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

P- AOH

A- a light red/copper color with a one finger head that leaves a string lacing around my pint. Clear as well.

S- just like the bottle says; fruity esters and caramel malts with sweetness as the molasses.

F- some dark candied fruit/cherry maybe. caramel malts and molasses.

M- medium bodied brew that leaves a nice malt flavor in your mouth. It goes down smooth as well.

O- not a bad strong ale and packs a nice little punch to get you feeling happy. good flavor as well.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2013 00:18:19 | More by Dodo2step

ckollias

Maryland

3.61/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Enjoyed this on tap at Duclaw in Bowie, MD

A: Pours a clear amber hue with a very thin white head that quickly dissipates and leave no lace.

S: Sweet caramel malt followed by some dark fruit notes.

T: Very caramel malt just like the smell followed by some toffee and dark fruits.

M: Medium body and minimal carbonation.

O: Just a so-so beer for me – duclaw has much better options.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2013 05:18:18 | More by ckollias

JerseyKirk

New Jersey

4.55/5  rDev +24%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Copper, brown, no head.

S: Chocolate, caramel, spice.

T: Cocoa, caramel, sugar, burnt toast and slight coffee.

M: Sweet with limited carbonation.

O: Great beer. I wish I was in the American Colonies while drinking this. Makes me connect with older style brews. Loved it.

Serving type: on-tap

03-02-2012 00:41:20 | More by JerseyKirk

oline73

Maryland

3.85/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I had this on-tap at the Arundel Mills location.

Appearance: Pours a reddish amber that is slightly cloudy. There is a half finger of off white head and pretty decent retention.

Smell: Definitely dominated by the malt with some mild smoke, sweet dark fruit, and some caramel.

Taste: Sweet malt with dark fruit and caramel. The smoke in the smell doesn't really show up here. The finish is just a touch bitter.

Mouthfeel: Medium body with tingly carbonation and a dry finish.

Overall: This is a nice malt forward beer that hides the alcohol quite well. I would definitely have another.

Serving type: on-tap

02-06-2012 22:01:24 | More by oline73

thekevlarkid

Maryland

3.78/5  rDev +3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Off tap at the brewery this beer was a copper/bronze color with one finger of khaki-colored head. The retention was not very good and it left on the smallest rings of lacing off the collar. The aroma was of caramel malt, toffee candy, alcohol and a little dark fruit. The flavors were dominated by the sweet malt that produced a lot of caramel, toffee and butterscotch notes but behind that there was some more dry character of toasted malt and a nice, semi-dry finish of nuts. The booze was well concealed and it was an easy-going, well-balanced old-timer, like Mr. Belvedere. Get it? No? Rotten kids know nothing of the classics… The mouthfeel was good, the body medium and the carbonation a bit light but still appropriate.

Serving type: on-tap

01-22-2012 22:37:24 | More by thekevlarkid

stephenjmoore

Maryland

4.03/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A- Dark amber color with very faint white head. Some lacing.

S- Caramel malt with slight fruit notes.

T- Same as it smells, caramel malt at the beginning with a dried fruit finish.

M- Crisp and clean, well carbonated.

O- Good beer for the style, nothing mind-blowing but solid.

Serving type: on-tap

01-21-2012 21:57:48 | More by stephenjmoore

Huhzubendah

District of Columbia

3.53/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On draft at DuClaw in Bowie, MD.

The beer is orange hued with subtle copper highlights. The head is thin and off white hued, leaving sparse lacing on the glass.

The aroma consists mainly of butterscotch candies, followed by light toffee, fruit, malt, alcohol.

The flavor is decent. Slightly sweet throughout, with butterscotch candies again playing a big role. I happen to like butterscotch quite a bit, so perhaps I am bothered by this less than most.

Lighter in body than I would have thought, with some fruity malt esters lingering in the back.

Overall, this was ok. Worth a try.

Serving type: on-tap

01-17-2012 04:12:33 | More by Huhzubendah

hdofu

Maryland

4.25/5  rDev +15.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had this at the pub last week, was an impressively flavorful brew. Came out with little head though I remember it being somewhat tan above a brown beer. The beer itself was a sweet wheat and malt flavor with smokey hops. The beer was pretty sudsy and the alcohol wasn't too noticeable, I'd probably be drinking more of it if black jack stout also wasn't out at this time

Serving type: on-tap

01-22-2011 04:02:00 | More by hdofu

weeare138

Pennsylvania

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

Appears a transparent copper toned amber with a small off white cap that slowly fades into a mild head. Spotty bits of lacing are left around the glass.
Smell is of pecans, caramel, toffee, ripe fruit, and a touch of cocoa.
Taste is of the aromas with a sweet malt flavor that carries throgh as sweet caramelized brown sugar and pecan pie.
Mouthfeel is medium bodied, chewy, smooth, and dry.

Serving type: on-tap

05-10-2010 21:11:48 | More by weeare138

tugdriver7

Maryland

4.22/5  rDev +15%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Rich tan to leather--the color of a caramel candy--with a soft haze and small head that laced the glass all the way down. Subtle caramel sweetness in the nose and initial taste. All rich malt in the taste with a hint of bitterness in the aftertaste. Slightly higher ABV was completely absent in the flavor profile. This beer snuck up on you--or did it? It was really quite drinkable, rich, a tad sweet, and definitely something I'll order again.

Serving type: on-tap

01-24-2010 23:41:42 | More by tugdriver7

akorsak

Pennsylvania

3.93/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

This is an oak-aged firkin of Old Flame, served as part of a one-time release. The ale is served near room temperature.

Appearance: Unlike the original Old Flame, which is deep auburn and clear, this version is intensely cloudy, so much so that the color appearas completely different, more of a deep brown color.

Smell: Upon first arriving, the beer gave off no smell. As time passed and the beer warmed further, it took on a nice sugary bourbon aroma.

Taste: The oak aging has imparted a definite bourbon flavor on the ale, giving it a sugary, buttery sweetness that reminds me of a good whiskey. In my opinion, the aging has completely changed the character, removing all traces of the strong ale Old Flame flavors.

Mouthfeel: The ale's sweetness sits well on the palate. The buttery sweetness can be a little much at times.

Drinkability: The oak aging imparts a sweetness that can be cloying at times. On the whole though, this is a tasty, well-made and well-aged beer.

Previous Reviews:
11-Jan-06, On-tap, 4.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5, 4.0, 3.95

Serving type: cask

05-26-2006 20:23:16 | More by akorsak

Higravity

Michigan

4.05/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Brown with an oragne color and topped with a decent white head. Right away I thought double-bock from the smell but the hops were a little more present and it had a nice EKG smell to balance the malt profile which were caramel, toffee, and slightly nutty. The taste was nice but still you could taste the ale esters that gave this beer a little more polish to the malt profile and a decent although understated bitterness in the full finish. Good body and well hidden alcohol, I think I might get lost one night thinking about and drinking old flame.

Serving type: on-tap

03-13-2006 16:12:45 | More by Higravity

Gavage

New Jersey

3.35/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Appearance: clear bronze in color with a thin 1/2" head. No lacing develops, and carbonation is low.

Smell: sweetness abounds along with a hint of hop bitterness.

Taste: brown sugar, caramel candy, hint of cracked pepper, and some mild bitterness.

Mouthfeel: lightly crisp at the start, smooth at the finish. The sweetness briefly lingers on the tongue after swallowing. Medium bodied.

Drinkability: this is not a session beer, and one was more than enough. Not that it was a bad beer, there were other DuClaw beers that are better in my opinion.

Serving type: on-tap

02-25-2006 19:52:26 | More by Gavage

mrasskicktastic

New Jersey

3.18/5  rDev -13.4%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 2.5

A - Auburn with a small head and no lacing.

S - Syrupy caramel, tart white grapes and a little vanilla. The sweetness really dominants and isn't really inviting. Not much to this odor.

T - Predominantly caramel malt with a slight coffee to balance, not that sweet however. A vinous character and a bit of coriander pepper flavor are decernable. The aftertaste is caramelly sweet, with both coffee and hop bitterness in a nice proportion.

M - Smooth, thick and refreshing. Not too shabby on the mouthfeel.

D - This old ale was a bit of a dissapointment. I will probably never have this beer again, but I did like it enough to want to visit DuClaw to try their other offerings in the future.

Serving type: on-tap

01-28-2006 22:45:11 | More by mrasskicktastic

Hefe

Maryland

4.15/5  rDev +13.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 5

Tasted from tap at the Maryland Brewer's Octoberfest on 10/17/04.

This is listed as an American Strong Ale, though it is intended as more of an English Strong Ale or Old Ale, and I thought here Jim and gents at DuClaw really did a great job capturing more of the subtlety of an English style brew.

Appearance: Dark deep mahogany in colour with a reddish glint. Nice off white head that leaves sticky lacing all over the place.

Smell: Toffeeish, caramely malt with plum and a wisp orange rind and citrusy hops.

Taste: Some of the same from the nose, along with an earthy undertone and a pleasing touch of sweetness.

Mouthfeel: Nice round body, not too heavy. Maybe a touch thin. Maybe.

Drinkability: Not a beer for getting out of hand with, though I could easily enjoy several with and after a meal.

Serving type: on-tap

10-18-2004 21:28:59 | More by Hefe

yeagerbm

Pennsylvania

2.73/5  rDev -25.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Thought this one would go great with my seared tuna. I was not impressed (with the beer), but food was pretty good. For a micro brew this one is sub-par.

The appearance was avg. Not bad color, clear and amber colored. while tasting i noticed some caramel malt and roasty grain and spice but it was too light on the malt.the mouthfeel was thin and unappealing. Average drinkability.

Update: I got an email from the brewmaster explaining they are temporarily having the beers contract brewed while building another brewery. This is why some of the single batch seasonals have less body than usual. I'll have to head back in a few weeks and give it a try again.

Serving type: on-tap

05-05-2004 18:12:20 | More by yeagerbm