Theakston Old Peculier - T & R Theakston Ltd.

rarbring

Sweden

3.28/5  rDev -17.2%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

The beer is brown with some red hints, a small beige head leaving nolacing but some drapes.

A weak smell of yeast and old cheese. Some raisins as well.

The taste is sweet from dried fuits, raisins and dates, a mixture of sherry and vinegar is felt.

A weak carbonation, soft and fairly complex.

Despite the smell that at first put me off this was a rather pleasant sipping beer. On-tap at Courtfield at Earl's Court.

Serving type: on-tap

07-29-2010 15:14:12 | More by rarbring

andrewm190

North Carolina

4.38/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

this is a very good beer i was able to drink at a pub in st andrews scotland. delicius. probably my favorite beer while overseas. smelled delicious. very different from how it tastes out of a bottle in the US. a dark beer with an arrangement of flavors that i ad a hard time pinpointing. thick in tast with malt and some caramel but certainly not overdone.

Serving type: on-tap

02-19-2006 09:16:25 | More by andrewm190

kosmoraios

Washington

3.88/5  rDev -2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A proper U.K. ale. Pours a deep, dark ruby-brown, with a 1.5 finger head that laces the glass a bit. Smell is of caramel and malt with a bit of yeast, some faint floral notes.

Taste is more like a Marzen than a dark ale. Toffee-caramel sweet with that nutty hazlenut flavor. Some spicy hoppyness follows up. A good bit of British yeast balanced with some hops. Mouthfeel is a little phenolic with a tinge of spice and ample carbonation. Very drinkable for the style. Preferable in the fall on a cool day.

Serving type: on-tap

11-07-2005 02:02:52 | More by kosmoraios

Wildman

Ohio

2.63/5  rDev -33.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Okay, I have been to England now three times, last just this past March. To the guy that was surprised by an english beer not being good, try going over there and hanging in a local(and I mean local, not tourist trap)pub. You'll find plenty of "miss congenialty". Theakson on tap over there didn't necessary thrill me.

Serving type: on-tap

05-08-2002 20:31:18 | More by Wildman

chinchill

South Carolina

4/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 oz brown bottle into a Belgian snifter.

A: The beer is very dark reddish-brown, with a fragile off-white head that quickly fades to a thin partial top coat and a ring. A thin lace is left on the glass when tilted

Aroma: Peculiar and hard to untangle, but sweet and featuring dark fruits, a little rip banana, dark bread, roasted malts, toffee, cinnamon and some Fuggle hops.

Taste: Nicely balanced, moderately rich, complex, and in keeping with the aroma. Sweet at the start. Very lightly bitter and smoky aftertaste, with lingering mineral water. Cinnamon again. Modest but significant hop presence.

M: Smooth with well-chosen, near-medium carbonation. The nice soft feel I associate with Belgian darks.

O: A very good, flavorful beer that will work good as both session and dessert beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2013 23:35:46 | More by chinchill

T100Mark

California

4.04/5  rDev +2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A 12 ounce bottle poured into a pint shaker glass.

Appearance - A dark ruby color. A bit murky. A head made up of very fine bubbles that disappear pretty quickly.

Smell - Big. Milk chocolate. Molasses.

Taste - Malt. Chocolate. Smooth (almost creamy). A little sweet.

Mouth - Smooth yet mildly acidic (if that makes any sense).

Overall - Don't let the look of this beer (or the name) deceive you. This beer is very drinkable. It's a beer only the English could brew. My only issue with this beer is that it seems to be completely devoid of hops (and a little lacking of character).

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2013 03:00:37 | More by T100Mark

bump8628

Oklahoma

3.95/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Chestnut brown, ecru froth forms a loose head. Molasses, treacle, brown malt, biscuit on the malt side of things. Countered by a surprisingly sharp hop bitterness along with an earthy hop punch. Slightly musty with a charred wood note. Pretty evenly balanced. I much prefer the lighter drier versions of this style and Old Peculier fits that mold. A nice English ale to sip, enjoy, but not think too much about. Glad this is back.

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2013 03:27:57 | More by bump8628

superspak

Michigan

4.1/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12 ounce bottle into snifter, bottled on 1/27/2012. Pours crystal clear dark reddish brown color with a 1 finger dense cream colored head with good retention, that reduces to a thin lace cap that lingers. Light spotty soapy lacing clings on the glass. Aromas of big caramel, raisin, fig, banana, molasses, toast, chocolate, pepper, clove, brown bread, floral, and spicy yeast earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of malt and fruity notes with moderate spicy esters. Taste of caramel, raisin, fig, molasses, light banana, toast, chocolate, pepper, clove, brown bread, floral, and spicy yeast earthiness. Lingering notes of caramel, dark fruits, toast, molasses, chocolate, bread, and yeast earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Very nice complexity of malt and fruity/spicy flavors; with a great balance of malt/fruitiness and no cloying sweetness present after the finish. Medium carbonation and body; with a creamy and fairly slick mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is very well hidden with only a slight warming noticed after the finish. Overall this is an excellent old ale. Nice complexity and balance of flavors; and very smooth to sip on. A very enjoyable offering.

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2013 05:00:08 | More by superspak

tone77

Pennsylvania

3.29/5  rDev -16.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

Poured from a brown 11.2 oz. bottle. Has a cola like color with a 1/2 inch head. Smell is mild, some maltiness. Taste is also mild, some malts, light hops, not overly flavorful or complex. Feels light in the mouth and overall I found this to be a mediocre beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2013 13:22:02 | More by tone77

mick303

Ontario (Canada)

4.15/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Celler temp pint glass. The colour was a really dark ruby brown edging on black, with a tan head, great lacing and retention. Awesome looking beer. The smell was mostly of complex malt, a whiff of coffee, some earthy bitterness made it in. Taste had slightly roast malt, with some aged lemon citrus, leather, really solid flavour and good complexity. Bold malty flavour with a nice earthy bitterness. Balance is excellent. Feel was very smooth, great sessionable feel to it. A really robust dark ale, lot of complex character to it and balanced really well to make really drinkable and enjoyable.

Serving type: cask

04-03-2013 23:14:15 | More by mick303

Premo88

Texas

3.65/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12 oz. bottle poured into stout glass

L: 3/4-inch caramel head on top of dark amber beer heading toward black; slight lacing.

S: crazy malty; slight darkish fruit but not the full raisins quad-like smell; very similar to stout; more than anything, malted barley and LOTS of it

T: surprisingly clean for such a dark-fruity smell; full malt; it's like an English pale ale with the bitter sucked out; yeast and bread over the second half.

F: solid, great carbonation

O: for a beer that leans toward the Belgian strong darks/quads, I like this one much better. Through four bottles of a six-pack, I've enjoyed three very, very much. The fourth not as much, but 3 for 4 isn't bad. It's like drinking an Irish dry stout that's sweeter. For the price, it's worth a try.

I'll have to try more old ales to decide what I think of the style. This brew doesn't want to make me give up my love for the English pale ale, BUT it's awfully interesting ... like a gateway beer to Guinness.

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2013 04:45:47 | More by Premo88

WissBrauSean

Pennsylvania

4.21/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

I poured the beer at a cold temperature, unfortunately, so I may not be experiencing the full effect of the beer. Vigorously poured it was opaque obsidian black and had a nice two finger sized brown head of various sized bubbles that settles to a ring and a full cap throughout the drink with a nice random streaking pattern of lacing.

The aroma is of dark malt sweetness with that brettanomyces kind of acidic aroma on top. Some yeast and some fuggles (one of my favorite mild english hops, not "non-magic folk" from Hairy Pitburn) are very lightly apparent. I also get a whiff of prunes. Very nice and complex yet mellow.

This beer is sweet, but not overly so like you would picture a duble or triple of Belgian fare, but in a dark but unroasted malt sweetness of a way. Within the sweetness hides notes of prunes and aloft there is a very mild bitter/sour/acidic hint that may be a mix of hops and that acidic flavor which all roll along the tongue in unison and down the gullet only to be followed by a neutral pause and then some very light hop dryness which is almost unperceptibly bitter. Although it has a mildly pronounced sweetness, factors other than hops play a roll in balancing this beer well.

Mouthfeel is sweet of course. Here I will introduce you to a word called "cloying". Cloying means to some degree, overly sweet. This beer IN NO WAY can be described as such. It's perfect. The body is full yet very drinkable and refreshing. Carbonation is mild but just enough to lift the bitter to the top and help balance the beer well. The finish is mildly dry and a tiny bit peppery from alcohol which gives a little warming effect on the way down.

All in all, I would have to say this beer is world class as well. It's not judged as so on Beer Advocate, but there is very little that I can find fault with this beer. English ales still are probably my favorite and I score them well.

Get out there and try Old Peculier! Not only is the name different, but the beer will make you say "hmmm!" Life is too short not to go "hmmm!" Don't waste it on beer that makes you go "pppttt!"

Serving type: bottle

03-22-2013 01:14:12 | More by WissBrauSean

allforbetterbeer

Colorado

4.35/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Poured into a snifter from a bottle.

This beer smells surprisingly sweet- unexpected. Vanilla beans, shortbread cookies, a touch of treacle, toffee, and some old dark malts. A little swirling and warming brings out additional depth and complexity.

The flavor is really everything I hoped for, and I have waited a long time while searching for bottle. The malts are totally heading down the toffee, dark bread crust, molasses, brown sugar, and treacle avenue. There is a touch of dark fruit, but nothing that stands out as far as dark berries. More of the sugared fig/date paste than currants or blackberry. There are a few remains of earthy English hops, and these provide a fantastic bitterness to balance all the malty goodness.

The mouthfeel is just full enough, but doesn't get heavy. This is big enough to be a contemplative sipper and keep company with some of the great English Barleywines, or I can imagine ordering a few on tap (cask ideally) over a long dinner and dessert at the pub.

Conclusion: This is fantastic. Maybe I was born to drink English beer, but I just love this. It hits all the right notes for an Old ale, save for a maybe a slight lack of "tart". But who can get nit-picky with such a fantastic and iconic beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2013 03:57:40 | More by allforbetterbeer

ThisWangsChung

Maryland

3.24/5  rDev -18.2%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3

Thanks to Butch for the bottle! 12 oz bottle into a plastic cup.

A: Pours a dark brown color. The head is a one finger light mocha shade.

S: The first thing I notice is a nice caramel malt backbone. Afterwards, it morphs into a slightly sweeter expression of dark fruit, molasses, and chocolate. Decent depth in the aroma.

T: The opening, midtaste, and finish at first sip is mostly earthy sourness. A bit of caramel tries to pop up before the semi-sour (not tart) finish, in a (failed) attempt to give it some depth.

M: Feels light, but not overly so. There's a good bit of carbonation which help gives the bittersweet finish a nice backbone to it. Refreshing?! Yes. Apart from the nose, it's probably my favorite feature.

O: Enjoyable aromatics, but it's just okay otherwise. Though to be fair, this isn't my style by any stretch of the imagination.

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2013 20:10:53 | More by ThisWangsChung

M_C_Hampton

Georgia

4.29/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

A: poured from a 12 oz bottle into a dimpled pub mug, a dark red brown with a light tan head that lingers leaving some lacing, clear

S: sweet malt, caramel, toffee, bread

T: sweet and sour malt flavors, subtle coffee, caramel, dark fruit, raisins, robust earthyness, slight spice, some hop bitterness at the end

M: thick and rich, viscous, more carbonation than expected

O: Flavors are more subtle than American old ales. The focus is on malt with the hops only coming through at the finish. It's a filling and satisfying beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2013 02:05:25 | More by M_C_Hampton

horshack7

Massachusetts

4.68/5  rDev +18.2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Appearance: Dark brown in color with a thin light tan head.

Aroma: Spice, light mustiness, licorice, faint molasses, raisins and a good dryness in the nose.

Taste: A good malty backbone, raisins, twinge of smokiness with spice notes. Licorice, minor notes of dried dark fruit. The mouthfeel is smooth but has a light spice bread bite.

Notes: I had this for the first time quite a long time ago in a bottle then last October in England on tap now again in a bottle and it's absolutely incredible.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2013 02:59:44 | More by horshack7

Fatehunter

Oregon

4.11/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Into a tulip glass. A finger and half of head on a dark brown colored body.
The aroma is crushed grain and roasted malt. Nice.
The taste is roasted malt, some dark fruit and the mildest bitterness. Complex but not heavy.
The texture is crisp with lower carbonation and medium body.
A great ale and tasty.

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2013 03:30:08 | More by Fatehunter

dbrauneis

New Jersey

3.94/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

A: Pours a cloudy very dark brown, almost black in color with some very light amounts of gentle carbonation near the surface of the beer and some dark amber highlights. The beer has a two finger tall dense and foamy dark beige head that slowly condenses and reduces to a thick film covering the entire surface of the beer evenly. Moderate to significant amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Moderate to strong aromas of dark malts with some lighter notes of fruity yeasts.

T: Upfront there are some moderate to strong flavors of dark malts with just a light amount of toffee sweetness. On top of the malty flavors, there is also a moderate amount of fruity flavors likely contributed from the yeast. Light amounts of bitterness that slightly intensify as it lingers and the beer warms.

M: Just slightly heavier than medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation. Relatively smooth.

O: Since the overall ABV is not too high (as it can sometimes be in the Old Ale style) and the body is not quite as full, this beer is relatively easy to drink. There are nice flavors and the beer is not overly sweet or cloying which makes this one quite enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2013 22:22:52 | More by dbrauneis

Radome

Spain

3.85/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Served from a 500 ml bottle bought fresh in Spain.

A - Deep mahogany brown, not quite black. Where light penetrates at the edges of the glass it appears slightly cloudy. Tan head is creamy and thick but quickly fades to a thin layer with thick, sticky lacing.

S - Aromas are muddled and more muted than I remember. I get biscuit-like malt, brown sugar with a hint of carmelization, figs. No overt hops, but an earthy note must be from them. Fruity yeast note.

T - Flavors are similar to aromas. Mostly brown sugar but some other flavors add complexity. Chocolate milk, cinnamon, prunes. No hops. Combination of flavors works better together than it sounds.

M - Low hops bitterness; no alcohol burn. Carbonation is a bit harsh and adds a carbonic bite.

O - I remember this as a much smoother and stronger beer when I discovered it in the early '90s, especially when I had it in Europe at that time. On draught it was nearly a religious experience! This bottled version is not nearly the beer I remember.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2013 23:26:11 | More by Radome

Juergentara

3.63/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Not my cup of tea erm bottle of ale! Smell is nice but taste is very strong; too much licorice for mee...

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2013 21:54:59 | More by Juergentara

FosterJM

California

3.13/5  rDev -21%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

1623rd Review on BA
Bottle to Alchemist stemless
12oz

2012 Bottle

App- This was more like a light porter to me. It had some good dark browns but was also a bit lighter all around in the glass. I noticed a good depth of center and then a good 2 finger brown head. No cling or lace.

Smell- This to me wasnt really an old ale. Missing the malty backbone. This was sweet with a licorice and caramel note behind it. A bit too thin on the aromatics. A little bit of wheat.

Taste- I dont wanna classify this an old ale. This was more like a dark mild or a small hoppy porter. I think a lot of what I like about an old ale is that big rich malt base with some caramel on the backend.

Mouth- Way too light on the body. Thin and a bit watery. The carbonation was a small carbonation with a bit of prickly anise and malts.

Drink- Well I had higher hopes for this one and it just didnt pan out. Cant win em all. Just not what I was thinking it was and then blended too many styles together for me.

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2012 16:19:54 | More by FosterJM

doktorhops

Australia

4.33/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Ooooo, Old Ale! This is a style I've never tried before. I expect it will be similar to English Pale Ale... but older. In any case the 10 word novel on the back of the bottle was mildly entertaining: "Picked off one by one. Four... Three... Two... It's You!"... yeahhh, let's drink this brew.

Poured from a 500ml bottle into a nonic pint.

A: Deep seal brown clear body with a non-existent head, it was beige as I recall.

S: Darkest of dark fruits; figs, dates and macerated sour cherries. There is an overtone of toffee, much like in a sticky date pudding, with butter and a dram of whiskey thrown in. Essentially it has the aroma of a Christmas cake.

T: Confirmed: Christmas cake extravaganza! The flavours are upfront toffee sugar, dark fruit and cake/bread mid-palate, finishing with an alcohol hit and some herbal medicinal bitters. It's a deep, dark, brooding ale, perfectly befitting the theme of mystery/crime writing.

M: Bit oily to drink, with a medium body and light carbonation.

D: Quite a tasty brew we have here. The flavours are big (as long as you drink it room temp like the Poms), and there is an almost Belgian tripel flavour profile going on, minus bubblegum with sticky date/earthy characters instead. Compared to the nearest brew I've tried with these flavours (Hook Norton Twelve Days)- this one beats it easily. Price-wise is a different story, however the trade-off still brings this ale out on top. I want another.

Food match: Complimenting this with a Christmas cake would be a real treat. Main course- char-grilled pork ribs, roast kale, and grilled Mediterranean vegetables, yes!

Serving type: bottle

11-07-2012 10:40:33 | More by doktorhops

dougbassett

Pennsylvania

3.38/5  rDev -14.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

One of the "1001 Beers You Must Try Before You Die" -- I believe this is #4 for me.

Just looks amazing, a dark mahogany brown pour with a slightly tan head that lingers. A sweet nose of brandied cherries and brown sugar, I'd have liked it to have been a little stronger but still, nice and evocative. Things are unfortunately not as evocative tastewise, I get mainly pure brandy and hops with a touch of malt underlying it all. It does have a nice resilient mouthfeel that seems suitable to the style.

Something of a disappointment for me though I certainly don't hate it -- it's just a bit too restrained for me and what I expect out of this style. Maybe it was the bottle, I don't know.

Serving type: bottle

10-27-2012 17:28:52 | More by dougbassett

jwhancher

Pennsylvania

4.05/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours a dark amber brown, a little hazy with some nice tight head that leaves lacing on the sides of glass. Smells of molasses and dark fruit such as dark cherries & apricot. Has some brown sugar notes and some melanoidin malt character. Tastes just like in the nose. Noble hop bitterness in nose with ample bitterness in taste. Feels heavy & thick for a relatively low ABV by today's standards. Feels chewy, almost like a meal within itself. Great tasting old ale. Wish I had more of this in the dead of winter.

Serving type: bottle

10-25-2012 02:49:09 | More by jwhancher

eduardolinhalis

Switzerland

4/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

500ml bottle served in a Pint glass.

A: Pours a black color forming a medium very creamy and bubbled beige head with excellent retention. A lots of creamy chunks of foam are formed and left in the glass

S: Mainly sweet and roasted with notes of flowery hops. Sweet and fruity Ale yeasts backbone

T: Sweet and roasted upfront. Roasted malts, notes of dark chocolate, dark fruits and coffee. British hops bitterness (bit citrus)

M: Medium body and carbonation. Roasted bitterness aftertaste

O: Easydrinking Ale. Very British. Recommended

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2012 20:48:43 | More by eduardolinhalis