Old Man (Winter Ale) - Southern Tier Brewing Company

CampusCrew

Florida

4.35/5  rDev +16.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

appearance: deep dark brown, great lacing and head. nice reddish glow

smell: nice hop presence suprising considering style but not brewer

taste: nice and balanced old ale. nice american touch on an engish classic. not a heavy malted old ale.

mouthfeel: medium bodied. nice sessionable big beer

drinkability: nice winter seasonal and will drink again.

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2010 20:46:47 | More by CampusCrew

challenja

Virginia

4.35/5  rDev +16.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured On Tap 4oz pour at the Black Squirrel in Adams Morgan DC.

A: A nice blood orange. Heavy carbonation frothy two finger head.

S: Nice citrus rind, hearty apple, subtle nutmeg, allspice and cinnamon.

T: Heavy spice upfront, long lingering Bavarian hops. A mellow middle. Long all spice and cinnamon finish. One long lingering black better bite.

M: Heavy carbonation, mellowing middle, nice spice and lingering bite.

O: A really descent winter ale. Nice and spicy. Fire crackling good. This is one slow long traveler like the Mad Elf.

Serving type: on-tap

01-21-2012 21:14:36 | More by challenja

bnes09

Illinois

4.35/5  rDev +16.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Nice clear bronze color. Good thickness on the head, excellent retention and a line of lacing after every sip with exceptional stickage.

Roasty malt and piney hop aroma, mildly spicy.

Hearty buttered biscuit malt with a mild hickory smoke. Robust earthy hop character in perfect balance with the malt. Not the most complex but very flavorful and refreshing.

Medium bodied, somewhat dry texture. Lively carbonation.

Really good brew. Solid flavor, a little different from the normal and highly drinkable. I think this is more of a winter warmer than an old ale, however.

Serving type: bottle

06-07-2012 02:00:20 | More by bnes09

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

4.38/5  rDev +17.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Crystalline orange-bronze, heavy on the orange. The pale caramel colored head is densely creamy and is as stubborn as Old Man Winter himself. As it melts, it displays a rounded mesa of foam beneath thick, interconnected strands of lace.

The nose is hoppier than expected... which is exactly why I love Southern Tier beer. There's a nice admixture of caramel malt and sweet orange zesty hops, slanted ever so slightly toward the good guys. It's more than aromatic enough, but more is always better when the beer smells this good.

Appearance and smell are all well and good, but taste and mouthfeel are what count most as far as I'm concerned. Old Man's bold, brassy flavor calls to mind some of my favorite winter warmers. The beer is beautifully balanced and shows off a malt backbone of hardened steel that is countered by a flurry of citric hoppiness that slams into the taste buds and is sustained to and through the lingering finish. This brewery understands what makes good beer: quality ingredients and lots of them.

Sugary, pine sap-covered hop cones abound, but don't drown out the liquid caramel essence that keeps OMWA a member of the stated style (the brewery calls it an old ale however). Though the body/mouthfeel starts out at medium-full, it assumes a lush viscousness as it sits. It won't have a chance to sit that long, however, since it's finding its way into my mouth with alarming frequency.

I knew very little about Southern Tier prior to drinking my first bottle of their beer last fall. They've become one of my favorite breweries though, because each and every one of their offerings has impressed the hell out of me. Old Man Winter Ale proudly keeps that streak intact. It's a full-bodied, hoppy, flavor fest that I would look forward to each winter if I was lucky enough to live in the distribution area. Thanks yet again to HappyHourHero (although getting me hooked on an unavailable brewery wasn't a very nice thing to do).

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2005 17:04:52 | More by BuckeyeNation

BeerNinja007

New Hampshire

4.38/5  rDev +17.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Obtained a six pack for $6.99 at the Tops supermarket in East Aurora, NY.

Pours a dark reddish brown, head settles to almost nothing but leaves lacing on the glass. Loads of malt on the nose with notes of spice and caramel, a good prelude to the first sip. The taste starts out moderately but quickly grows and warms as it moves down the tongue, developing into an excellent balance of intense caramel, spice, smoky malt, and hops. Mouthfeel is thick and oily with just enough carbonation, alcohol is there but not in your face. This is a huge beer, very good and highly recommended if you like big thick beers. Will definately get this again. Reminds me somewhat of Victory's Storm King.

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2005 06:24:27 | More by BeerNinja007

Gehrig

Illinois

4.38/5  rDev +17.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Orange with mahogany trim with a finger of fleeting, slightly tan foam. Nice lacing, modest durability to the head.

Caramel, nutty, molasses aromas, with more hops that I expected; nice.

Great taste! Nutty, dry taste with molasses mixing with sweet berry and milk chocolate. Quite malty and well-hopped; very impressive and not surprising from the sterling Southern Tier. More and more, mouthfeel is where it's at for me, and Old Man Winter's mouthfeel is spot on--malty, dry, a tad sweet-and-sour--really fine Old Ale and Warmer.

My lone disappointment is that this is not readily available in the Midwest, even though plenty of other ST wares are year-round. This and Sam Adams Winter Lager would always have spots in my refrigerator if I could get Old Man Winter on a regular basis. And again, Southern Tier has hit the nail on the head with a style--this time two--Old Ale and Winter seasonal.

Excellent.

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2010 21:15:13 | More by Gehrig

danronian

Virginia

4.38/5  rDev +17.4%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured out of a 12oz bottle into a pint glass.

A - Deep amberish brown. Some lacing from the bottom. Small one-finger head that dissipates in a minute or so.

S - A lot going on but still well balanced. Smells of citrus (maybe orange) and pine, along with some winter "spices."

T - The sweetest tasting winter seasonal ale I've tasted but also with the lowest ABV of the bunch. Starts off somewhat sweet with a citrus taste, followed by a malt flavor, and finishes with a pine aftertaste which isn't as dry as most winter seasonal ales I've tried. Overall it's a lot of flavor and none of them are overwhelming.

M - Sweet, can't hardly feel the alcohol, and not too carbonated. I'd say the level of carbonation is optimal for my taste in an ale.

D - The somewhat low ABV combined with the balanced flavors and the not-so-dry finish make this something I could have a few of before looking for something else. I wish I would have bought more of this than I did.

Overall this is the favorite seasonal ale I've tried for the winter second only to Sierra Nevada Celebration.

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2010 19:19:30 | More by danronian

laituegonflable

Australia

4.38/5  rDev +17.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a darkish golden colour, slight haze and great-looking head, cream-coloured with nice dense bubbles. It sinks slowly, leaving pretty high calibre lace trails behind. Yeah looks good.

Smells very malty; darker than it looks as well. Golden syrup with walnut notes and a good belt of cocoa as well. Mostly sweet, but a nice dose of bitter as well, the way good rich molasses are (is?). Hint of some grassy hop but mostly a malt bomb. Nice.

Taste is an interesting one. Seems to take time to get going, with a slight brown sugar sweetness on the assault, then not much until the middle as the strong, complex sweetness takes hold. Lots of nutty notes with walnuts and some dark fruit as well, plum and raisins and of course more brown sugar. Finish has a slight subtle bitterness that nonetheless lasts quite a while. Not much hop flavour, but hints of resiny bitterness. Really like the flavours and the bitterness just finishes it well.

Full body, nice and slick as it goes down though. Damned nice.

A great tasty, hearty beer. Lots of complex sweet flavours well handled.

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2011 03:53:48 | More by laituegonflable

jsprain1

Minnesota

4.38/5  rDev +17.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A- Red-orange with a thin white head that retains decently.
S- The aroma is sweet with a mollasses and brown sugar aroma as well as an orange peel aroma.
T- The hoppiness is quite assertive. Big orange peel flavor up front. The maltyness balances it out with a caramel flavor but the orange flavor stays firm.
M- Medium-full. Thick and chewy and really lingers. The only negative was it had flashes of being too sugary.
O- A very tasty beer. A good example of how beers can have big flavors but stay balanced.

Serving type: bottle

11-08-2011 02:29:13 | More by jsprain1

StoutLoverJon

New York

4.38/5  rDev +17.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A viscous iced-tea colored liquid with a minimally satisfying off-white head is off-set by the encouragingly hoppy smell. There is an excellent balance between the hop and malty taste lending to a medium mouthfeel. Tastes like a hop bud, lightly coated in Carmel, is sitting on my tongue. In conclusion, I could drink a lot of this very easily.

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2011 03:58:48 | More by StoutLoverJon

beergeek279

Pennsylvania

4.4/5  rDev +18%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Served on tap at Fathead's, into a snifter. The color was a dark amber, with a foamy white head. The smell was a nice mix of the malt and hop. The taste was very malty, with a good citrus hop in the beer, and a slightly noticable alcohol. Mouthfeel was nice and thick. Drinkability-wise, could have a few.

Southern Tier continues to impress me with every new beer I've had, and they show why they're deserving of Lew Bryson's choice of Best New Brewery. A fantastic old ale, with just the right mix of hops in there, and certainly one I'll have next year.

Serving type: on-tap

02-09-2004 18:25:24 | More by beergeek279

mjrod2142

Massachusetts

4.4/5  rDev +18%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

12 oz. bottle poured into a Perfect Pint glass

This beer poured a beautiful deep amber-brown. Lots of small bubbles rise to form a thick, creamy, off-white head that remained firm for several minutes.

The color made me think the aroma wold be malty, but I was pleasantly surprised by the citrusy hops. There's a nice hint of chocolate on the back end.

This beer has a wonderful weight and mouthfeel. The citrus hoppiness is perfectly balanced with a rich malt finish. I enjoyed the lingering flavor of roasted chocolate malts on the very end of the finish. This is an absolutely perfect winter ale that's void of any spice. Awesome. This might be my new favorite winter seasonal. I strongly recommend this beer to anyone who doesn't like overly spiced beers.

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2010 04:30:17 | More by mjrod2142

steelreign

New York

4.43/5  rDev +18.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Yeah, I am spoiled indeed.... this brewery is located a mere 35 miles from me, and I can get Southern Tier stuff anywhere nearby. I have to say this is the best of all of their brews, right up there with the amazing porter.

Burnt copper/mahogany color, bursting with malt and hop (cascades?) aromas. Very finely balanced between the sweet malt bill and the bittering hops. Excellent depth and a nice smooth finish. Very easy to drink, but the alcohol may take effect before too many of these. Mouthfeel is thick and so velvety smooth. I gotta go out and horde this up before it's gone for another year. Excellent!!

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2004 17:31:32 | More by steelreign

brewseum

Minnesota

4.43/5  rDev +18.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

I haven't developed my beer adjectives (nor palate) well enough to expound on this beer.Theres something in the aftertaste that reminds me of Masala Mama though.Some hops aroma,toasted malt-not your typical winter warmer.Its good...worth the trip to WI to get it.

I like this beer.Hows that?

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2008 15:18:55 | More by brewseum

Suds

Pennsylvania

4.45/5  rDev +19.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This one pours a deep, woody brown color with a slight haze. It’s got a clumpy, sudsy, tan-ish head that produces a marvelous lace. Very nice combination of malt and hops in the aroma. There’s a nice alcohol background, followed by waves of caramel, flowery hops, and a serious sweet-smelling doughy maltiness. The taste has a solid and forcefull bitterness that presents itself at the first sip. Alcohol warming and a sticky sweetness are also present. It’s all very well balanced, and comes together as a fantastic beer. This one’s a keeper.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2005 20:02:24 | More by Suds

Bighuge

Minnesota

4.45/5  rDev +19.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Crystal clear auburn/mahogany body. The beer throws up a nice bubbly off white head that sticks around for a while. The lace is fairly abundant as well. Nice warm aroma of molasses cookies, caramel malts and spicy hops. I really like this aroma. This beer has a rich texture to it and a rich flavor as well. A spiced and hoppy aftertaste compliments the deep biscuity maltiness. The flavors are all very even keeled and blend together nicely. Some sweet candied flavors appear as well with some cookie dough like goodness as well. It has a very warm feel to it without being alcoholic at all. Very enjoyable. Southern Tier impresses me again.

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2007 21:30:50 | More by Bighuge

thebeerdoctor

Ohio

4.45/5  rDev +19.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pour into a classic Libby ale glass, this mahogany coloured ale is unique amongst winter/holiday offerings, in that it neither succumbs to a total malt presentation, nor does it go off in the IPA direction of say, winter season offerings from Sierra Nevada or Mendocino Brewing.
What is presented here is a very delicious recipe that keeps you guessing as to which flavor notes you can detect. Deep and smooth, with a very complex finish. An original tasty recipe.

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2009 04:12:33 | More by thebeerdoctor

far333

Connecticut

4.47/5  rDev +19.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Different label from the bottle pictured at top.

Clearr, light chestnut colored with a full inch high frothy head of meringue. Full of dimples, and sits right up and stays a while. Inviting aroma of malt and cocoa and spices.

Rich and thick mouthfeel leads to full-on flavors of caramel malts, cocoa and cinnamon, smokey bark, a touch of molasses and brown sugar. Flavor is rich and complex, lots of stuff going on here. A hop bite emerges in the finish and hangs out for a lingering piney/citrus peel aftertaste. ABV doesn't hurt the flavor but warms the throat and stomach. A very enjoyable winter brew.

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2006 01:32:37 | More by far333

TagoMago

New York

4.5/5  rDev +20.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Presentation: 12 oz. bottle, poured into a pint glass.

Appearance: Dark copper with beigish head that subsides to a tan-colored foam film, which tops the surface of this beauty of a beer. A fine lacing is noticed as well.

Smell: Spicy, fruity hops. Some carmel and toffee-like notes in the background.

Taste: Vibrant carbonation with a somewhat thick, warming mouthfeel. Incredibly spicy, fruity hops assault the pallate on the initial sip. This is all balanced out with biscuity malts in the finish. Alcohol is nicely hidden, thus deceiving to those unaware of its 7.5% ABV.

Overall: A top-shelf beer all the way around. This makes for the perfect winter warmer. It warms warms the soul and the mind, so drink with care.

Yet another kick-ass beer by what is becoming one of the best breweries in the entire northeast, if not the entire country.

Two thumbs up to this old man!

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2004 04:07:16 | More by TagoMago

JoeyBeerBelly

New York

4.5/5  rDev +20.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

12oz bottle, served in a pint glass.

A - clear, amber color with a beige head that left trails of lacing on the glass.

S - roasted malt & bitter hop aroma.

T - malty, hoppy, malty, hoppy... mmmm, good!

M - light and crisp.

D - easy drinking, very good Winter Ale.

Final Note: 1st off, this is a Winter Warmer, not an Old Ale.
2nd, the ST website suggests cellaring this beer, but I think it's pretty good fresh.

(copy & paste to browser) http://www.southerntierbrewing.com/beer_5.htm

If I lay one down for a few months or more, I'll add an edit to this review.

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2008 02:01:33 | More by JoeyBeerBelly

Brouwerij78

New York

4.5/5  rDev +20.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This one was really good, but fell slightly short of my "excellent beer" 5 stars...this could really be because I have very high standards for Southern Tier as it is one of my favorite breweries. The flavor was really smooth and consistent from first to last sip but something was missing. I think the spice level could be turned up one click and it would be perfection. I am curious to see what this tastes like out of the bottle - seems to me beers like these tend to pack a higher punch of the intended flavors when poured from the bottle into a frosted pint glass then enjoyed.

Serving type: on-tap

12-17-2011 04:16:46 | More by Brouwerij78

wailingwench

New Mexico

4.53/5  rDev +21.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Eye Candy: Dark copper, reminds me Weyerbacher Autumn. Very carbonated, half full glass with thick pillowy head. Finally filled glass: retention throughout with superb lacing and hop clumping. Small quanity of rising carbonation bubbles at the lower depths.

The Nose Knows: Sugar corn like sweetness (corn pops ?) that rapidly transitioned into bitter resinous piney hops.

Tongueland: Very acrid and bitter, not ESB bitter. Thick and velvety. Very warming. Alcohol is hidden cold and emerges when warmed. Hops are hidden under the initial taste. Ends honey sweet and smooth that transitions into their signature combination of bitter with a dash of pepper.

Bender Factor: At 7.5 ABV, this is the way to go when opening up Christmas presents. Another stellar offering from Southern Tier. The hops tame down when cellared after 5 months.

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2004 02:29:58 | More by wailingwench

WVbeergeek

Ohio

4.68/5  rDev +25.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Let me start with just stating how outstanding this brew is. Appearance: Ruby amber brown with a nice creamy tan head leaves a good amount of lacing not too shabby at all very nice appearance going down. Aroma: Piney hops awesome aromatics here huge caramel malts giving a roasted malt character that's well needed in the wintertime. Taste: Deliciously spicy this is where it's at the hops play their role down to the T with the caramel malt presence tying it all together what a dream beer Southern Tier strikes again my favorite new micro of the year by far. Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with slightly oily texture just due to the amount of hops playing a role in this brew. Drinkability: Perfect winter in my eyes not too sweet perfect hop profile a masterful job done by an inscenduary brewing team up in New York some where.

Serving type: on-tap

01-16-2004 10:41:48 | More by WVbeergeek