Old Slugger - Cooperstown Brewing Company

zachary80

Indiana

3.61/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Purchased at the brewery last week.

Pours am amber brown with a dense white head. Good lacing. Dark body for being a standard pale.

Hoppiness leans towards citrus, is a little on the light side, and some malt sweetness and yeast character come through.

The maltiness is definitely a dominating factor here, each sip seeming to swing between the malt and hops. The yeast character hinted at by the aroma is also present here.

Good mouthfeel for a pale ale. No alcohol presence.

Overall I am rating this as an English Pale Ale and not an American one - it seems more stylistically like the former although it seems to use American hops. Also picked up a pamphlet that describes some of their beers; I'll try to update if it provides relevant information.

***
From their info:
"Old Slugger - a hearty pale ale, copper in color, quite malty, with a moderate hop bitterness. 5.4% abv"
General:
"In brewing, we use two-row English barley malt, West Coast hops, and yeast from Ringwood, England."

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2013 02:55:34 | More by zachary80

CapH

New York

2.65/5  rDev -24.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

This review is for the most current Old Slugger I just had. As of late, they have been "tweaking" the recipe to "Americanize" it.

Appearance- Dark copper, head quickly disappearing.

Smell- Musty and malty like the brewery itself.

Taste- Fruity overtones with out much hop flavor at the beginning or end. Very malty almost like their English Strong Ale, Pride of Milford.

Mouthfeel- Good amount of carbonation without being flat or too fizzy.

Overall- Not what I remembered. Too fruity without a nice hop flavor to place it with the better Pale Ales, American or English.

I must say, the old version of 3+ years was far superior. I would say it was one of my favorite Pale Ales containing a perfect balance between malt and hops with a nice mouth feel and wonderful hop aroma. The "old" version would easily receive a 4+ overall from me.

Serving type: growler

02-21-2013 02:36:28 | More by CapH

OWSLEY069

Pennsylvania

3.98/5  rDev +13.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a hazy copper color with an off white head. In the aroma, mellow hops and a small gingerbread balanced malt. In the taste, a small pine hop, with a note of gingerbread malt, a bit hop forward, but nice. A small hop bite and a medium bodied mouthfeel, with a semi dry pine hop in the aftertaste. A basic pale, a bit hop forward, but decent nonetheless.

Serving type: on-tap

08-21-2012 17:01:42 | More by OWSLEY069

ThePorterSorter

New York

3.93/5  rDev +12.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

This beer is definitely different than expected.
It pours a deep, hazy amber with a gushing and foamy tan head that laces. There is a generous amount of carbonation helping to uplift an interesting & dank, garlic & onion hoppiness. The smell caught me off guard at first, but the thick, mineral character grows on both your nose and palate. The beer's aroma carries through to its flavor profile nicely and seems to be relatively balanced in regards to its tame hoppy bitterness and light alcohol. I honestly like this beer and went tried it with no expectations... pleasantly surprised.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2012 00:33:06 | More by ThePorterSorter

SLeffler27

New York

3.3/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A one inch off-white, creamy head builds over clear, chestnut brown beer with some carbonation. Leaves rings of lace on a pint glass.

Butterscotch is followed by hand soap.

Fairly well balanced, though slightly sour. The flavors are rather one dimensional with a moderate lingering finish that brings out some bitterness.

Light carbonation with a medium body and slick texture, this one has a dry, astringent finish.

Another fine thirst quencher after working in the yard. Old Slugger also works well with grilled hot dogs.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2012 12:07:05 | More by SLeffler27

Lawl3ss

Texas

4/5  rDev +14.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Chilled 12 oz. bottle poured into a mug. No freshness date on this one.

Look- Hazy deep amber with a blood orange tinge, it looks like butterscotch candy. The reasonable amount of head starts off a sparkly off-white color, and it definitely twinkled more than usual. Not sure if that was a trick of the light or just the density and color, but it looked pretty snazzy. The head takes on more of an old parchment tone and character as it compacts down to a ~2mm film that crowds towards the sides of the mug. No lacing to speak of. By the end of the mug, the head was barely a wisp at the surface and the glass was as clean as it would be were I drinking windex (not a recommended pastime.) I really wish I had another one of these on hand to see if that sparkly pour was a fluke. +.5 just for that.

Smell- Quite pleasant and lighthearted; I get a bright banana bread/toffee that borders on a candi sugar sweetness, but isn't at all offensive. Any bitter hop aroma is pretty solidly buried, but the leafy character of what is detectable balances out the sweetness quite well. Agitation brings out a light bitter citrus and a hint of lavender.

Taste- Much like the smell- light and playful. Starts off with a crisp smack of piney hops that mellows quickly into a light biscuity flavor with touches of buttery diacetyl, mineral water, and something flowery. Very clean, with only the faintest resiny aftertaste.

Mouthfeel- Medium bodied with moderate amount of carbonation, slightly oily and dry at the finish. The surprise was a very faint minty/herbal cooling sensation that lingered on the tongue. At first I thought it was just the beer's temperature, but it grew more pronounced as it warmed. Curiouser and curiouser. Other than that, it's exceptionally clean and leaves nothing but a desire for more- this is one easy-drinking beverage! I found myself sipping it quicker than I expected and was rather disappointed to find my glass empty in a matter of minutes.

Overall, this would be an excellent session beer, and I could drink quite a few in a row. Not sure on the freshness, but it's got an unusual hop/malt balance with enough complexity to make it reasonably interesting. Not lip-smacking, but quite quaffable- a solid session APA that I'll definitely try again.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2012 01:31:22 | More by Lawl3ss

StonedTrippin

Colorado

3.45/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

found this one to be more of an amer type than a pale ale, but solid just the same. poured an over-ripe red color with a small tan head. smells malty without noticable hop presence. taste is matching, although not sweet like ambers can be, balanced but unremarkable. mouthfeel is good for the style, very very drinkable, altough a little dry/dusty malt finish makes it not an ideal thirst quencher. i liked this beer, but am not at all wowed by it. eager for more of their brews

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2011 04:43:56 | More by StonedTrippin

soju6

Missouri

3.85/5  rDev +10%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Pours a lazy copper color with a small head and some lacing.

S: Fresh grain aroma with some citrus and caramel sweetness..

T: Taste of some malty sweetness with grain and a nice bitterness. Has a dry finish.

F: Fairly medium body, quite creamy. Nice Balance

O: Very enjoyable APA. Reminds me of an English Pale Ale. Nice beer from a regional brewer.

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2011 18:44:53 | More by soju6

spinrsx

Ontario (Canada)

3.43/5  rDev -2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12oz Bottle

Appearance - Slightly hazy copper colour with a large size fizzy beige coloured head. There is a low amount of carbonation showing and there isn't much lacing. The head lasted for around 3 minutes before it was gone.

Smell - Malts, caramel, hops

Taste & Mouth - There is an above average amount of carbonation and I can taste malts, caramel and a very light amount of hops. There is also a bit of a woody and yeasty flavour. It finishes with a malty slightly bitter aftertaste.

Overall - The carbonation level and the yeast flavour make this an interesting tasting brew for sure. It started to grow on me as I progressed through the glass. Not sure I'd buy it again, but I'm happy I came across a bottle of this beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-10-2011 19:25:27 | More by spinrsx

mdaschaf

Washington

3.23/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Big props to THECPJ for bringing me back a mix 6 from Cooperstown Brewing Company. Decided to open the Old Slugger first.

A: Pours a clear orange/amber with a tan head, about 1.5 fingers in height at first. This quickly dissolves to a thin layer of bubbles along the top. No lacing.

S: Some grainy malt, a bit of sweet caramel, and some light citrus, mostly lemon and lemon rind.

T: Sweet biscuity malt upfront with some caramel. There is a bit of bitterness in the middle and finish from the hops. Slight metallic/oxidized flavor as well, this fades as the beer warms though. There is some citrus, would have liked it a bit more pronounced, but not a big problem.

M: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation Drinks rather easy.

O: Pretty good, the slight metallic taste hurts it a bit, but other than that solid and easy drinking.

Serving type: bottle

07-23-2011 00:40:17 | More by mdaschaf

THECPJ

Delaware

3.13/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Reviewed from notes:

appearance: copper orange with a 1 finger off white head

smell: bread, biscuit, malts,

taste: caramel, malts, hop bitterness

mouthfeel: mild carbonation, medium body,

overall: it's an average pale ale. glad I got to sample it.

cheers,
The CPJ

Serving type: bottle

07-20-2011 19:39:01 | More by THECPJ

oberon

North Carolina

3.33/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured a rich copper color with a well defined 1/2 finger white head that held well,real nice richness and clarity to the beer.Buttery caramel dominated the aromas with a bit of toast and faint leafy hop,more English in style than American in my opinion.Cooperstown likes the Ringwood buttery yeast strain and it comes off on the palate,buttery with some sweet biscuit,hops are more leafy and herbal and are understated.This isnt an APA its English in nature and to one sided wih its butteriness.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2011 12:20:35 | More by oberon

generallee

New York

4/5  rDev +14.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Presentation: It was poured from a brown 12oz bottle into a pint glass. No other information is available on the label.

Appearance: The body has a slightly hazy look with a good amber color and a creamy off white head. The two finger head slowly settles as I drink and makes some spotty lacing on the glass.

Smell: It has a nice blend of bready maltiness with a pleasant butterfinger like caramel/toffee sweetness and citrus/grassy hops.

Taste/Palate: It starts with a good base of bready malt and very light toasted grain. This is balanced buy mildly bitter hops that add a touch of citrus and grassy flavor to the overall character. It finishes with a mild bitter fade on a smooth yet well carbonated medium body.

Notes: It's good in the bottle but much better and with a brighter hop character on tap.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2011 18:54:33 | More by generallee

skenyon1811

New York

2.85/5  rDev -18.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

12oz bottle poured into a pint

A: very hazy amber orange-ish color with a tall but bubbly head that falls within a second. The head looked more like a soda than a beer. It does have a nice lacing afterward.

S: This smells alot like a lager to me. Not as hoppy and floral smelling as I would expect. It does have a good sweet note to it.

T: I get a toasted/caramel malt taste with a bitter hop bite. It tastes good but there is not too much depth to this beer.

M: Very light for a pale ale. Too much carbonation, feels foamy.

D: This has too much carbonation for me and a little too sweet for a pale ale.

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2010 21:59:21 | More by skenyon1811

magine

Pennsylvania

3.1/5  rDev -11.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a becker glass.

Pours a hazy amber tea like color with an off white thin head, head settles to a wisp lace island. Decent color, no lace. The color was very nice, but the lack of lace or head retention is a disappointment. Average appearance.

Brew smells of slight fruit hops; apple maybe. Bready, butterscotch scented malts. Maybe a bit of caramel. Nothing is big though. Average nose.

Brew is slightly crisp initially, has a biscuit malt tasting smoothness in the finish. Finishes clean. Slight citrus flavors, has a decent balance of flavors. But it is more subtle then anything else. The brew has decent flavors; just a bit underwhelming. Average taste.

This is a brew that is as middle road for a pale ale as you can get. Will not offend, but will not make you take notice either. Easy drinking for sure. With so many other pale ales out there that best this one, it is tough to return to this again.

Serving type: bottle

09-07-2010 23:19:32 | More by magine

yesyouam

New York

3.15/5  rDev -10%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Old Slugger is a hazy, very lively amber ale with a huge, rocky, off white head that has outstanding retention and lacing. There's not much aroma. I get a slight whiff of leafy hop pellets and caramelly sweetness. It's light bodied and bubbly. The finish is dry and pretty clean. There's not much flavor-- a light toastiness and a light spicy bitterness at the finish. It's very light drinking; not too interesting but quite refreshing. It's a quaffer... or a slugger.

Serving type: bottle

07-05-2010 14:37:59 | More by yesyouam

jwinship83

Illinois

3.25/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle from a mixed 12 pack my parents picked up at the brewery. drank from a standard american pint glass.

A- this one pours out a darker than expected copper colored body with a finger and a half of bright white head on it. the head lasts almost the entirety of the beer, and leaves behind small spots of lacing.

S- the first thing i notice are the sweet caramel and toffee like malts. after that comes some earthy and spicy hops.

T- the taste once again starts out with caramel and toffee malts. the earthy hops are there also, and are a little more bitter than i would have expected. im also picking up an off flavor. almost butterscotch like.

M- medium bodied with ample carbonation.

D- easy to finish, but a fairly average example of a very common style. this isnt offensive by any means, but i dont think i would seek this one out again.

Serving type: bottle

06-06-2010 15:16:56 | More by jwinship83

smibroncos

New York

3.9/5  rDev +11.4%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A. Poured a nice clear copper, with a off white one finger head. No lacing on the glass.

S. Sweet carmel, grass, citrus, floral

T. Bold carmel malty sweetness followed by a nice bitter hoppy finish. Orange peel, nuts, cereal

M. Medioum bodied, nice carbonation. semi dry finish.

D. This beer has a good transition from the sweet malty start, to the bitter hoppy finish. The hops stay on the toungue long after the brew has disappeared from the mouth. A good brew.

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2009 23:57:24 | More by smibroncos

MVotter

New York

3.93/5  rDev +12.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Cooperstown Brewery's Old Slugger Pale Ale pours into a chalice a clear copper, sporting a thin cream-colored head.

The smell is citrus hops, and sweet malts, grains, grasses.

The taste of this pale ale actually leads with some of the sweeter malt notes alluded to as part of the aroma ... a caramel flavor. The finish is a slight bitter hops taste.

The mouthfeel is medium gravity with plenty of carbonation, enough to give the overall experience a "dry" quality ... subsequent sips on this one tended to increase in frequency (hehe).

The drinkability follows suit with the previous categories. The Old Slugger Pale Ale is a really pleasant experience all the way. Maybe not a grand slam, from my perspective, but definitely an extra base hit.

Serving type: bottle

08-18-2009 03:16:51 | More by MVotter

brentk56

North Carolina

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

Appearance: Pours a clear amber color with a rocky head that refused to leave the slightest trace of lace

Smell: Earthy tea-like bitter aromas with an underlying Ringwood diacetyl tone

Taste: Earthy flavors up front with an underlying buttery toffee sweetness; growing tea-like bitterness that arrives by mid-palate and persists after the swallow to balance out the other flavors

Mouthfeel: Medium body with moderate carbonation

Drinkability: The only one of the three Cooperstown beers I sampled tonight that didn't have carbonation problems; overall, a pretty good example of the style if you care for an English Pale Ale fermented with Ringwood yeast

Thanks, jjayjaye, for the opportunity

Serving type: bottle

07-03-2009 09:38:39 | More by brentk56

mjaskula

New York

3.05/5  rDev -12.9%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served in a pint glass. Pours a bright amber, almost orange. A thin off white head forms and thins, but sticks around.

The aroma is thin hoppy and floral. Taste is good but a bit watery. Hops are up front but well balanced with the malt flavor. Carbonation is pleasant and mouthfeel is slightly dry, but fits well. Easy drinking, but not stand-out.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2009 01:20:25 | More by mjaskula

cdViking

Washington

3.7/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Received from Hurricane (Adam) in a trade. Consumed on 5/2/09.

Pours light/medium amber with plentiful, light white head that quickly dissipates, leaving average amount of lacing. Smells sweet, with caramel hints. Taste has light, sweet malt and toffee flavor to it, with a little bit of fruitiness. Very pleasant. Feels a little thin, and the carbonation is a little heavy, but this is a tremendously drinkable beer that I would certainly stock up on and consume plenty of over the summer.

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2009 22:06:46 | More by cdViking

Hoagie1973

New York

3.85/5  rDev +10%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a clear amber with a thinnish cream colored head. Average retention and light lacing.

Smells like fruity hops and sweet buttery toffee/caramel malt.

Maltier than your average APA. Malts are earthy/musty with a crazy butterscotch flavor (diacetyl). Hops are not overdone; they balance out the sweetness nicely and lend to a slightly dry finish.

Feel is moderate and slightly creamy. Good carbonation levels.

A little different, but not in a bad way. Balanced and enjoyable. Highly drinkable. Wish they had this one at the ballpark.

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2009 22:19:32 | More by Hoagie1973

Kendo

New York

3.53/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Poured into a pint glass from the 12 oz bottle. Body is clear coppery-amber with a half-finger light khaki-colored head. Leaves some splotchy lace.

S: Some cereal or grain and fruityness. Thought at first it was hops, then as it warmed I thought it was more of a malty sweet fruityness. In hindsight I'm guessing it was the Ringwood yeast, however.

T: Light grainy malt up front. Fruityness is there in the middle. Slightly dry metallic/minerally flavor is there at the finish. It becomes more fruity as it warms.

M: Lighter than medium bodied. Good carbonation.

D: Good; better if you drink it cold and quick, as I'm not a big fan of that fruityness that becomes more prevalent as it warms.

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2009 20:52:24 | More by Kendo

hopdog

Pennsylvania

2.78/5  rDev -20.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

From a 12oz bottle.

Poured a medium and clear orangish color with a smaller sized white head. Aromas of caramel and citrus. Tastes of the same caramel and citrus. The body was lively and somewhat fizzy body. Nothing really stood out or made this one memorable to me.

Notes from: 12/21/07

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2009 18:50:03 | More by hopdog