Brewery: T & R Theakston Ltd.
Beer: Old Peculier
Style: Old Ale
ABV: 5.7%%
Character: Traditional style ale, brewed like that of about 200 years ago
Metal Connection: BAL-SAGOTH – Dreaming Of Atlantean Spires
Sometimes I venture to the imported beer section of the store, but I usually just browse through without a purchase. On this day though, I bought a nice looking beer called Old Peculier. The bottle and label screamed traditional, simple, dare I say, boring! But what do I know? I tend to normally stay away from beers like this, but after this one, my mind might change on that.
Using my Real Ale 17th Anniversary glass, this beer poured a very dark brown, near black color with an almond colored thick foamy head, which retained throughout, and left a nice, sticky lacing down the glass. I think this is a perfect looking beer.
The aroma of this beer is a bit unique to me. I can pick up traces of the roasted malts, caramel, and some sweet aroma of chocolate, maybe even some brown sugar. This is all masked with a chalky, grainy smell though, so none of these smells are overpowering , but more so, all blended well together.
The same chalkiness appears in the taste as well. For me, the best way to describe what I mean is comparing this to a bite of Mexican Chocolate. It leaves a chalky, dry feel in your mouth. It’s very light for a dark beer. The overall taste of this, though, reminds me of raisins or dried dark fruits, some caramel, a bit sweet taste of brown sugar as well.
The mouthfeel is light and smooth, very silky. The beer does leave a dry chalky feeling in my throat, which is quite interesting. This beer is definitely an easy one to drink, and I would love to have another bottle sometime.
When trying to find my Metal Connection for this beer, I looked for bands that are from the area of this brewery, in Yorkshire, United Kingdom. I saw that the band BAL SAGOTH was from this area, so I immediately remembered my favorite song from their debut album, A Black Moon Broods over Lemuria, which was released in 1995. The song is called “Dreaming of Atlantean Spires.” Enjoy this good old school jam and drink this European Old Style Ale.
Feeling a bit Epic, BeerMetalDude
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