Old Ale 2024
It’s back! Our much acclaimed Old Ale went down an absolute treat last year, and we’re delighted to announce that the 2024 vintage is now available!
The history of old ale as a style is a long and complex one, just like the beers themselves – beginning around 400 years ago. Hops had just been introduced into the brewing repertoire of England – they’d been used in continental Europe since around the 9th century, but prior to the 1600’s we were happy using yarrow, heather, mugwort and other such adjuncts. Hops, however, had several advantages – they were cheaper, grew relatively easily, and rendered beer much more stable. The extended shelf life which hops gave to beer meant that beer could be stored for long periods and aged, meaning that flavours would be allowed to develop over time, mellowing and melding to create something unique.
The beer would be brewed to a high gravity to achieve a high alcohol content, and stored in large casks or vats, emerging from these vessels as “stock”, “stale” or “old” – flat and entirely lacking in carbonation. This would then be blended with “mild” or fresh beer before being served – the intense, oaky flavour of the old ale being rounded and enlivened by the addition of the more recently brewed, unaged beer.
So that’s what we’ve done for this year’s release! 50% 2023 Vintage and 50% freshly brewed in 2024. The result is a blend of two years of craftsmanship – rich, mellow and well balanced. Bottled at 8% ABV, expect flavours of toffee, fruitcake and raisins, coupled with a light oak character and a subtle spiciness from the UK grown Fuggles and Olicana hops. At the time of bottling, creamy vanillins and notes of rich caramel are evident, alongside a lingering warmth in the finish. The perfect drink to sip beside a fireside on a cold winter night, or to act as a delectable accompaniment to a richly flavoured dish such as roast beef or lamb (dare we go so far to suggest it as the ideal pairing for your Christmas dinner?!)
The artwork, created by our designer James Murphy, pays homage to our history, featuring an illustration of Beauchief Abbey, the old ruins of which inspired our brewery logo. The map in the background shows the location of the abbey, and dates from the early 20th century. And under the vintage you will see a leaf from one of the trees that can be found in the ancient woodland of Ladies’ Spring and Park Bank woods which surround the abbey grounds – for 2024, a rowan leaf has been selected, replacing 2023’s Sessile Oak.
Old Ale 2024 is available now, in cask, keg, and 750ml bottles designed for savouring and sharing. As with the 2023 release, half of this year’s brew has been blended in with the remainder of the batch left to quietly rest, ready to be blended back and form part of next year’s vintage. We also squirrelled away the last few cases of bottles from last year to make up some extra special gift packs featuring one of each to compare and contrast.
Inspired by heritage, made for today.
