Old Nick Barleywine
Review Date 9/19/2002
Try?
Re-buy?
Is there something sinister about strong beers that causes
them to be named for the Prince of Darkness? More than a few are, after all,
including the sinfully delicious Young’s Old Nick Barleywine Style Ale.
The Belgians have Duvel (Devil), Satan, and Lucifer. In Quebec, there’s “La
Maudite”, the damned. The Brits have Devil’s Elbow, Old Scratch and more
than a few others.
Is it the decadent complexity of these brews that causes such infernal associations? Or is it the effect of those high alcohols that often catches up with you the next day, leaving you cursing yourself for drinking a few too many? Perhaps you’d make a deal with the devil if only your hangover would go away.
Whatever the cause, these beers are sheer delights. Among them, Old Nick is one of my very favorite and has been for a long time. As barleywines go, it weighs in at the low end of the alcohol spectrum with a content of 7.2% by volume. That’s not really a lot; many barleywines can have 10% or more alcohol content.
Old Nick is brewed with classic English ingredients: pale and Crystal malts, corn sugar, and Fuggles and Goldings hops. Homebrewers will note the addition of corn sugar. Many of them do this before bottling their beer so that yeast can consume it and create carbon dioxide; some feel corn sugar adds flavors that detract from the finished beer.
But though this addition would certainly flunk a German Reinheitsgebot test, it is common for English brewers to use corn sugar as an ingredient. An old friend of mine who operated a small brewery in Rhode Island that specialized in cask ale used to swear by it. It certainly did not detract from the finished product.
Young’s does not add corn sugar for carbonation purposes; rather they add it to impart body and alcohol content to the beer. And these Old Nick Barleywine Style Ale has in abundance.
Old Nick pours to an appetizing burnt caramel color with a huge and
persistent head formation and a delightfully sweet malty nose. The palate is
big, robust, and complex with strong notes of chocolate, plum, and raisin
contrasted against a rich malty body that leads into a slightly sweet,
slightly warming finish with a gentle note of hops emerging to balance in
the finish.
I think this was the first barleywine I ever tasted oh so many years ago. It’s still one of my favorites. A delightful sipping beer on a cool fall night, and a great companion to many cheeses.
Is it the decadent complexity of these brews that causes such infernal associations? Or is it the effect of those high alcohols that often catches up with you the next day, leaving you cursing yourself for drinking a few too many? Perhaps you’d make a deal with the devil if only your hangover would go away.
Whatever the cause, these beers are sheer delights. Among them, Old Nick is one of my very favorite and has been for a long time. As barleywines go, it weighs in at the low end of the alcohol spectrum with a content of 7.2% by volume. That’s not really a lot; many barleywines can have 10% or more alcohol content.
Old Nick is brewed with classic English ingredients: pale and Crystal malts, corn sugar, and Fuggles and Goldings hops. Homebrewers will note the addition of corn sugar. Many of them do this before bottling their beer so that yeast can consume it and create carbon dioxide; some feel corn sugar adds flavors that detract from the finished beer.
But though this addition would certainly flunk a German Reinheitsgebot test, it is common for English brewers to use corn sugar as an ingredient. An old friend of mine who operated a small brewery in Rhode Island that specialized in cask ale used to swear by it. It certainly did not detract from the finished product.
Young’s does not add corn sugar for carbonation purposes; rather they add it to impart body and alcohol content to the beer. And these Old Nick Barleywine Style Ale has in abundance.
Old Nick pours to an appetizing burnt caramel color with a huge and
persistent head formation and a delightfully sweet malty nose. The palate is
big, robust, and complex with strong notes of chocolate, plum, and raisin
contrasted against a rich malty body that leads into a slightly sweet,
slightly warming finish with a gentle note of hops emerging to balance in
the finish. I think this was the first barleywine I ever tasted oh so many years ago. It’s still one of my favorites. A delightful sipping beer on a cool fall night, and a great companion to many cheeses.
And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.
*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.
(B)=Bottled
(D)=Draft
