Beer 132/365 – Harviestoun Old Engine Oil

Style: Old Ale

ABV: 6.0%

Purchased at: Monks Cafe – Philadelphia PA

What makes this beer different: Very smooth for the style

Will I be drinking this again: Yes

Grade: A-

3/20/2010: This weekend is the big celebration of the suds in Atlantic City NJ. Hotels are super expensive in AC so the girlfriend and I got one in Philly. I have always heard good things about Monk’s cafe so we decided to give it a shot. Gotta be honest I wasn’t sure impressed. Sure they had a lot of hard to find bottles, but it was super pricey and they only had 6 taps there. Not sure about you guys but I like to have a good amount of choices on draft when I am at a beer bar.

When I went to buy the Old Engine Oil the bartender said that this was served at room temp. I have never had a beer at room temp so I figured I would give it a shot. Also note that it was actually kind of warm in the bar so it was probably warmer than normal. Surprisingly it was very drinkable at room temp. Not sure if it was due to the temp but there was almost no smell to it at all. The taste/mouthfeel reminds me of an English Porter. Sweet chocolate malt, with a bit of bitter in the aftertaste. Honestly its odd but its harder to pick out flavors with a beer at this temperature. Mouthfeel is a little light but good. If you have never tried a beer at room temp, give it a shot with this one. Its weird at first but once you take a few sips its no big deal.

Picture of the day: What exactly does this sign mean?

Beer 19 – Lancaster Winter Warmer

Style: Old Ale

Purchased at: 3 Sons

What makes this beer different: Smooth caramely beer.

Will I be drinking this again: Yes for sure

Grade: A-

11/28/09: For those of you who don’t know the Lancaster area, it is laregely made up of Amish folk. So its no surprise this beer is made similar to the old school butter churning method, without electricity. Okay really this is brewed by non-amish men at Lancaster Brewing in Pennsylvania, and its good stuff just like all the other beers of theirs I have tried.

This beer looks more intimidating than it really is. Looks dark and powerful but ends up being sweet and smooth. A lot of caramel flavor, also a little bit of cinnamon. My brain tells me the mouthfeel should be a bit thicker, but still a very enjoyable beer. For sure in my top 5 of Winter Seasonal brews.

Beer 14 – Great Divide Hibernation Ale

Style: Old Ale

Purchased at: 3 Sons

What makes this beer different: Very complex flavor to it

Will I be drinking this again: Yes

Grade: A-

11/22/09: Finally decided to stop being lazy and take pictures of the beer and bottle, and this was a good one to start on. This one was pretty hard to find. Tons of different flavors going on in this one, but they all balance well. Hops, sweetness, coffee all rolled into one. My only complaint with old ales in general is they usually are under carbonated. Overall a very good beer.