Hey guys, I'm back after a long, inexplicable hiatus of a month and a half and I have something that is special in its simplicity. Today I bring you Theakston Old Peculier, an import from Masham, England, that used to be readily available in the States many years ago (my father said he used to drink it all the time thirty years ago) and then disappeared for a while and has now made a comeback to the States.So what do we have? For starters, this import is NOT in a clear or green bottle, which is a relief. "The Legend," as they refer to it (see picture to right), pours a deep red, maybe like a dull ruby, with a large light beige head similar to those slacks we lads used to have to wear to church when we were little kids that were somewhere between white and khaki.
The aroma is, unfortunately, not very impressive. There subtle hints of both malts and hops but nothing is very distinct. I would be disappointed, but from my understanding of British beers the aroma is not something they focus on, so I'm hoping they make up for it in the taste. Onward!
The taste was the the redeeming factor for the Old Peculier. Big caramel, mild burnt coffee, red fruits, and some hints of wheat sweetness. At first it seemed almost like a hodgepodge of disjointed flavors that just would not work together, but as it warmed up a tiny bit and as my palate adjusted to what I was tasting I came to find this rather pleasant. The wheat gave way to subtle, back-end sweetness while the caramel and burnt coffee blended with the vinous character from the red fruits.
Old Peculier is velvety and supple while drinking and has a very subtle dry bitterness on the finish. You can find Theakston Old Peculier at beer stores in the Dallas area (Keg and Barrels is my place) and it should be available in other beer markets around Texas, such as Houston and Austin. Be prepared to pay import prices; $13 for a six-pack, but if you think about the per beer cost it is cheaper than if you were to try to purchase six single bottles (most likely).
Theakston
Old Peculier
TCST - 7.5/10
Aka - Worth trying at least once, even if just for novelty.
Dallas
P.S. - I will likely do at least one pumpkin beer, as it is the season, and I will do an Oktoberfestbier as well. Today is the official start of Oktoberfest in Germany. PROST!
I used to drink Old Peculiar quite often. It was one of my favorite beers until I moved from NY to Georgia and wasn't able to find it locally. You seemed to be on the verge of discovering the secret of it, but it sounds like you stopped short. The secret is temperature.
ReplyDeleteDrunk cold like most beers, it is unimpressive. Allowing it to warm to 55 degrees or so brings out the real flavor. That's when it tastes great. I think you will find it warrants a higher rating if you let it warm up before you drink it.