Theakston Old Peculier (Bottle)
Bottle: Filtered.
Abv reduced from 5.7 to 5.6 in 2010.
"The Legend". Brewed using a generous blend of finest pale, crystal and roasted barley malts, along with the majestic Fuggle hop, to create a wonderful, full-bodied flavour with subtle banana, cherry and rich fruit overtones.
A peculier tale:
Theakston’s most famous ale takes its name from the seal of the Peculier Court of Masham, which was granted back in the 12th century. It was the custom at the time for the church to administer the law, but this proved too arduous a task for the then Archbishop, who was based in York. So, with due archiepiscopal aplomb, he set up the independent Peculier Court, headed up by the Peculier of Masham.
Abv reduced from 5.7 to 5.6 in 2010.
"The Legend". Brewed using a generous blend of finest pale, crystal and roasted barley malts, along with the majestic Fuggle hop, to create a wonderful, full-bodied flavour with subtle banana, cherry and rich fruit overtones.
A peculier tale:
Theakston’s most famous ale takes its name from the seal of the Peculier Court of Masham, which was granted back in the 12th century. It was the custom at the time for the church to administer the law, but this proved too arduous a task for the then Archbishop, who was based in York. So, with due archiepiscopal aplomb, he set up the independent Peculier Court, headed up by the Peculier of Masham.
3.6
1542 reviews
Masham, England
Community reviews
Better than I remembered, full flavoured, winter fruits and spice, bitter sweet, hints of orange, red wine, liquorice and plum. Pours deep ruby red, medium body.
Richer and more fruit cake-ier than I remember. Full-bodied, one for lingering over on a winter evening.
500ml bottle, bought in Sainsbury's. Served cellar temperature, in a straight pint glass. Dark russet ale, with a light brown head which collapsed quickly. Slightly burnt roast malt flavour, with a hint of bitterness. 'The Legendary Ale'?, no very disappointing.
Nice tangy hit in taste. Ruby appearance. Good strength. Good head. Stone fruits. Well balanced. Like a lot . Definitely unusual bit in a nocr way
Dark colour with medium stable brown head. Aroma of coffee, raisins and black currant. Sweet taste with light and good balanced bitterness.
@ Home from Coop
Historical tick which I am adding as a rate so that I can see the impact it has on my stats. 500 Beers To Try Before You Die. Whelmed.
50cl bottle thanks to @minutemat and EuroSwap 3/2019. Pours opaque dark ruby brown with thin beige head. Aroma has apple peel, raisins and molasses. Taste is quite bitter, hint of sweet maltiness and liquirice root. Nice!
Bottle from Morrisons
Lovely aroma of fruitcake from this one, candied peel and spices. Pours a rich ruby red with a frothy beige head. More spices and fruit in the mouth, raisins, treacle, nutmeg and a hint of raspberries. A malty finish to round things off. Lovely stuff – and it’s even better on draught at the Fighting Cocks in Bradford !
500ml bottle BBE May 2021. Pours a black colour with occasional ruby in the light, soft white head that leaves lacing. Aroma of treacle, dark fruits and malt. Exciting carbonation and creamy texture on the palate…very nice. Taste of malt, bread, nuts, a little dark fruit and a bitter dry finish. This has a wow factor.
Pour an amber-brown in color with off white head. Fruity forward aroma ; strawberry/raspberry. Sweet malty-raspberry tast.
Notes: bottle from the Shopette, May ‘20
Poured from a bottle into a tulip glass. Limited nose. Pours a rich, dark ruby, dark chocolate colour with an off-white head that dissipates to form patchy lacing. Medium carbonation, medium to heavy bodied and well balanced. Very easy drinking, smooth and complex flavours of malt, chocolate and a mild bitter aftertaste. Love this beer.
500 ml bottle, bb 28/02/2021
Dark mahogany/ruby red, translucent, light tan head.
Nose - dried fruit, earth, bread.
Taste - bittersweet.
Bottle. Fruity, cherry, banana, pomegranate, red apple, nuts, caramel, molasses, licorice. Complex yet not deep, rather shallow flavour with a light astringent mouthfeel. Good but not as good as expected.
Good strong ale
Pours dark amber with clingy off white head
Notes of fruit including strawberries and raspberries
Rich, thick, syrupy old ale. Notes of rye bread, soreen malt loaf, dark treacle, and raisins. Plenty of hoppy bitterness and a certain measure of sweetness too balancing it out. Stock a few of these in for winter.
Aroma : Mellow roasty maltiness, hint of sweet toffee, subtle soft red fruit note. Taste : Mellow bittersweetness throughout with a very slight dry tangy fruity edge in the finish. A solid decent 'Old Ale'
500ml (5.6%) at home on 6 Mar 2020, from Sainsbury’s, Ayr Road, Prestwick (purchased 29 Feb 2020; bb 31 Jan 2021): fruity, malty aroma, very dark brown near black, ruby tint, good beige head, fruity, bready, toffee malt flavour, creamy, sweet malty aftertaste.
An old favorite that probably I haven’t had in ten years was on tap at a pub near my office so popped in for a couple quick halves. Pours a medium dark brown color. Off white head.
It touches my lips and brings back lots of good memories of my early beer hunting days 20 years ago. At that time this was something very special. Today this isn’t even on the radar of people under 40 I suppose. Still shows this really nice, yet somewhat subtle, not of plum, cherries, raisins and pudding. Off sweet, a touch more prickly bitterness than what I remember but only slightly so. Rounded mouth feel with low medium carbonation and medium body. This is about the malt, subtly and balance. Still after all these years, it impressed me for being a quintessential English ale. Lovely
Pours dark deep amber. Initially has a good creamy head that turns lacy. Aroma of malt . Tastes of toasty malt and slightly boozy fruit. Fairly full mouthfeel. A good winter sipper.
Aroma: Lovely malty smell with sweet notes
Appearance: Very dark beer with somewhat of an amber glow, soft foamy head
Taste: Nice round balanced flavour with a nice level of hops and sweetness along with some sour fruity tastes
Mouthfeel: Very smooth, heavy and creamy
Overall: I really can't fault this beer on anything, it's as delicious and iconic as ever from one of the top independent brewers in England. This is real ale within a budget done right. 5/5, no question.
Bottle from Tesco. 4 for £6.
Pours a very very dark brown almost black colour with a tint of red and a small beige head. Aromas is malty, dry dark fruits, plums, caramel, toffee, bread and faint liquorice and vinous notes. Taste has all the same notes as the aroma and is fairly sweet. Medium bodied with a very chewy smooth slightly oily mouthfeel. Lovely long malty dark fruity aftertaste. One of the very best dark English ales. Really nice.
Smuk kastanjebrun øl, med lidt skum. Fin bitterhed med god fylde. Lidt smag af kaffe og lakrids. En snert af whiskey i smagen.
The underlying beer is very good, however this bottle is quite oxidized, although still 8 months before best before. Clearly had poor handling on the way to germany. Hopfencult Dresden
500ml bottle in 2012. Dark ruby/ mahogany with an offwhite head. Aroma of dried fruit, peal, Christmas cake and spice. Big malty flavours, with dark fruit and fruitloaf sweetness.
Bottle 500 ml. Dark brown color, yellowish foam. Aroma: sweet, fruity, esters, dried fruits, butter. Taste: malt, esters, caramel, nuts, butter, medium bitterness, slightly earthy, good.
Bottle @ home. Clear red-brown w a light brown head, ok lacings. Aroma medium malty (caramel, roasted, dark fruit). Flavor medium sweet, dark fruit, light bitter. Medium body, low carbonated.
500ml bottle brewed in UK at 5.6%. Extremely dark red. Decent-sized, good-retention head. Toasty aroma with dark fruit soaked in alcohol. Low-moderate carbonation. Primarily toasted, even burnt bitter sugar flavour, seconded by a boozy sweetness like rum-soaked raisins. Pretty straightforward. Pretty pleasant. A certain kind of late-in-the-day drinker will really enjoy this. Personally I can take it or leave it, but have no real complaints, as this one has just enough uniqueness to make up for its (relative) lack of complexity and out-and-out deliciousness. Not far off a German Dunkel in style.
Bottle. Pours a deep brown colour with a frothy beige head. Aroma of nuts, fruit, some caramel, slight roasted malts and subtle spice. Taste of nuts, fruit, caramel, some bready malts, a hint of roast and subtle spice. Medium bodied and soft carbonation. A bittersweet, malty and fruity finish. A little thin but still a great beer. It’s a lot better when you find it on cask.
This has a metallic taste... and its not because of age. A beer picked up at the brewery. Carmel and toast flavors. malty... and metallic... strong metallic nose also. Meh.