Cut Out Kid

Cellar Dweller: 2009 New Glarus “Old English Porter”

I’ve been saving this Old English Porter for a while now, near eleven years. New Glarus doesn’t put bottling dates on their products (well now they might), but according to this beer check-in on Untappd, it’s from September of 2009 (9/18/09). Many of the bottles I cellared from that year tasted downright awful, but this one was an unexpected treat.

After reading the comments from my check-in (above), I believe my review of this beer hasn’t changed that much. But, I must admit, after all that time, I was a bit confused. I thought I was going to be drinking an aged Porter, not remembering that “An intense vinegar-like sourness is correct for this beer style. This was what Porters tasted like in the 1870s. Our beer is based on the research of the Beer Historian, Graham Wheeler. –New Glarus

There it is, in a nutshell. Porters from the 1700s and 1800s were a mixture of two brown beers. Porters were “deliberately soured by adding a percentage of sour beer to freshly brewed beer.” So, now this beer is making more sense. Back in ’09, I had no idea what I was drinking. At that point, I was just getting into IPA’s. Barleywines, sours, and BA Stouts were not my thing. My how things have changed in the passing of a decade.

So, upon uncapping, the rustic brown beer starts off like a sour, and never turns back. Throughout the drink, there is always a wyld character to it. Only reminiscent of a porter when warm, and at the very end of the sip. Like a brown ale, with a little smoke. Somewhere in the swallow is a hint of chocolate and oatmeal, and there is a cola flavor at this point.

This particluar Porter was based on a 1870s London recipe that used smoke malt which has imparted a tobacco flavor to the brew. It can taste a bit leathery at times. You’ll be welcomed to cigar city during the last few sips, as it tries to unwind itself from the evil clutches of its acidic sister.

Having drank New Glarus sours for years now, I’m conflicted and so is the beer. At first glance, I had no idea this was a sour. Once I poured the beer and tasted it, it implored me to do a little bit of research. Realizing it is supposed to be half sour and half porter, I like it more. It’s fascinating because it’s fighting to be both. Both an Old English Porter and a regular American Porter.

This was a mind-boggling beer, and aging has only blurred the lines. Brewer Dan Caray is known to blur lines, test boundaries, and challenge the drinker, and this is a perfect example. Search out a bottle share, or find a friend who is still holding an Old English Porter.

One last note. I’m reading Barrel-Aged Stout and Selling Out, and there’s a tidbit in the book about Dan Caray, owner and brewer of New Glarus Brewing. It states “Goose Island’s brewing system was assembled by a young industry hotshot, named Dan Caray, who would go on to found New Glarus Brewing in Wisconsin.” -Josh Noel

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Beer Reviews, Brown Ale, Cellar Dweller, New Glarus, Old English Porter, Porter, sour