Old Ale & The Tradition Of Parti-Gyle Brewing

A dark & seasonal Old Ale made from the second runnings of Stoutzilla & enriched with sweet black treacle. 

The result is a complex dark ale, with plenty of roasted malt character and dried fruits. Soft and full-bodied, Old Ale exhibits hints of raisin, red grape, and dates. A rich, dark and warming beer that is perfect for the winter months, best enjoyed in your favourite cask haunt by a roaring, warm fire. Add in your favourite pub snack!

Old Ale is brewed using the Parti-gyle brewing method - a technique for making more than one beer from runnings of a single mash. This method, while old (it’s been around for 100’s of years!) is still used in this country today – sometimes creating 3 different beers from the same grains! With Old Ale, rather than letting the grains from Stoutzilla go to waste, we added more brewing water to extract the residual sugars and create a second wort. We then added sweet black treacle, England’s answer to molasses, to amp it up, and to bring depth and complexity. The result is a second scaled down, lower ABV, but by no means inferior, traditional English Old Ale.

But why Stoutzilla, and why use this age-old technique for the first time? We’ve always wanted to try our hand at Parti-Gyle brewing, always wanting to push boundaries and create beers that reflect exciting, creative city we’re made of. The opportunity to utilise Stoutzilla’s vast and flavourful mash to brew our take on the historic Old Ale style was too good an opportunity to pass up, while the ability to minimise waste, creating another beer in the process was an important factor too, helping us to take steps to becoming a more sustainable brewery.

Available only on cask, this beer is intended to be enjoyed in the type of old-school boozer that the flavours transport you to, and reminds us of some of our favourite places to drink.