Prize Old Ale – A Review
January 29, 2009
PRIZE OLD ALE – GEORGE GALE & CO. LTD
9.0 alc/vol serving size-1 pt 0.9 fl oz.
Product of England – brewed and bottled by George Gale & CO. Ltd – London
As I was perusing through my local liquor store in the single section of beers, (as I do every night) I happened to stumble across GEORGE GALE & CO PRIZE OLD ALE 2007 and thought it would make an excellent extracurricular beer review for The Brew Club!
Nothing about the bottle itself is eye catching, it’s packaged in a 1 pint bottle that is brown with a red, gold, and black label with a sepia toned photograph of what looks to be an English Village (Not sure if it’s an English Village, but I’m just assuming it is because it’s brewed and bottled in London). The one thing that definitely sticks out as I take a closer look at the label is the alcohol content. It’s 9.0% alc/vol. Whew… strong!
Boy oh boy… This English beer sure does make some of the other beers I’ve had seem weak in comparison!
What makes this Prize Old Ale special? According to the label – “A small amount of yeast is allowed to ferment gently in the bottle, which gives this old ale the fresh natural flavor of real ale.” This particular one was bottled and brewed in 2007, which means the yeast has been fermenting in this bottle for 2 years. It’s recommended that the beer be stored upright in a cool, dark room and poured carefully when served.
I can’t deny that I’m both nervous and excited to try this beer… excited because it’s been sitting, fermenting somewhere for two years, but nervous cause it does have a strong alcohol content. Luckily for me it’s low-key night here in Jersey (cause once again we’ll be getting snow!! – not excited about that), so all I have to worry about is enjoying this Prize Old Ale tonight!
As I pop open the bottle, I try to pour it the “Scott (aka the loser) – TBC – proper beer pouring method” which produces quite a thick head of foam. The color of the beer is a reddish brown, and the smell of the beer is pretty strong; it has a malty smell to it.
Before I take my first swig of this English Ale, I’ve noticed that the foam on my glass has gone down quite a bit. My first reaction to this Ale is, at first its sweet, but has a slight bitter aftertaste as you swallow it. The beer also leaves my tongue feeling a bit dry as I try to distinguish the other flavors. Prize Old Ale doesn’t taste like any typical beer I’ve ever had, perhaps that is why I’m having a difficult time distinguishing the other flavors in the beer!
It’s also not a beer that you chug right away. I can definitely tell that the brew masters of this beer meant for the drinker to sip it slowly and enjoy all the different flavors that you get out of it as you drink it.
I do not particularly like this beer that much. I thought the sweet then sour feel of the beer was quite interesting, but to me it didn’t really taste like a beer. It tasted more like a mixed drink. I generously give this beer 2 stars.
Rating: 
I don’t think I’ll purchase it again, but if some friends offered it to me, I’ll definitely give it a second try.
~Liz
Posted in 2 Star Reviews, Ales, All Brews Reviewed, English Beers
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January 29th, 2009 at 10:56 am
I’m sorry you didn’t “get” the POA – personally I think it’s a fabulous beer, as you can see from my review. The picture on the label, incidentally, is the old Gale’s brewery in Horndean, Hampshire.
January 29th, 2009 at 12:48 pm
Wow very interesting review. I personally will not try this beer but very well written.
January 29th, 2009 at 10:59 pm
I think that the wonderful thing about beer is the beauty of preference. One thing that I certainly appreciate about Scott’s review is the recognition of the brew master’s work and intention…”I can definitely tell that the brew masters of this beer meant for the drinker to sip it slowly and enjoy all the different flavors that you get out of it as you drink it” (a.k.a is it well made). I also like the recognition of the inherent subjectivity that Scott gave, namely, the language of me and I, as it related to Scott stating preference.
I also appreciate the counter review which was posted by Zythophile, stating that he thought it was wonderful. On both accounts one can see that the beer is well made. The only thing that I find slightly discouraging is the unwillingness of some to even try the beer. Personally, I’m going to try this beer if I can find it in London when I go there in May.
I’m also always curious to find out whether someone had this on tap or the bottle, etc. Of course, the only way to find out about a beer is to try it yourself. All of us are merely describing what we notice about the beer and what we think the brewer was doing (even the brewer hopes that he can consistently control what he is doing).
Michael Reinhardt’s last blog post..Why are some beers more expensive than others?
January 30th, 2009 at 12:10 am
Michael, thanks again for the great comment and observations! I find it interesting too how some people love one beer, and others hate it! Sometimes, I’ll be sure I taste something in a beer, lets say coffee, and another person will swear they taste caramel!
ANYWAY – I just want to clarify that Liz was the reviewer of the Prize Old Ale, and not me! Liz sometimes reviews beers here, and she also does all the cartoon graphics for the site.
I’ll have to figure out a way to make the author of the beer review more prominent somehow. Hmmm.
Still, thanks for taking the time to share with us!
Scott – The Brew Club’s last blog post..Lambic Beer Review – Gueuze Giradin
January 30th, 2009 at 7:01 pm
Now that you mention it, I did see that her name is at the bottom. I’ll look a little more closely next time. My bad.
Michael Reinhardt’s last blog post..Why are some beers more expensive than others?
January 31st, 2009 at 8:34 am
Wow. Quite surprised at the piddling two point rating for what is widely regarded as a classic, honest to god traditional style English beer.
Of course, as someone pointed out, not all beers are for everybody and taste is after all a very individual and personal thing. Also it should be noted that Gale’s Prize Old is best tasted after further aging in the bottle for some years. Anyway, it was interesting reading your take on it.
By the way…Where in NJ did you purchase this? Haven’t seen it on the shelves at any of the stores I frequent.
Actually, in a few days I’ll be cracking open a bottle of Gales I have here that was given to me in 1993. I’ll be tasting it along with a Ballantine Burton Ale that was brewed in 1946, aged in wood for 20 years, and bottled in 1966…should be interesting.
January 31st, 2009 at 4:15 pm
wow! that’s definitely going to super interesting trying those two beers… good luck!
I purchased the beer at Shop Rite Liqours – Maybe your local SR Liqour store will have it… and it was priced pretty cheap too ($2.99 for a pint).
Liz’s last blog post..Prize Old Ale – A Review
February 1st, 2009 at 4:35 am
The Ballntine Burton ale sounds interesting, Professor, maybe you can write Scott a guest review?
For the record George Gale used to brew down near Portsmouth on the south coast, but in recent years they were bought by London brewer Fullers, and their beers now brewed in Chiswick, west London.
I haven’t tried this one, but it’s on my ‘to drink’ list.
February 1st, 2009 at 7:24 am
It’s 9 per cent people. Why are we discussing the flavours? 9 percent will smash your taste buds quick enough to get the next one down you and then the party has really started. I’m putting this one on the list as a ‘get pissed quick while looking cosmopolitan’ beer.
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