REVIEW #117: Owd Rodger (Marstons)

Pours red mahogany with faint tan head. Gentle almost musty aroma of dark skinned fruits, particularly grape, cherry and damson. The taste is complex, its all about stale, damp if you like, cereals - bran, rye, barley - clashing with concentrated candied fruit. The finish features dense, sweet n' savoury malt offset by an assertive acidity and dry, gently warming alcohol. Full bodied with little in the way of carbonation (thankfully).

Daintily referred to as a 'country ale' on the label, Owd Rodger can be more usefully described as an 'English Strong Ale', although I think the term 'old ale' is equally apt, if not quite a barleywine (ABV too low?). From experience but for reasons beyond me, I find that the vast majority of the most profoundly flavoured ales are those which are high in alcohol. This ale agrees with that theory perfectly. It is so rich and well structured its as if it has been aged in oak and matured like a fine wine. In fact if only it were bottle conditioned I think it would benefit even further from cellaring for several years. Marstons may be a big, microbrewery-eating company these days with its eponymous core range comprising dozens of beers ranging from terrible (Pale Ale, anyone ;) to workmanlike (Old Empire, Double Drop, Firestoker...) but Owd Rodger has long been the jewel in their crown, albeit one that doesn't seem to gleam very brightly; to my mind this beer has never received the recognition it deserves. Poor Owd Rodger!

• MALTS: maris otter
• HOPS: FUGGLES; GOLDINGS
• IBU: ?
• ABV: 7.6%
• AVAILABLE FROM:- ONLINE & many off-licenses