Malt aroma & flavor
Fruity esters can enhance and complement the malt aroma and flavor profile. Old Ales have malt and sometimes caramel sweetness.
British Origin Ale Styles
Old Ale
Ale · Copper-red to very dark
What to expect
Fruity esters can enhance and complement the malt aroma and flavor profile.
Reading guide · The complete guideline attributes below preserve the source’s qualifications.Color · SRM
12–30
Pale / strawBlack
Copper-red to very dark · Illustrative colors on the shared, uneven SRM scale.
Explore styles overlapping this color rangeAlcohol · ABV
6.3–9.1%
Reference scale, not a limit on official guideline values.
Bitterness · IBU
30–60
Measured bitterness; perceived bitterness is described in the guideline below.
Brewers Association 2026 · Printed guideline page 4 · PDF page 13. Color graphics are illustrative.
The guideline, in detail
Official style attributes, including what may be present and what should be absent.
Hop aroma & flavor
Very low to medium
Perceived bitterness
Present but minimal, and balanced with malt flavors.
Body & mouthfeel
Medium to full
Clarity
Chill haze is acceptable at low temperatures
Color
Copper-red to very dark
Fermentation characteristics
Fruity esters can contribute to the character of these beers. Alcohol types can be varied and complex. A distinctive quality of Old Ales is that they undergo an aging process, often for years. Aging can occur on their yeast either in bulk storage or through conditioning in the bottle. This contributes to a rich, wine-like, and often sweet, oxidized character. Complex estery attributes may also emerge. Diacetyl is usually absent in these beers but may be present at very low levels.
Additional guideline notes & competition context
Low level attributes typical of wood-aging such as vanillin are acceptable. Brettanomyces and acidity reflect historical character; low level attributes such as horsey, goaty, leathery, phenolic, etc. and acidity may be present and balanced with other flavors. Attributes arising from liquids previously aged in a barrel, such as bourbon or sherry, should not be present. Beers that exhibit such attributes are categorized as wood- and barrel-aged beers. When using these guidelines as the basis for evaluating entries at competitions, competition organizers may choose to split this category into subcategories which reflect strong and very strong versions, or historic and modern versions.
Technical specifications, including gravity
Original Gravity (°Plato) 1.058-1.088 (14.3-21.1 °Plato) • Apparent Extract/Final Gravity (°Plato) 1.014-1.030 (3.6-7.6 °Plato) • Alcohol by Weight (Volume) 5.0%-7.2% (6.3%-9.1%) • Hop Bitterness (IBU) 30-60 • Color SRM (EBC) 12-30 (24-60 EBC)