Gale's Prize Old Ale

Gale's Prize Old Ale (POA) is alive and well. The celebrated bottle-conditioned old ale, first brewed in the 1920s, seemed certain to disappear when the brewery in Horndean, Hampshire, was taken over by Fuller's in 2006. As Fuller's, based in Chiswick, west London, has two bottle-matured beers, 1845 and Vintage Ale, POA looked surplus to requirements. But the beer, often described as Britain's version of Belgian lambic, has survived. Fuller's has produced two vintages, dated 2007 and 2008.

the Prize Old Ale story

For decades the beer was fermented in wooden vessels then matured in hogsheads for six to 12 months. Natural bacteria in the wood gave the beer its sharp, lactic tang. Eventually the hogsheads were phased out and replaced by metal tanks but the lactic character was retained by blending new beer with a batch of old. Yeast used for primary fermentation was added in bottle, sealed with corks and cradles. The beer was declared at 9% but could reach as high as 12% with bottle conditioning. POA was brewed with Maris Otter pale malt with black malt and brewing sugar. The hops were Fuggles and East Kent Goldings (colour 90 units, bitterness units 53).

Nevertheless the 2008 version of POA is radically different to the 207. John Keeling is quite open about the reasons for the difference. "Our sales team didn't want to sell the 2007 vintage - they said it wasn't commercially viable, just too sour for most drinkers. But John Roberts, our managing director, was keen to continue with the beer. He said a wider audience was needed. The beer now comes with a conventional crown cork. "The driven cork was part of the problem," Keeling says, "as the beer tended to be flat. The new cork retains more natural carbonation." I tasted 2007 and 2008 together. The 2007 vintage has a ruby colour and a massive nose of glac� fruit, raisins, sultanas and Dundee cake. It's mouth-puckeringly tart in the mouth, fruity and refreshing, with peppery hops and tart fruit in the finish. The 2008 is less aggressively sour. The colour is identical and the nose has raisins, sultanas, walnuts with barley sugar, a hint of chocolate and warming alcohol in the mouth. Sourness comes through in the finish, with peppery Goldings and tart fruit.