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Old Dark

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Rich, creamy chocolate fudge flavours lead, swiftly followed by coffee overtones, in this dark beer at 4.0% ABV. It is brewed from five malts, carefully selected, roasted and matched. Old Dark joined the Speight's range in 1992, answering demand for a classic dark beer, and today sits in the brewery's Heritage range.

ABV
4%
Bitterness
Lightly bitter
SRM
deep amber20
PaceSession
Where this beer sits
Body
lightfull-bodied
Sweetness
drysweet
Bitterness
mildbitter
Texture
crispcreamy
Balance
malt-forwardhop-forward
What makes this beer itself
toastycleanroasted
toasty
clean
roasted
malty
Aroma
The nose opens with layered roasted notes: rich chocolate and cocoa dust, underpinned by a subtle coffee earthiness.
not found:hoppy,caramel,fruity,smoky

Tasting Notes

AI-generated sensory profile for Old Dark

◎ Appearance

Deep brown to near-black in the glass, with a translucent ruby hue at the edges when held to light. The head is modest but persistent, clinging to the sides with fine tan lacing. Carbonation appears moderate and well-integrated, lending a gentle liveliness to the dark body.

deep brownruby translucencefine lacingmoderate carbonation

◌ Aroma

The nose opens with layered roasted notes: rich chocolate and cocoa dust, underpinned by a subtle coffee earthiness. Toasted grain character emerges in the mid-range, while a clean, neutral malt sweetness balances the roasted backbone without any harsh grain bite or oxidative character.

roasted chocolatecoffee earthtoasted grainclean malt

◐ Taste

Entry is smooth and creamy, with immediate cocoa-fudge sweetness that spreads across the palate. Mid-palate reveals toasted malt complexity and a gentle coffee dryness, while bitterness remains restrained at 22 IBU—present but never assertive, allowing the malt profile to dominate. The mouthfeel is soft and full without heaviness, aided by the modest 4% ABV.

chocolate fudgecreamy mouthfeeltoasted maltrestrained bitterness

◑ Finish

Finish is dry and clean, with residual cocoa and coffee notes fading gracefully. The aftertaste is brief but pleasant, leaving no harsh edges or cloying sweetness.

dry finishcoffee aftertaste
78
hopIQ score
Aroma
79
Taste
78
Appearance
77
Finish
76
Serve at 4–7°C

Serve at 4–7°C for the best flavour balance and aroma expression.

Stein

The sturdy German stein maintains temperature and keeps carbonation intact. Built for long, convivial drinking.

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Food Pairing

What to eat with Old Dark

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About Dark Lager

Style guide · what to expect · how to find alternatives

What is a Dark Lager?

Dark Lager is a distinctive beer style with its own characteristic flavour, aroma and colour. Discover what makes it unique and find similar beers on hopIQ.

Finding a similar Dark Lager

hopIQ matches by flavor profile — not just style label. A beer with the same toasty, clean, roasted character as Old Dark will score highly even if brewed in a different country or under a different sub-style name.

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