I don’t often impulse buy beer I know what sorts of beer I like and don’t often get out of my comfort zone but I saw this one at the local supermarket as you can for the first time and had to try a bottle.
As you can see it’s a bottled of F. Robinsons Old Tom Ale originally brewed in 1899
At 8.5% ABV it’s a strong dark ale and technically classed as a barley wine.
Named after the brewery cat Old Tom.
F. Robinsons is based in Stockport and they hade a few pubs around the north east where you can get Old Tom on tap but I have never seen it locally in the south west which is a pity. With a brewery history going back to 1838 so Old Tom was probably not the first brewery cat or the only one. With all the barley and hops around mice and rats would have been a big problem for a brewery and a bunch of feline pest control operatives will have been on the books. The cats would have worked hard for a living unlike modern day pets like my Bob.
Old Tom is advertised by Robinsons as “the original craft ale” and has won a number of prestigious awards over the years including World’s Best Ale and Champion Beer of Britain. It certainly pours very well if a little lively and rich dark colour with a strong treacle nose.
The taste is certainly strong and a a bit sweet and peppery more for sipping than gulping down but very moorish your defiantly not driving after a couple of these but it would be very easy to have a few it goes down so well.
There you have it Hivers this weeks beer impulse buy Old Tom from F.Robinsons in Stockport.