Guinness Old Fashioned Inspired Ale 4Pk

Guinness Old Fashioned Inspired Ale 4Pk is a bourbon barrel-aged English-style barleywine at 10.5% ABV, sold as a four-pack from Guinness's Maryland brewery. What distinguishes this release is its post-aging finishing process: sweet cherry and orange purees are added to replicate the flavor architecture of a classic Old Fashioned cocktail.

Quick Facts: ABV: 10.5%  |  Origin: Halethorpe, Maryland, USA  |  English-Style Barleywine  |  Brewery: Guinness Open Gate Brewery & Barrel House

Production & Heritage

The Guinness Open Gate Brewery & Barrel House in Halethorpe, Maryland, opened in 2018 as Guinness's first large-scale U.S. brewing operation in over 60 years. The Old Fashioned Inspired Ale begins as an English-style barleywine that spends six months maturing in bourbon barrels, picking up oak, vanilla, and caramel character from the wood. After barrel aging, the brewers introduce sweet cherry and orange purees — the same fruit components found in a bartender's Old Fashioned — creating a beer that bridges the gap between craft ale and cocktail culture.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Raisin and toffee arrive first, followed by soft vanilla from the bourbon barrels. Light citrus — predominantly orange peel — weaves through the malt-forward nose.

Taste: The entry is malty with a gentle sweetness that recalls caramel and brown sugar. Mid-palate, bourbon character takes the lead alongside nutty, oaky depth, while cherry and orange purees provide rounded fruitiness without overwhelming the base barleywine. A semi-dry quality keeps it from becoming cloying despite the 10.5% ABV.

Finish: Medium-long with a woody, lightly hoppy close and lingering warmth from the alcohol. Traces of vanilla, toffee, and dried fruit fade slowly.

How to Drink Old Fashioned Inspired Ale

Serve at cellar temperature, around 50–55°F, in a snifter or tulip glass to concentrate the barrel-aged aromatics. This ale is engineered to stand on its own as a sipper, much like the cocktail it references. For a Boilermaker, pair a small pour alongside a shot of straight bourbon to double down on the barrel character. In a Beer Float, combine it with vanilla bean ice cream — the toffee and cherry notes create a dessert experience. As a Beer Cocktail Spritz, top a short pour with a splash of soda water and an expressed orange peel to amplify the citrus already present in the ale.

Best For

• Sharing among craft beer enthusiasts exploring barrel-aged styles
• After-dinner sipping alongside a dessert course
• Gifting to an Old Fashioned cocktail lover curious about beer
• Winter evening sessions when high-ABV warmth is welcome

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Old Fashioned Inspired Ale taste like? It delivers a rich blend of toffee, vanilla, and bourbon oak with sweet cherry and orange fruit notes layered over a malty barleywine base. The overall impression is warming and semi-dry with noticeable but balanced alcohol.

How does Old Fashioned Inspired Ale compare to Goose Island Bourbon County Barleywine? Both are bourbon barrel-aged barleywines with high ABV, but Guinness's version adds cherry and orange purees for a cocktail-inspired fruit dimension that Bourbon County Barleywine does not include. Goose Island's expression leans more heavily into straightforward barrel and malt intensity without the fruit finishing step.

Is Old Fashioned Inspired Ale good for sipping neat? Yes — the six months of bourbon barrel aging and cocktail-inspired fruit additions make it well-suited to slow, contemplative sipping at cellar temperature without any accompaniment.

Where is Old Fashioned Inspired Ale made? It is brewed at the Guinness Open Gate Brewery & Barrel House in Halethorpe, Maryland, which opened in 2018 as Guinness's primary American brewing facility.

What foods pair well with Old Fashioned Inspired Ale? Dark chocolate truffles complement the toffee and vanilla notes. Smoked brisket or barbecue ribs stand up to the bourbon barrel weight. Aged cheddar mirrors the nutty, caramel qualities in the ale. Cherry clafoutis echoes the cherry puree finish, and candied pecans align with the malty sweetness.

What sizes does Old Fashioned Inspired Ale come in? It is available as a four-pack, which is the standard retail format for this limited release from Guinness Open Gate Brewery.

Is Old Fashioned Inspired Ale worth the price? It positions as a specialty, limited-release barrel-aged ale — a tier above standard craft pricing but consistent with what bourbon barrel-aged barleywines typically command, and the unique cherry-and-orange finishing adds genuine novelty to the category.

Why Old Fashioned Inspired Ale?

The defining move here is the post-barrel fruit finishing with sweet cherry and orange purees, directly translating a cocktail's ingredient list into a beer's flavor profile. That concept is not common in barrel-aged barleywines, which typically rely on wood and malt alone. Six months in bourbon barrels provide legitimate depth — vanilla, oak, caramel — while the fruit additions keep the drinking experience from becoming one-dimensional. For anyone who appreciates both craft beer and classic cocktails, this ale occupies a genuinely unusual intersection of the two worlds.