Wow. Absolutely wow. That’s what I thought when I popped the cap on Longshot Old Ale, surely the biggest of the three Longshot beers released for 2007. My olfactory senses, caught as they were by surprise, were even more excited than I. And who can blame them? A steady wave of vigorous fresh bread and caramel aromas wafted their way, tempting them with promises of the decadent delights to come.

These days a 7-ounce bottle of Thomas Hardy’s Ale, perhaps the finest Old Ale England has to offer, will cost you about six bucks. For about a buck more than that princely sum, you can get two 12 ounce bottles of LongShot Old Ale- and four more brews to boot-in the LongShot six-pack sampler.

Now, is LongShot’s Old Ale, formulated by California homebrewer Don Oliver, better than Thomas Hardy’s? No, to be sure. It’s a far different animal, accenting nutty and chocolaty malt flavors more than the yeasty caramelly ones Thomas Hardy’s does. But that just makes each of them unique in their own ways, and enjoyable on their own merits. And considering that this old style was brewed by a “young” brewer like Don, that’s quite a compliment indeed.

Old ales, of course, are an English style of strong, rich brews perfect for winter imbibing. They’ll warm your heart to the cockles, and fortify you against the cold. To be sure, Don Oliver’s version arrives a bit late for winter, at least here in Atlanta. No worries, however. Just buy an extra sixer and sock some away for next year. This is a brew sure to hold up well to the test of time.

LongShot Old Ale pours to a dark mahogany color with a thin creamy tan head and a truly decadent nutty malty nose. Sipping the beer, your palate is immediately assaulted by a thick and rich coating of chewy, sweet nutty malt. But this beer is packed with intense malt goodness, and you’re going to quickly pick up more flavors: chocolate, caramel, raisin, molasses, yeasty fresh bread, and apple and pear fruitiness.

The finish is very nutty and decidedly sweet, though it is balanced somewhat by the massive alcohol warmth and a gentle kiss of hop bitterness. At 10.5% alcohol by volume, LongShot Old Ale is about twice as strong as most beers and thus should be drunk in moderation.

This is my favorite of the three included brews. That might not be fair since it’s a bigger and bolder brew than the other two included. Still, it’s a very interesting brew indeed, and the intense chocolaty-nutty malt notes smack of Munich malt, imparting a more German than English character.

At first, I thought it a great idea to have two of each LongShot brew in the same six-pack. Now I’m not so sure. Two of this one just will not be enough. But that’s a problem easily solved, with the purchase of a few more six-packs of LongShot beer.

Kudos again to Boston Beer, makers of Samuel Adams, for letting us taste these amazing homebrew recipes.