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Hive 56
Allagash Brewing Company
- From:
- Allagash Brewing Company
- Maine, United States
- Style:
- Belgian Dark Ale
Ranked #2 - ABV:
- 7.7%
- Score:
- 91
Ranked #7,397 - Avg:
- 4.08 | pDev: 7.11%
- Reviews:
- 36
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Nov 19, 2023
- Added:
- Feb 24, 2016
- Wants:
- 16
- Gots:
- 19
Hive 56 is a dark sour ale aged with honey in an oak foudre for eighteen months. The beer is deep mahogany in color with aromas of strawberries, lemon, and tropical fruit; notes of dark chocolate, raspberries, and figs present themselves upon the first sip, followed by a lingering tartness.
We brew this beer with a blend of dark Munich malt, chocolate wheat, midnight wheat, and roasted barley, and hop with Cascade and Northern Brewer. Hive 56 undergoes initial fermentation with our house yeast; we then transfer the beer to a foudre with Brettanomyces bruxellensis and fresh honey from our Allagash beehives. Over the course of the next 18 months, the Brettanomyces transforms the honey, resulting in a beer with bold, roasty flavors, and a hint of tropical fruit.
We brew this beer with a blend of dark Munich malt, chocolate wheat, midnight wheat, and roasted barley, and hop with Cascade and Northern Brewer. Hive 56 undergoes initial fermentation with our house yeast; we then transfer the beer to a foudre with Brettanomyces bruxellensis and fresh honey from our Allagash beehives. Over the course of the next 18 months, the Brettanomyces transforms the honey, resulting in a beer with bold, roasty flavors, and a hint of tropical fruit.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Bulabeers:
Rated by Bulabeers from California
3.81/5 rDev -6.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Jun 28, 2016
3.81/5 rDev -6.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Jun 28, 2016
More User Ratings:
Reviewed by jmdrpi from Pennsylvania
4.16/5 rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4.16/5 rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
375 ml corked and caged bottle
Bottled 6/22/2017. This batch is 9.2% abv.
Pours almost black in color, with thick cream colored head. When held up to the light, it's brown around the edges of the glass. Aroma of roasted malt, lemon, buckwheat honey, earthy straw, a touch of cocoa. Taste is not so much tart but extremely dry, the Brett has definitely eaten up all the sugars it can over the last 5 years. Similar flavors as the aroma, complexity increases as it warms. Thin to medium bodied.
Aug 28, 2022Bottled 6/22/2017. This batch is 9.2% abv.
Pours almost black in color, with thick cream colored head. When held up to the light, it's brown around the edges of the glass. Aroma of roasted malt, lemon, buckwheat honey, earthy straw, a touch of cocoa. Taste is not so much tart but extremely dry, the Brett has definitely eaten up all the sugars it can over the last 5 years. Similar flavors as the aroma, complexity increases as it warms. Thin to medium bodied.
Reviewed by dano213 from Pennsylvania
4.21/5 rDev +3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
4.21/5 rDev +3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
12.7oz bottle purchased off the shelf. Bottled on 6/22/17, so this is almost 4 years old.
Look: Pours a rich dark brown, almost black color. A nice light brown/cafe au lait compact head remains that has nice retention and lacing.
Smell: This smells complex and interesting. Initially, it definitely smells like there is a fair amount of acidity here. Underneath, I get aromas of black licorice, chocolate, toffee, caramel, spices, and brettanomyces funk. There's a bit of fruitiness on the back end, along with more acidity. I want to say that there's a honey sweetness here, but that could be placebo.
Taste: Very interesting. Both smooth and complex. The mouthfeel is rather thin, but the flavors are very nice. Up front, there's a good amount of acidity but it's not overpowering. It yields to the dark malt flavors and has a lot of brown ale character. The finish has a very nice roasty, toasty, and nutty notes (think dark bread, coffee) and the finish is both sour and dry.
Feel: The mouthfeel is on the thin side, and the carbonation is on the low side but it works and it's appropriate for this type of beer.
Overall: This is a very creative and interesting beer. Dark sours are hard to come by, and this one is excellent. I would be curious to know how this has changed with time - has it improved, declined, or remained about the same? Sadly, Allagash doesn't brew this beer anymore.
Jun 04, 2021Look: Pours a rich dark brown, almost black color. A nice light brown/cafe au lait compact head remains that has nice retention and lacing.
Smell: This smells complex and interesting. Initially, it definitely smells like there is a fair amount of acidity here. Underneath, I get aromas of black licorice, chocolate, toffee, caramel, spices, and brettanomyces funk. There's a bit of fruitiness on the back end, along with more acidity. I want to say that there's a honey sweetness here, but that could be placebo.
Taste: Very interesting. Both smooth and complex. The mouthfeel is rather thin, but the flavors are very nice. Up front, there's a good amount of acidity but it's not overpowering. It yields to the dark malt flavors and has a lot of brown ale character. The finish has a very nice roasty, toasty, and nutty notes (think dark bread, coffee) and the finish is both sour and dry.
Feel: The mouthfeel is on the thin side, and the carbonation is on the low side but it works and it's appropriate for this type of beer.
Overall: This is a very creative and interesting beer. Dark sours are hard to come by, and this one is excellent. I would be curious to know how this has changed with time - has it improved, declined, or remained about the same? Sadly, Allagash doesn't brew this beer anymore.
Reviewed by avalon07 from South Carolina
4.25/5 rDev +4.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.25/5 rDev +4.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
L: Poured from a bottle to a goblet. Had a deep, dark brown color and a thick, opaque consistency. There was an inch and a half of foamy / fizzy, off white head that lasted an average amount of time. Pretty good lacing.
S: A very nice aroma of dark fruit, Belgian-style yeast, chocolate, honey, malt, and berries.
T: Tasted of a mild amount of malt (a very subtle presence), some berries (raspberries - quite tart), some honey (less than expected), a good amount of dark fruit (prunes, figs), a good amount of Belgian-style yeast (present throughout), and some chocolate as well. This is a vibrant, surprisingly fruity flavor. Pretty tasty.
F: A well-carbonated beer with a sharp finish. Medium-bodied.
O: A likable and well done beer. Drinkable.
May 31, 2020S: A very nice aroma of dark fruit, Belgian-style yeast, chocolate, honey, malt, and berries.
T: Tasted of a mild amount of malt (a very subtle presence), some berries (raspberries - quite tart), some honey (less than expected), a good amount of dark fruit (prunes, figs), a good amount of Belgian-style yeast (present throughout), and some chocolate as well. This is a vibrant, surprisingly fruity flavor. Pretty tasty.
F: A well-carbonated beer with a sharp finish. Medium-bodied.
O: A likable and well done beer. Drinkable.
Reviewed by Boto from Connecticut
4.25/5 rDev +4.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.25/5 rDev +4.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Bottle: This one pours a fairly opaque dark brown color. Almost no head or lacing. An interesting nose. Chocolate, berries, honey, some other fruits. The taste is very good. A bit of funkiness, along with dark chocolate, berries, faint coffee. A complex flavor profile. Woth checking this one out!
Jul 04, 2019Reviewed by FBarber from Illinois
3.97/5 rDev -2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
3.97/5 rDev -2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Pours a dark opaque brown color. Thin fizzy tan head dissipates mostly but leaves a ring of tan foam along the outside of the beer.
Aroma has notes of lemons, honey, tropical citrus, and some tart berries, almost unripe strawberries with a light cocoa aroma. Quite unique and interesting - you kind of get a different snapshot of the aroma each time the glass approaches your mouth.
As expected from the aroma, the taste is also very unique. Initially you get some dark Munich malts, roasted malts, dark bread, notes of chocolate, cocoa that give way about halfway through the palate to a dark honey flavor and then transitions into a tart lemon funk with a slight bitterness on the finish. Its an incredibly complex and varied profile. As the beer warms the tropical funky notes from the Brett start to shine more as the cocoa notes fade.
Feel is medium bodied and somewhat coating. I'm guessing that the honey in this coming through. Sprightly but not overly pronounced carbonation.
Overall a complex and intriguing brew. Not one I'd personally be likely to drink again - but an enjoyable beer nonetheless.
Jun 25, 2019Aroma has notes of lemons, honey, tropical citrus, and some tart berries, almost unripe strawberries with a light cocoa aroma. Quite unique and interesting - you kind of get a different snapshot of the aroma each time the glass approaches your mouth.
As expected from the aroma, the taste is also very unique. Initially you get some dark Munich malts, roasted malts, dark bread, notes of chocolate, cocoa that give way about halfway through the palate to a dark honey flavor and then transitions into a tart lemon funk with a slight bitterness on the finish. Its an incredibly complex and varied profile. As the beer warms the tropical funky notes from the Brett start to shine more as the cocoa notes fade.
Feel is medium bodied and somewhat coating. I'm guessing that the honey in this coming through. Sprightly but not overly pronounced carbonation.
Overall a complex and intriguing brew. Not one I'd personally be likely to drink again - but an enjoyable beer nonetheless.
Reviewed by HattedClassic from Virginia
4.02/5 rDev -1.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4.02/5 rDev -1.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
The beer pours a nice and creamy light tan head that dissipates quickly. The beer itself is a dark brown with light purple notes.
The smell is pretty good. It primarily is ruled by the wild ale notes with a nice cherry tart and various sweet notes that come in the finish. The lemon is fairly light and the strawberries primarily come out in the finish. The chocolate is fairly light and almost unnoticeable.
The taste is pretty good. It has a strong raspberry tart and lemon sour note that comes upfront and lasts through the entire drink. The roasted barely and chocolate come more to provide a decent sweetness alongside a sugary strawberry note.
The feel is good. It has a nice medium body with a good acidic feel from the tartness and a really light tingling from the carbonation. It has a smooth feel with a bit of thickness to it.
Overall, this is a pretty good beer worth getting and fairly delicious.
Jun 24, 2019The smell is pretty good. It primarily is ruled by the wild ale notes with a nice cherry tart and various sweet notes that come in the finish. The lemon is fairly light and the strawberries primarily come out in the finish. The chocolate is fairly light and almost unnoticeable.
The taste is pretty good. It has a strong raspberry tart and lemon sour note that comes upfront and lasts through the entire drink. The roasted barely and chocolate come more to provide a decent sweetness alongside a sugary strawberry note.
The feel is good. It has a nice medium body with a good acidic feel from the tartness and a really light tingling from the carbonation. It has a smooth feel with a bit of thickness to it.
Overall, this is a pretty good beer worth getting and fairly delicious.
Rated by StoutElk_92 from Massachusetts
4.51/5 rDev +10.5%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
4.51/5 rDev +10.5%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
Lightly tart, berries, lemon, tropical, some funk, dark malt, chocolate, coffee, caramel, dried fruit, honey
Nov 15, 2018Reviewed by SierraNevallagash from Maine
4.09/5 rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
4.09/5 rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Cork and cage 375ml bottle - dated June 22nd, 2017 - poured into a tulip at 45f.
Pours a very dark brown with some amber highlights. Not full black like a stout. This is brown and thinner looking. Fizzy light brown 2+ finger headhead dissipates to a thin foamy cap, which slowly dissipates to a collar.
Nose is some dark malts, wild yeast, a bit of a sour note, and an underlying sweetness, probably from the honey. There's also the tiniest fume of alcohol. There's a fruitiness in the nose. Like sour raspberries. A berry fruitiness.
Palate is lightly toasted malt - like a whole grain cracker, and some very identifiable Brett character. Once you're familiar with Brett, it's easy to spot. Musty, overripe stone fruit and dark berries. A see a lot of people say "brett sourness". This bothers me. Brett is not sour. It's funky and fruity. While many sour ales have Brett, it's not actually sour *because* of the brett. This does have a very faint tartness, as most wild ales do, but it's quite restrained. The Brett really adds depth and character. Funky, fruity, layered flavors that open up and evolve right before your very tongue, in waves of different notes. The 9.2% ABV is not detectable at all in flavor. In a blind taste, I'd guess this was probably 6.5%. I'm also getting an undeniable minty characteristic that's quite unique, and plays well with this. I'm not quite getting honey, but there's plenty of huge brett flavors that make up for it. Though I would have loved that honey note. Overall, Brett is the star of the show here.
Mouthfeel is on the lightest side of medium, or the heaviest side of light. It has a fine, fair carbonation. Right in the middle. Very finely fizzy. It's not completely dry. It has a little bit of lingering "wetness" to it.
Overall: I can never really knock anything by Allagash, because I love everything I try of theirs (minus White, perhaps). This is good. It's a great wild ale. It has loads of brett character that lends to flavors on flavors on nuances on depth. I love that. I do really wish there was more, or really ANY honey character to it. But I get that it's difficult to brew something with sugar, and have that translate to the palate. The yeast just wants to munch it all up and turn it into alcohol and bubbles. This bottle has a little bit of age though, and maybe a new bottle would be different. Either way, this is still great. If you want an ale with honey, look elsewhere. If you want a wild ale with tons of Brett - look no further than Hive 56.
Oct 24, 2018Pours a very dark brown with some amber highlights. Not full black like a stout. This is brown and thinner looking. Fizzy light brown 2+ finger headhead dissipates to a thin foamy cap, which slowly dissipates to a collar.
Nose is some dark malts, wild yeast, a bit of a sour note, and an underlying sweetness, probably from the honey. There's also the tiniest fume of alcohol. There's a fruitiness in the nose. Like sour raspberries. A berry fruitiness.
Palate is lightly toasted malt - like a whole grain cracker, and some very identifiable Brett character. Once you're familiar with Brett, it's easy to spot. Musty, overripe stone fruit and dark berries. A see a lot of people say "brett sourness". This bothers me. Brett is not sour. It's funky and fruity. While many sour ales have Brett, it's not actually sour *because* of the brett. This does have a very faint tartness, as most wild ales do, but it's quite restrained. The Brett really adds depth and character. Funky, fruity, layered flavors that open up and evolve right before your very tongue, in waves of different notes. The 9.2% ABV is not detectable at all in flavor. In a blind taste, I'd guess this was probably 6.5%. I'm also getting an undeniable minty characteristic that's quite unique, and plays well with this. I'm not quite getting honey, but there's plenty of huge brett flavors that make up for it. Though I would have loved that honey note. Overall, Brett is the star of the show here.
Mouthfeel is on the lightest side of medium, or the heaviest side of light. It has a fine, fair carbonation. Right in the middle. Very finely fizzy. It's not completely dry. It has a little bit of lingering "wetness" to it.
Overall: I can never really knock anything by Allagash, because I love everything I try of theirs (minus White, perhaps). This is good. It's a great wild ale. It has loads of brett character that lends to flavors on flavors on nuances on depth. I love that. I do really wish there was more, or really ANY honey character to it. But I get that it's difficult to brew something with sugar, and have that translate to the palate. The yeast just wants to munch it all up and turn it into alcohol and bubbles. This bottle has a little bit of age though, and maybe a new bottle would be different. Either way, this is still great. If you want an ale with honey, look elsewhere. If you want a wild ale with tons of Brett - look no further than Hive 56.
Hive 56 from Allagash Brewing Company
Beer rating:
91 out of
100 with
158 ratings
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