Coolship Red
Allagash Brewing Company

jbertsch from Massachusetts

3.46/5  rDev -22.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

I want more funk. The raspberry character is big but the beer lacks depth. Would love to get some misty barnyard or brett character to provide some dimension. Wouldn't buy again.

Apr 28, 2021

ScaryEd from New Hampshire

4.43/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

12.7 oz bottle into a tulip glass.

Pours a cloudy burgundy wine color with a large effervescent pink head. Little retention or lacing as expected of the style. Bubbles for days.

The aroma is fresh raspberry jam, blackberry yogurt, lemon zest, grass and hay, and a good amount of funk. There's a bit of oak and vanilla as well.

The flavor definitely brings the tart: Lots of raspberries, black cherries and red wine vinegar, with plenty of lemon zest, pears, blackberries and lime juice. There's a wave of funk and grassiness before the oak chips and vanilla notes finish things off on a sweet and earthy note.

The feel is medium-light bodied with an exorbitant amount of effervescent carbonation. Very crisp and exceptionally dry on the finish.

Overall, this is a fantastic...lambic? I suppose that's the proper style but I wouldn't bat an eyelash if this was labeled as a wild ale. Regardless, if you're looking for a fruit beer or a wild ale, this one is going to be right up your alley.

Mar 18, 2021

KRug from Massachusetts

4.58/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Bottled 7/2/20

We've finally arrived. I've been lookin for this beer since near the beginning of my craft beer journey, and it's finally here. I know it's not as acclaimed as the likes of authentic Belgian lambics, but I've Allagash was one of the first breweries I started getting into, so I just had to have this

Pours an opaque red/purple with 2 fingers of pink-tinted white head that quickly fades to a thin ring and leaves minimal lacing

Holy hell, for a fruited lambic where I usually expect a fair amount of sweetness, the nose here is straight up funky. I'm picking up on aromas of wet hay, leather, red raspberry, rich blackberry, lemon peel, white pepper, sharp oak, doughy malt, and a hint of vanilla

The taste delivers upon the promises made by the aroma with hardly anything lost in translation, maybe just a bit more sweetness in this case. On the front end of the sip I'm tasting tart raspberry, tannic red wine, a hint of lime, and a soft wheat backbone to support the sourness. Speaking of sour, it is dialed up to 11 on the swallow, which brings notes of super tart lemon, wet hay, raspberry, sharp oak, and red wine vinegar with a long finish of lightly chewy malt

A medium body pairs with moderate carbonation, resulting in a supper zippy and refreshing beer. Finishes mostly dry but coats the mouth and throat with the lingering sweetness

Hot damn, this was an absolute treat. It's crazy when you're looking for something for so long and it actually turns out to be as good as you built it up in your head. Not quite as good as their Nancy (my 2nd best beer of all time) but incredible in its own right. Awesome work Allagash, as always

Feb 23, 2021

bubseymour from Maryland

4.97/5  rDev +10.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

The perfect blend of rasberry fruit sweetness, funk, and sour. Just the right ABV as well. Nothing much more to say but if you love wild fermented sours and lambics, this is a winner.

Feb 07, 2021

ovaltine from Indiana

4.69/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a raspberry-ish color with a white head that flees the premises like it’s trying to steal the body. The nose a little funky and a lotta ripe raspberries and some oak. I am a HUUUUUUGE fan of raspberries, so I am literally frothing at the mouth waiting to take a sip of this.

The wait is worth it - this is a raspberry sledgehammer with a nice mix of tart funky flavors and the oak for balance. This is absolutely delicious - I don’t toss around 5’s lightly, but this is probably the best flavor I’ve had in a fruited beer.

The mouthfeel is bright and drying on the finish. What a treat this beer is.

Jan 01, 2021

q33jeff from New Jersey

3.74/5  rDev -16.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

**
11/26/2020

Bottle (2020) to wine glass.

LOOK: purplish red. hint of haze. Bubbly white head; fades quick, poor retention.
AROMA: raspberry and hay.
TASTE: very tart raspberry, very clean flavors, funky hay and mold,
FEEL: light body, good carbonation with small persistent bubbles. a touch of a drying finish (like cranberry juice).

Interesting. Not my thing and maybe this needs to sit longer as this is only 3 months bottled, but seems overly tart and drying. There are signs of quality also.

Enjoying slow-sipping this moderately low ABV in the afternoon after starting Thanksgiving morning with a 15% Maple Stout.


**

Nov 26, 2020

Gajo74 from New York

4.46/5  rDev -0.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

From the bottle it pours a red/raspberry color. The appearance is clear with visible carbonation. A modest head quickly dissipates.

A funky nose immediately hints at the tartness to come. Fruity aromas evoke notes of sour raspberries, as well as lemon and lime.

Insanely tart with a vinegar like acidity somewhat tempered by raspberry flavors. Additional notes of lemon, lime, oak, and peppery spices, as well as a solid doughy malt backbone that tries its damndest to provide a semblance of sweetness. The finish is bone dry and mouth puckering.

Medium bodied with a lively carbonation.The mouthfeel has a piercing acidity throughout.

As good as an authentic Belgian lambic and intense in its acidity. Not for the faint of heart, however, a must try if you’re a fan of the style.

Oct 15, 2020

larryi86 from Delaware

4.59/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

375 ml bottle, dated 11/15/18, poured into a flute

A- A slightly hazy bright ruby red with a small pink head.

S- Sour, raspberry jam, funky, oak, some tannins.

T- Sour, wild raspberries, lemons, some tannins, a little earthy, funky, oak, very well balanced.

M- Smooth, light body, crisp.

O- A very tasty lambic, well balanced, easy to drink.

Oct 22, 2019

Beersnake1 from California

4.6/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Cracked at fridge temp and the gorgeous smell immediately escaped the bottle. Pours a beautiful reddish pink with very little head (despite an aggressive pour). Nose is dominated by raspberry. Also getting really nice notes of vanilla, funk, oak, and raisin. Taste is mouth puckering sour upfront. Wow! Tart, sour, raspberry, tree, oak, vanilla, yeast, and maybe a bit of sherry. The taste lingers on the aftertaste for quite some time. Such a gorgeous mouthfeel - somewhat dry. Overall, this is an outstanding beer. One of my favorites of this style from an American brewery.

Sep 30, 2019

stortore from Illinois

4.06/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

7 ounce draft served in a juice glass, which doesn’t seem like the best choice.

Lots of raspberries, some funk, a decent amount of tart and sour. It’s good, but fairly straightforward and not as complex as other highly rated wild ales/sours. Was expecting this to be much better.

Apr 07, 2019

GuyFawkes from Illinois

4/5  rDev -10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

2019 vintage; drank 4/5/19 @ Yuss Haus Mach III.

I found this less subtle than the 'regular' Coolship, which was a revelation for me. Fruit forward & enjoyable, but a bit one-note.

The base beer is a delicate beauty, best enjoyed on it's own. This will do in a pinch though!

Apr 07, 2019

TinFang from California

4.23/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Not quite as tart as expected. Bottle says 6.2 ABV so perhaps the recipie changed. Definite oakiness, well defined raspberry with the mustiness of red wine. Not really the sour I’m looking for unfortunately.

Mar 31, 2019

REVZEB from Illinois

4.38/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Been hunting this one for years. As Captain Ahab quipped, "this is what ye have shipped for men! To chase that white whale on both sides of the land, over all sides of the earth!" Beautiful ruby red pour that glowed in the sunlight, with no head after initial surface carbonation. Smell was the star: deep raspberry both fresh skins and sour insides, beautiful oak full of character, wheat, vanilla, wild flower, wild belgian yeast, apricot, and red wine barrel influences. Taste is way more subtle, but not really any less complex or beautiful, just wanted a little more bite like the belgian lambics do on the finish. Simultaneously vinous, sweet, tart, boozy and funky. Well worth the hunt, but does not compete with the belgian lambics of fame

Mar 29, 2019

Best_Enjoyed_In_Texas from Texas

4.83/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.75

Would I buy this again? I would buy the full allotment! Literally cases if I could get away with it.

Easily one of the best beers Ive ever tasted.

Ive never smelled a better beer.

Nov 19, 2018

pmarlowe from Virginia

4.4/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

2018 release.

A: Pours a purplish-red with a cap of tight white head. Excellent retention.

S: Bright raspberry, mild earthy funk, light cherry, and light dry barrel.

T: Lots of fresh raspberry, light oak, moderate tartness which is cut by a decent amount of fruity sweetness. Mild earthy funk rounds out the palate and adds some complexity.

M: Light body with medium high carbonation.

O: Tasty stuff, nice Brett character and toeing my limit of sourness without going over.

Oct 07, 2018

Holderness from Massachusetts

4.53/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

L -- Pours a lovely hue of red with modest clarity and a half finger of rocky white head produced with moderate pour. Very minimal retention or lacing
S -- Raspberry jam, raspberry leaf, tart apple, oak, bretty funk, lemon, strawberry, sweet floral. Beautiful and clean -- on par with the clarity of aromas found in Peche n Brett (although obviously very different)
T -- Largely follows the nose. The raspberry character really balances out the lacto-forward tartness nicely: it's not acetic nor does it just taste like a fruited gose
F -- Medium- mouthfeel, medium+ carb. Flies off the palate quite quickly for the style, which makes it all the more refreshing
O -- This is a fabulous fruited lambic, and one of the best naturally inoculated beers I've had, period. Pricing is very high, but it's worth it
(cr)

91/100

Sep 20, 2018

npolachek from New York

4.2/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Definitely a solid offering, but frankly I had higher expectations. I much prefer other Allagash similar offerings like Bizou (only at the brewery) and Nancy. Either way, a solid beer.

Sep 07, 2018

Sabtos from Ohio

3.88/5  rDev -13.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Chill haze pale salmon-red with loud fizzy bubbles settling quickly to nothing but a slippery, lightly bubbling surface.

Smell comes across as oaky, acetic and vinegary, but also floral and fruity with tons of red raspberry.

Taste is quite sharply sour, very very potent of malic acidity, verging into acetic, but also full of bursting raspberry juice, as well as some toasty char and a little balsamic lemon glaze.

Nicely effervescent, satisfyingly so like champagne, but that quickly dissipates to a slick medium body with a stinging, semi-dry swallow. It gets far more acidic and sour as it warms, to its detriment.

Jul 26, 2018

Phineasco from Massachusetts

4.61/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Look: Pink/red Clear with small white head that recedes immediately. Has medium carbonation.
Smell: Tart, raspberries, cheese, cherry pits, and funk.
Taste: Very tart, raspberries, cheese, and funk.
Mouthfeel: Light with a dry finish.
Overall: A very good wild ale from Allagash.

Jan 08, 2018

GreesyFizeek from New York

4.79/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

This one pours a light pink-ish red, fully clear, with a small head, and a little bit of lacing.

This smells absolutely incredible- jammy and seedy raspberry, both sour and just slightly sweet, with tannic red wine, oak, and a musty funk that's just delightful.

There's a lot to unpack with this beer. It's probably the best beer I've ever had from Allagash- and that's saying quite a lot, as they make awesome beer. The raspberry flavor is bold and beautiful, but miraculously doesn't dominate, as the base beer is slightly prickly, with a warm musty barnyard funk- earthy but inviting. There's some nice oak and red wine flavors as well. This is just so well rounded.

This is light bodied, and really crisp and clean, with a good level of carbonation for the style.

This is absolutely a home run, and one of the best fruited sours in the country.

Jan 03, 2018

ManapuaMan from Massachusetts

4.64/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

In many ways this is the beer I’ve been journeying towards since diving into craft beer. A beer that, had I encountered it a few years ago, I would’ve undoubtedly enjoyed it but not to this level of depth.

This beer is unreal.

Sunset-red with an eggshell-white head that fades quickly. Raspberry personified.

Aroma is raspberry purée, leather, green apple, lemon, tart berries, oak and musty attic. Just an incredible aroma that speaks to the complexity of the beer.

Taste is simultaneously tart and fresh fruit and aged woody and earthy ale. An incredible juxtaposition. Fruit-forward and jammy but restrained from the sour blend. Toasted malt in the background, leather in the mix.

Tart, fruity and dry. Wine-like tannins but restrained acidity. World class.

Dec 29, 2017

drdiesel9483 from Ohio

4.17/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Bottled Jan 19,2017. 6.2% abv
Look - fantastic auburn color no real head
Smell - tart raspberry booze
Taste - not as much raspberry as expected, kind of woody very tart
Feel - medium body with a tingly carb
Overall - pretty good but not worth the price

Dec 24, 2017

Chad_McCoy213 from Illinois

4.25/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A: Light Ruby pour with little head retention.
S: Funky, Raspberries, Sour Cherries, andWatermelon.
T: Tart raspberries, funk, sour cherries.
MF: Thick raspberries tart blast. Thicker Lambic for sure.
O: nice sourness with great aromas and tartness.

Dec 13, 2017

Phyl21ca from Canada (QC)

3.73/5  rDev -16.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Bottle: Poured a reddish color beer with a nice pink foamy head with limited retention and some light lacing. Aroma of tart notes with cherry notes and light oak presence. Taste is also dominated by tart notes with cherry and oak notes with some more dominant then expected acidity. Body is about average for style with good carbonation. Enjoyable but maybe more acidic notes then I cared for.

Dec 10, 2017

PhilHarmstead from New Jersey

4.57/5  rDev +2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.75

Slightly hazy strawberry hue; fine, rappidly vanishing head, no lacing, appropriate per style; straw, cut grass, and root cellar funk with cherries, raspberries and stone fruit jams with pie crust in the nose; light and appropriate carbonation, pleasant added viscosity from residual sugar that leaves a slight tongue coating cloying sensation in the finish.

Overall: Mama's fresh cherry pie on the farm, taken in late summer over lunch in the cool shade of the barn, with the grassy aroma of a fresh hay cutting in the breeze.

Oct 22, 2017