100 Barrel Series #17 - English Style Old Ale
Harpoon Brewery & Beer Hall

Sampled the original batch on tap at the harpoon brewery. Beautiful golden brown, very nice head retention. Taste is dominated by honey, the finish is nicely bitter with an excellent balance. I had picked up a six pack of the encore series last week, and it was a very good beer; but the original batch on tap, especially after it's been aged for the past year, is really, really delicious. The honey taste comes through very aggressively giving it almost the character of a light mead, but it's followed by some very nice hop bitterness. A really fantastic beer. I tried to get a growler at the brewery but they only had a few kegs left and so they couldn't help me out, despite my pleadings. If you're in the Boston area in the next few weeks, make a trip to the brewery and check it out.

22oz bottle dated 12/2006.

Pours clear copper with a billowy head of white. Lots of lacing with nice retention. Honey-drizzled doughy malt in the nose. Medium bodied with a tacky, creamy mouthfeel. Sweet malt with chipped toffee and honey on the palate. Finishes sweet with lingering malt and honey.

Holding up really well with only the slightest taste of wet paper.

 

 

 

Wow, it looks like this hasn't been reviewed in over a year. Best by 24 March 2008, this 12oz bottle is from the 100 Barrel Encore series. From Chevy Chase Wine and Spirits, back in the day.

A surprisingly light pour, this is coppery orange with a thin, off-white head with average lacing and retention. I'm really surprised by the color - I've seen ESBs darker than this. The nose is nice, though. Sweet honey with some mild caramel, toffee, light brown sugar and a touch of oxidation, this seems to have aged surprisingly well. Moderately candy-like (cotton candy in particular) with a touch of burnt sugar. Moderately fruity with figs and a touch of ripe pears.

The palate isn't as good. Sugary sharpness up front and dull and lifeless right after, there's a little bit of orange blossom honey, a little caramel and some toffee. Mildly fruity as well. Ultimately, though, this beer is dull, and I have a feeling it isn't entirely oxidation, as there isn't much noticeable here. Medium in body, over-carbonated, this is thin on the finish with a spritzy carbonic acid bite. These aren't characteristics I look for in an old ale, and ultimately, I'm disappointed. Not bad by a long stretch, but not good either.

 

 

A hazy dark amber color with a thin white cover and fair lacing. The aroma is an intense root beer malt with earthy grain all over it and a touch of alcohol. The flavor has many of the same warm and tasty qualities. It's solidly medium-plus bodied with very modest but adequate carbonation. It has a slightly mealy feel, lots of grain with a touch of that medicinal / Romilar flavor. I'm pretty fond of this. Robust with a little alcohol warmth with medium drinkability. A fine brew.

Poured from a 22 ounce to a snifter glass.

Appearance- Beautiful clear golden amber with a white frothy head, some retention. Over all great color with small bubbles rising to the top

Smell- Immediate sweet malt then some earthy hops.

Taste- Very malty, not that bitter or acidic, slight earthy hoppiness in the finish.

Mouthfeel- A bit chewy, well carbonated for the style

Drinkability- This is a one and done for me. A tasty and enjoyable beer, but heavy on the malt side for more than one at a time.

Over all truly enjoyed this beer very much and a great representation of the style.

*edit* note on the sweetness, I stepped away from the beer for a few minutes and there was a fruit fly already doing the backstroke in my beer. Damn you warm early fall New England nights.

22oz. bomber: This one poured a slightly hazy amber color. there was a good sized creamy head that dropped off rather quickly and left no lacing. Aroma has spices, raisins, caramel malt, and assorted other dark fruits hiding down there. The taste is quite good. There is a fair caramel sweetness up front, with a fair amount of hops balancing them out. Some fruits and bitterness in the finish. Just a touch of alcohol to the finish also. Nice.

12oz brown pry-top bottle from the "Encore Series." Best before date 3/24/08. I found this bottle shortly after starting at Beverage Warehouse in 3/2008 and put it aside in a cool place.

Appearance: Very little bone-white head, leaving spotting on the glass. Brownish amber, not quite clear. No visible sediment though.

Nose: Rich and caramel-like, raisins, dates, dried leaves, dusty buttermilk biscuits. Smells incredibly sweet.

Palate: Medium-light bodied with a little acidity up front. Not nearly as sweet as it smells. There's an edge to it, holding back the sugar. Light flavors of malt, white cake, something like the dusty top of a buttermilk biscuit. Feels a little hot on the finish.

Notes: Not sure how this beer was when it was fresh, but I don't really think it's holding up that well. The body is too light to hold the alcohol and the aromas all the way through. The smell is great, but the palate doesn't deliver all that's promised by nosing.

I found this sitting around Tully's a few months ago The 12 oz bottle poured into a pint glass produced a finger worth of off white head that faded to a thick lace. the body of the brew was an clear reddish brown

The aroma of this brew has some dark fruits raisin in it as well as a nice sweetness from the malts. Wow this one is a malt bomb now flavor wise making a nice sipper with enough of an alcohol bite to keep it interesting

A good Old Ale glad I am came across it. If I found one more I buy it

This limited edition brew pours an appealing copper color with an off-white head that thins to a cap that shows good retention. Some lacing. Sweet in a fruity way, some toffee/caramel flavors. Good bitter malts and moderate hops in the middle to balance the sweetness. Medium carbonation and a smooth feeling in the mouth. Not exactly what I think of when I think English Style Ale but a well balanced beer. Would like to try it on tap.

Dated 12/2006

A - Amber in color, thick off-white head.
S - Sugary, sweet, malty.
T - Really sweet & malty, which is good. Dark fruits w/ slight alcohol and carbonation. Tons of flavor which gets better with every sip.
M & D - Medium-bodied, a pleasant sugary sweetness that fills the mouth. Awesome beer.

Harpoon Old Ale pours a crystal clear copper with a nice head that fades to a thin layer. I smell dark fruits, fig, maybe some light raisin with a bready, toasty maltiness. The flavor is sweet and malty with some fruity esters. Loads of caramel and toffee flavors come through with some hoppiness and a crisp finish. This is a great balanced beer, not too strong or too sweet. I'm glad they brought this beer back for the encore series as I only had a chance to get it on draft.

Thanks to purplehops for sending this via BC2!
Crystal clear orange/amber colour with a short, off-white cap. Good head retention with chunky lacing. Grassy hop aroma, a bit herbal, spruce, mint, with fruity and doughy undertones, plus mild alcohol. Solid bitterness with caramelized sweetness. Hoppy middle, similar to the aroma, with some fruit and a bit of malt. Light alcohol in the finish, with lingering hop flavour and bitterness. Sweetness was emphasized as it warmed. Medium to full bodied, moderate carbonation that was creamy, and mellow warmth. Nice balance, definitely an American interpretation.

Pours a reddish brown color with a thick off-white / tan head that has nice lacing on the sides of the glass. It smells of sweet malts and alcohol. It tastes of sweet malts and a few hops. The taste is good for an old ale and the mouthfeel is good for a beer this big. The drinkability is OK, but mostlty because of the high gravity.

From the encore series. Pours a clear golden amber color with a smallish cream colored head, left a slight ring around the glass. The smell is very faint, almost non-existant; some light caramel malt. The taste is of a dry cracker and caramel malt and aged hops. There is some slight dark fruit notes in the back end. The feel is moderate with soft carbonation, has some slick qualities but finishes pretty dry. Decent flavor but probably could use some aging, the hops are still a bit too present.

Brewed once, estimating that this bottle is a year old.

It poured with a nice orange jewel tone, pretty sharp in clarity. The initial foam died down to a thin ring over time. Sweet corn and malt in the nose, sharp whisky-ish alcohol. Cloying sweetness, barley & dried fruit, musty unpleasant grains. It has a far too boozy feel to it, greatly hindering drinkability. Couldn't finish my 6 oz. when so many better beers were available in front of me. Thanks to Jay23 for the sample.