Harpoon 100 Barrel Series #17 - English Style Old Ale

Formerly brewed at Harpoon Brewery
Style: Old Ale
Boston, Massachusetts USA

Pours a deep dark ruby amber, forms medium sized off white foamy head. Aroma of ocean water, malts, toffee and cane sugar. Flavour is full bodied, yum, a much more hardier english style ale. Instead of thin and watery, this beer has character. A bit of hops, spice with a candy rock likeness comes through. A decent suprise, I would love to try it on tap.

A nice warming beer. The alcohol is noted and appreciated. Strong caramel and malt flavor. There is a complex yeast flavor as well of maybe some apple and a small amount of Belgian type spiciness. Some earthy hop aroma to go with the malt.

Strong old fruit and malt aroma. Hazy orange color with a large white head. Chunky lacing. Starts with a light malt bitterness then gets a nice citrus and alcohol finish that fades at a medium pace. Mild to moderate body very little creaminess.

Poured a hazy amber with a semi-creamy off-white head. A little paler than expected. Interesting aroma of grassy hops, grapes, and sweet bubble gum. Flavor is sweet up front with notes of bubble gum and a bit of grape cough syrup, with quite a bit of dry alcohol and some bitter earthy grassy hops. There are plenty of straight-forward base flavors, such as bitterness and sweetness, but not as much complexity behind it. Fairly full body. Decent brew, especially for Harpoon, but still nothing overly spectacular.

12oz thanks beastiefan2k best by 3/24/08 - Aroma is dirty hops and dusty malts with some strawberry on top. Pours transparent ruby red with a medium head and good lacing. Flavor is also "dirty" with more fruit. Palate is sticky and tart. Not so good IMO, but reading the other ratings, I wonder if something was amiss.

Encore 12 ounce bottle and served in my Ommegang Anniversary glass: Deep amber almost brown hue with a small but lasting head and okay lace. The aroma has notes of caramel and toffee, biscuity and cashew, fig and pine nuts, herbal and aromatic classic English hops as well. The taste starts sweet and vinous with a caramel forefront supported by fruity backbone. Some woody and doughy notes as well before leading off towards a restrained bitter finish. The mouth feel is medium-bodied and a touch oily, earthy dryness upon the finish. Not too shabby and I would love to see how this ages.

12oz bottle, encore edition. Deep but semi-transparent orange-brown color. Malty deep aroma with a hint of alcohol. Full, sweet, and rich. Almost comes off bock like to me, but certainly retains some of the classic Old Ale attributes as well. A perfectly balanced beer, well done.

Okay Jeff, you guilted me into it. Pours a clear coppery color. Nose is very malty some toffee. Some alcohol in the throat along with somw malt. Not bad, Thanks Jeff!!!