Allagash Old HLT - Allagash Brewing Company

Etan

Illinois

4.13/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12.7oz bottle into a Maine Beer Company stemmed glass.

A: Pours a blood-orange color with a small white head. Head retains nicely.

S: Nicely balanced nose of mildly lactic funk and juicy, sour red fruit. Fragrant sour cherry flesh, lactic acid, hay.

T: Taste is very balanced as well. Briefly puckering tart red fruit (sour raspberry, cranberry) laced with some rich cherry sweetness. Earthy and slightly lactic yeast underneath, which evolves into hay, sweet caramel, more cherry, wheat, and a bit of a lactic note in the finish.

M: Very highly carbonated (probably from the bottle conditioning), almost annoyingly so. It calms down after a few minutes.

O: This is a pretty interesting wild ale - decently complex, and unique because of the lack of oak in the aging process.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2012 04:01:46 | More by Etan

CloudStrife

New York

4.23/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12.7oz bottle poured into a chalice. Bottled Nov. 2011. From the brewery.

A: Pours a slightly hazy golden ruby with a 1 finger white head. Tons of visible carbonation, this looks like a champagne. Some sediment visible in the glass. Head sticks around for a while, no lacing.

S: Tart smell with hints of cherry, spice and vanilla. Some wheat and belgian yeast makes up the backbone.

T: Mildy sour with cherry overtones. Some belgian yeast and wheat. A cranberry like sour. The tannins provide a nice bitterness at the end. Almost like a lambic on steroids.

M: Light on the palate with heavy carbonation. Tart and effervescent.

Overall not a ton going for a wild ale but nonetheless very tasty and drinkable. Even without liking cherries I can enjoy this brew.

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2012 02:40:20 | More by CloudStrife

Richard33

Massachusetts

4.15/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

After it gushed onto my carpet, poured into a Unibrue Tulip.

Poured with little to no head. Copper in color with orange hues.

Smell is great! Tart cherries and apple abound. Smells a little metallic with some nice leather like funk.

Cherries up front bite at the cheeks. Green apple and bready crackers. Again, a little metallic flavor as well.

Mouth is super smooth with a minor alcohol warming.

A really interesting mix of sweet and tart. Hope my gusher was an isolated issue. Haven't seen many bottle reviews yet. Overall, a really enjoyable wild ale. My only issue is with the slight metallic taste that seems to last long into the finish.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2012 03:07:27 | More by Richard33

DanK4

Maine

4.73/5  rDev +15.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Scored a few of these at the brewery today at the Old HLT release party. Got to meet Rob Tod and the staff of the brewery- one hell of a group of people. Out of a 12.7 capped and crowned bottle into an Allagash Coolship glass.

A: A nice golden ruby color- definitely rich in hue. pours with an off white/coffee 2 finger head that disappears quick. A nice touch of carb but nothing streaming from the bottom. Cloudy and intense looking- definitely looks like a bottle fermented beer.

S: It's got the funk. Great cherry aroma with a grain warmth. Vanilla notes, but smells like a humble country brew.

T: Perfect sour funky bite. Seriously everything I imagined it to be, finishes smooth but that initial cherry tartness is delicious. Not so much vanilla here, but it leaves a silky bite. Awesome beer.

M: Medium-light bodied. The finish is perfect for the density and taste of this brown ale, any heavier and it would almost seem too funky, but any lighter and it would be a tease.

O: Oh yea, it's the good stuff. Definitely worth seeking out, not too partial to brown or cherry ales before but I feel like that is going to change rather quickly.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2012 20:00:58 | More by DanK4

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

3.83/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

10 ounce pour - $6.00 at Leon’s Full Service in Decatur, Georgia as part of their Allagash Takeover event.

Appearance: Hazed, amber-esque body with a smallish, ivory-hued head fed by little streams of bubbles.

Smell: A moderate aroma of tartish whole cherries forward of the faintly sweet-scented, toasty malts and thin wafts of phenols.

Taste: Tastes of, well, cherries, as one might imagine. Some toasted bread and muddled caramel maltiness. Lightly sweet, lightly spicy. Brightly tart and with modest lactic touches popping up here and there. Drying, well-carbonated finish with lingering tart cherries accents.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Medium-plus carbonation.

Overall: Old HLT is a likable cherry brew. I was going to liken it to a more lively carbonated Quelque Chose, but, it's been nearly eight long years since I last had it, and, with all the many brain cells I've outright killed since then, perhaps I should leave the comparison alone.

Serving type: on-tap

05-19-2013 18:57:24 | More by ChainGangGuy

wedge

North Carolina

4.03/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

@ Milltown

Served a clear amber color with a small white head. Tart, airy clean, cherry aroma - only a trace of dry funk. Very interesting having this right after FV-13. It's tart and fruity, but the absence of a wood element is striking at first. Clean, smooth cherry flavor on a simple malt base. Easy-going, extremely drinkable, glossy, and crisp. Not terribly wild or acidic or anything, just pretty refreshing, mellow, and neat.

Serving type: on-tap

03-28-2013 14:35:26 | More by wedge

FeDUBBELFIST

Pennsylvania

4.6/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

$7.50 for the pour, served in a small Allagash tulip.
Sampled 10JUL12

The beer menu indicates 7% - but doesn't indicate "old" [HLT] either. From the menu: "This is a wild brown ale aged on cherries for two years..."

[A] A finger and a half of off-white foamy bubbly head, semi quick to deflate. The color of the body is between brassy orange and burgundy brown - something like a weathered copper. Decent transparency. No lacing. Barely a film or collar. The beer comes clean off the glass after each sip - no lacing.

[S & T] Dark natural cherry aroma throughout. Initially a little bit of buttery diacetyl, but that has faded away at this point. There is an extremely subtle balsamic vinegar aroma and flavor that creeps in just under the sweet/sour cherry and is, quite honestly, masterfully incorporated. Wow. Pretty amazing... Screw the upfront diacetyl, the aroma and flavor right now is basically perfect.

[M] The mouthfeel is wonderful. No complaints. Effervescence is lively, providing the relentless tongue biting experience that wild ale lovers crave.

[O] What a fantastic beer. My experience was a lot better than others apparently...

Serving type: on-tap

09-16-2012 22:42:47 | More by FeDUBBELFIST

corby112

Pennsylvania

3.3/5  rDev -19.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Draft at the Pour House in Westmont, NJ.

Pours a hazy dark amber/copper color with a one finger frothy off-white head that slowly settles into a lasting ring.  Spotty lacing left behind.

Earthy, funky aroma with good lactic funk, oaky barnyard/musty horse blanket character.  Also a but vinous with dark fruit, musty, funky bugs and earthy oak.  Strong acetic solvent quality appears when it warns.  Smells similar to real lambic.

Medium bodied with a strong puckering, sour mouthfeel.  Very tart with strong lactic funk and acetic solvent character.  A bit too stron in the acetone character but has nice sourness and funk along with dry earthy oak and subtle vinous fruit.  Kind of one dimensional with only subtle flavors balancing out the funk and strong solvent presence.

Serving type: on-tap

07-31-2012 02:01:14 | More by corby112

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

First had: on tap at Teresa's, Wayne, PA

Poured a reddish-copper color, hazy, with a puff of fizzy tan-red head that quickly sank to a persistent ringlet. Aroma of ripe cherries, lactic and acetic, sugary malts. Similar to the nose, nice taste of sugary malts and cherry pie, lactic with slight twinges of acetic acid, with a notable yeastiness in the background. Medium body, smooth and gently carbonated, a bit tart, and some alcohol warmth. A nice beer, and very good for the style.

Serving type: on-tap

07-25-2012 14:17:44 | More by Rifugium

vandemonian

Maryland

4.43/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Allagash Old HLT is a really nice sour beer. The best sour I've had from Allagash.

A: Orange colour and decent head that fades fast. 4

S: Delicious sour smell. Reminds me a lot of the RR sours. 4.5

T: Sour with some subtle Maltiness. Really fresh and sour. 4.5

M: Good and foamy. 4

O: 4.5

Serving type: on-tap

07-16-2012 02:33:52 | More by vandemonian

thagr81us

South Carolina

3.95/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Big thanks goes out to sincereNc for sharing this one at a recent tasting! Served from growler into a Boulevard tulip. Poured a ruby red-orange with a one finger white head that subsided to a minimal amount quickly. Maintained nice lacing throughout the glass. The aroma was comprised of sweet malt, cherry, sour, tart, and subtle funk. The flavor was of sweet malt, tart cherry, sour, and tart. It had a light feel on the palate with high carbonation. Overall this was a fairly good brew. Everything going on in this one was really quite well balanced and enjoyable. All of the right flavors and aromas were there for the style without being overwhelming to the point where you couldn’t drink this in large quantities. I could probably drink this one all night long given the opportunity. Unfortunately, I have not had the chance. A definite must try.

Serving type: growler

07-03-2012 10:59:33 | More by thagr81us

onix1agr

Pennsylvania

4.05/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Been seeing this around town lately and finally ran into it at Barcade for their Philly Beer Week Allagash event 2012.

Old HLT pours out in the glass a brownish red color with some dark amber tints. A dismal amount of off white foam graces the top forever, retaining, yet not clinging to the walls. Smell is tart cherry scent with some type sweet spice and some faint caramel. Very earthy with minimal funk, cherry forward. Tastes great, HLT is not a sour forward beer, it's more of a fruit beer with a mild twang with a brown ale base I suppose. It reminds me of a less bugged up version of Supplication, which aint a bad thing. This is some mighty tasty stuff if your not looking to bug up your stomach. Cherry flavor, minimal caramel, light bugs, brown ale, ta da. Feel is on the lighter side with carb throughout the 10oz's, it does not dwindle. I could go for this again. The alcohol is not present at all, that could be a problem, i could drink a bunch of this.

Serving type: on-tap

06-09-2012 04:52:00 | More by onix1agr

rfgetz

New Jersey

4.23/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a reddish tinted amber color, bubbly off-white head, decent retention and some sticky spots at the top of the glass. Scent leads with ripe tart berry, tangy and earthy funk, fresh milled grain, light herbal charachter. Taste follows suit, solid tart fruit from raspberry to cherry, faint wine, tangy and tart, earthy and herbal. Medium bodied, prickly on the tongue, dry. Quality and flavorful brew that balances a lot of its flavor components nicely.

Serving type: on-tap

06-06-2012 21:50:20 | More by rfgetz

n2185

North Carolina

3.9/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: pours a clear orange with a finger of white head that fades into a thin ring with no lacing.

S: lots of sour and tart notes here--cherries, lemons, and a touch of vinegar. There are some sweeter bubblegum notes underneath.

T: very sour on the tongue, with lemons and cherries dominating with light acetic flavors. There are slight funky notes as well with a dry, tart finish.

M: medium-light body with medium carbonation, this beer could use a little more carbonation.

O: a good soir overall. Tart and very sour, but still refreshing.

Serving type: on-tap

06-01-2012 20:48:04 | More by n2185

brystmar

Texas

4.05/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

On draft at the original Pony Bar.

Keg was acting up, so they filled pitchers and poured 8oz tasters from that. HLT was slightly flatter than normal because of this, but the added creaminess was worth it. Tart and funky with subtle cherries, though its funkiness overpowered the other flavors.

HLT is a more aggressively "American" wild ale compared to their other Coolship beers, which often shoot for the traditional gueuze style. It seems Allagash can do no wrong these days.

Serving type: on-tap

05-20-2012 19:53:32 | More by brystmar

craytonic

District of Columbia

4.38/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On Tap at Pizzeria Paradisio

Appearance: Light orange-hay pour, nice head
Smell: very intriguing, lots of fruit with a touch of funk and sour, some vanilla notes as well
Taste: Not particularly complex but very enjoyable, a playful sourness with some raspberries and other lighter fruits
Mouthfeel: Very creamy body, great carbonation
Overall: Extremely drinkable, very easy to put this away despite the 8% ABV. Hope they bottle it.

Serving type: on-tap

05-15-2012 19:22:04 | More by craytonic

zaphodchak

Virginia

4.13/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Big white head, medium brown body, hazy.

Massively tart nose, maybe sour cherries.

Surprisingly light, some apple cider vinegar, and a trace of cherries. Very Cantillon-seque, but balanced. Not too sour.

Quite bright, which keeps it from being overwhelming.

I think I was expecting a thick, sweet oud bruin (maybe Kasteel Rouge but dialed back). This was more like a Cantillon twin!

Serving type: on-tap

05-15-2012 01:08:43 | More by zaphodchak

mdfb79

New York

4.23/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

From 05/04/12 notes. Had 2 glass of this at Pizzeria Paradiso in Dupont, Washington, DC, and then a third glass at the Big Hunt later on as I really liked it.

a - Pours a deep, purple-reddish color with one inch of off white head and moderate carbonation evident.

s - Smells of brett, sour grapes, sour cherries and dark fruits, spice, light oak. Awesome sour nose; I really loved it.

t - Tastes of sour red grapes, cherries, and other sour dark fruits, brett, light funk, oak, spice, vanilla. Not quite as sour as the nose, but still very nice.

m - Light to medium body and moderate carbonation. Some nice acidic notes and super easy to drink; doesn't feel like it is 8% ABV at all.

o - Overall I thought this was a great beer. Not the sourest or funkiest beer in the world, but some really nice brett and sour dark fruits, and very easy to drink. Was very awesome to have this on tap at multiple places in DC, and had no problem having a few glasses in one night. Hope to see it again!

Serving type: on-tap

05-08-2012 01:12:31 | More by mdfb79

pitasoup

Tennessee

3.98/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

On tap at Dupont Paradisio for James Brown Night of the Funk

A: murky amber-rose-yellow gradient, low transparency and almost no head. looks like a solid block of sienna. even the edges are not transparent enough to show a shadow, despite the overall lightness of hue

S: tart funk, more brett L than C, cherries, wheat malts, oak, grassy barnyard, delicate florals, low carbonation makes it difficult to draw smells out. what does make it out is nice though

T: lactic and pedio tart, tannic, then cherries. unmalted wheat, grainy almost as if there were oats, then lots more sour. slight bit of sulfur and banana left on the tongue afterwards. as it warms, more pepper, spice, and floral notes come out. not as subtle as supplication, but a very comparable flavor profile overall.

M: light-medium body, tannic almost astringent mouthfeel that finishes dry and dusty, the least likeable part of the beer

O: quite nice overall, but as far as cherry/kriek wild ales go, schaerse and supplication are far tastier, imo. it could use more barnyard stinky funk and less of the grapepeel dry funk. glad to have tasted, but also glad not to know that i'd rather not seek out a bottle.

Serving type: on-tap

05-04-2012 03:34:31 | More by pitasoup

Thorpe429

Illinois

4.15/5  rDev +1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

On tap at Pizzeria Paradiso.

Pours somewhat cloudy with tons of visible carbonation. Color is a pinkish-red with a bit of a copper hue to it. Think head of fizzy pink-tinged bubbles that go away fairly quickly, leaving a thin collar.

The nose has a light fruity presence. Red fruit, to be a bit more specific. As it is served, it is hard to pick out anything specifically. Some lactic character behind that along with a bit of earthy funk.

The flavor is quite nice. It starts out with a hefty hit of fresh, tart raspberries, following that up with some additional acidity. Lactic all the way with some from the fruit. Nothing acetic. Pretty good Brett character. Seems like Brett B and L, though Allagash claims to have a house Brett, so who knows.

Bottle is light with carbonation that is quite lively. Effervescent to say the least. Dry finish, with a moderate level of acidity hanging onto the palate for just a bit, yet it's not bracing to the point where I feel like I need to rest between sips.

Overall, this is really quite nice and I'm glad that I stopped in for it. The fruit and acidity are extremely well balanced and the beer itself is very drinkable. Highly recommended. Now I need to find a bottle of this.

Serving type: on-tap

05-03-2012 21:54:23 | More by Thorpe429

johnmichaelsen

Oregon

3.9/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at Max's today.

The beer pours an amber color with good head retention and lacing. On the nose, there is considerable sour funk, coupled with some noticeable vinegar. There seems to be some underlying fruit as well (maybe some blackberry or cherry), but it's hard to pick up with the brett aroma. The flavor profile replicates the nose, with this beer delivering a pretty impressive gueuze/lambic taste experience. The sour funk isn't overdone however, and I am picking up some noticeable fruit as well. Mouthfeel is fairly light, and frankly I would not have guessed I was drinking a 7% abv. beer. The finish is long, with some light tannic and considerasble sour funk (to no great surprise).

A nice enough beer, but just not my cup of tea.

Serving type: on-tap

04-28-2012 18:19:36 | More by johnmichaelsen

TerrenceOBrien

New York

4.38/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a deep orange, with a slight reddish-brown hue. Slightly cloudy with a thin pale head that dissipates quickly, almost like a soda. The scent is light on the nose, only a hint of cherries and a solid (but hardly overpowering) malt aroma. Flavor continues along the same line. The backbone is a pleasant malty sweetness, but the cherries add their own fruit sweetness along with a pleasant dose of sourness. The sourness is far from overbearing, just enough to highlight crisp and slightly dry flavors.

Serving type: growler

04-16-2012 11:52:45 | More by TerrenceOBrien

lordofthewiens

Maine

4.35/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap at Pigs Fly. The 10 oz serving was rust colored with a small off-white head.

Nice aroma, mostly sweet and cherry. A little bit funky.

Beautiful taste. Crackers, sweet and tart cherry. A little more sharpness at the end of the sip.

I thought the sweet/tart aspect worked really well, and made this a wonderful beer to drink.

Serving type: on-tap

04-07-2012 10:06:57 | More by lordofthewiens

MasterSki

Illinois

3.8/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On-tap at Bad Apple. Served in a tulip.

A - A big white foam settles to a partial cap, thick collar, and fingers of lacing. Hazed dark orange body.

S - Lots of cherry and graham cracker and vanilla malt character - you can tell this was originally a brown ale. Lactic sourness and light cherry vinegar flavors emerge as the beer warms up.

T - Taste has a bit less complexity to it, with more overt lactic acidity that's a tad harsh as this approaches room temperature. Still, the main flavor components are sugary malt and sweet cherry.

M - Smooth, medium body, a hint of alcohol warmth, medium-low carbonation, and mild tartness and acidity.

D - You can really tell this was aged in stainless rather than oak - there's none of the tannic dryness I associated with barrel-aged sours. This is still very heavy on the base brown ale and cherry, with only mild wild character (particularly in the nose). I imagine this should improve over time, so perhaps I should look into snagging a bottle.

Serving type: on-tap

04-06-2012 00:16:50 | More by MasterSki

yourefragile

District of Columbia

3.9/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at Friscos.

Pours a murky light brown with a mild reddish tint. Thin light tan head that fades to a thin collar and transient lace. Mild oaky aroma, with vanilla and tart cherry notes; a very mild oud bruin. Flavor has a residual sourness throughout, but sorely lacking from not being aged in oak. Not as fruity as the nose but tart cherries hit the front of the palate as it warms. Medium bodied, soft carbonation, and a dry finish. Easy drinking but more fruit or more... something would make this great.

Serving type: on-tap

04-04-2012 21:27:23 | More by yourefragile