http://beeradvocate.com/news/stories_read/695

There's always something to look forward to in the beer scene. We've
been highly curious about the next 100 Barrel Series from Harpoon.
Their latest debut is an English Style Old Ale, an interesting pick-
and perfectly timed. "Old Ale" is just what it sounds like: an ale
that is aged or cellared for a long period of time. This is generally
not the case for most modern-day Old Ales; brewers generally leave it
up to the consumer to decide whether they should cellar or drink it
fresh. Traditional Old Ales from the 1800s would see at least a year
of aging before consumption; during this aging period, the beer would
gain some sourness from wild yeast and bacteria. But these days,
American brewers seem to be defining a new Old Ale with an option of
freshness or age.

The Taste
Harpoon Brewery Arriving in a 22-ounce brown bomber, this ale clocks
in at 62 IBUs, which tells us there is a substantial amount of hops
here, and a hefty 7.9 percent alcohol by volume speaks for itself.
Decent amount of foam that holds together to form a chunky-looking
head with good retention. Crystal-clear copper hue. Juicy aroma, pear-
like fruity esters, rosewater, soft herbal tones and a hint of spicy
alcohol in the back. Full-bodied with a syrupy mouthfeel, very smooth
and creamy. Loads of hop oil up front, herbal-almost like nectar.
Really juicy with an intermingled fruitiness of mango, pear and melon.
Then the fruity esters show their real source with a warmth and spice
of balanced alcohol; and bitterness has a go on the taste buds with a
semi-puckering dryness. The malt character drops in fashionably late
with undertones of toasted biscuit. The finish is a tad sweet, though
if the hops fade with a bit of age and the alcohol goes a bit vinous,
then, with time, this beer will turn into a different beast
altogether.

Final Thoughts
Very contemporary for an Old Ale. This is not a bad trait, just
showing more American influences than traditional ones. So for an Old
Ale, it may seem a little green. Overlooking that, we have a really
daring and extremely tasty ale on our hands-not just "worth a try,"
it's more of a "must try."

Finding a pairing was not easy; between the contrasting hop profile
and a big-but-modest maltiness underneath, we weren't sure what to
throw at it. So we tried our when-in-doubt pairing: soft goat cheese,
solid enough to hold its own and light enough to drawn you in, with
enough funk to play with the big boys. Bingo-soft goat cheese with
light rye bread.

As far as aging this one goes, our guess is as good as yours, though
we had sufficient restraint to set a few bottles aside to cellar to
see where they land in six months and a year, respectively.

For mo harpoonbrewery.com

Respect Beer.