Harpoon 100 Barrel Series #06 - Scotch Style Ale

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

Picked up this retired gem at the local Greens. I must say the color is right. The beer is a dark caramel brown that has little head. The head actually fades away rather quickly. There is a slight smoke aroma, but mainly buttery. I don’t think they did well on the mashing part, or maybe the yeast gave off some butter flavors. The aroma is okay, but very weak to the nose. Not a bad flavor. The beer is very creamy, actually a lot creamier than most. The beer does not have too many dimensions to it. A subtle smokey flavor, but there is mainly caramel. The beer is just one dimensional. I am not to impressed with the flavor. The appearance and body are great, but the flavor and aroma are just weak. Overall, decent, but for this to be a special beer I would have to say improve the recipe.

22oz. bomber: I found this one hiding in the back of the refrigerator. This one pours a slightly ruby tinged darker amber color. Mine had quite a bit of a beige head on it, but it dropped off rather quickly. Interesting aroma. Caramel, toffee, fruits, almost belgian-like. Caramel, a hint of smokiness and peatiness, and some muted fruits to the taste. This was pretty good. I’m not sure if the unintentional aging helped or hurt this one. I’d buy it again if they decided to make more.

Was excited to taste this one....Poured out a dark brown color with a decent sized creamy head. The aroma was of caramel, roasted malts and maybe some fruit. The taste was not what I’d expect. Very watery body with a bad earthy aftertaste of pete. Not that great of a beer, too bad I have to give this such a bad rating.

Bottle. Slightly hazy brown color, with a medium head consisting of large bubbles. Lightly hopped aroma, with caramel and fruit. Pleasantly malty at first, sweet with caramel and some milk chocolate, but finishes thin. A decent beer in what is admittedly a tough style to get enthused about.

Light brown in color with a light texture and a creamy off white head. Smelled lightly of chocolate with some decent but subtle orangey notes and some weird funk barnyard texture. Tasted a bit on the sweet side for a scotch ale with some mild caramelly notes, but otherwise watery and bland.

Brownish in color, with a roasty malt and nutty aroma. Tastes roasty malty, with some almonds, caramel, and dark fruit in the finish.

Hmmm... not assertive as a scotch ale. Some peaches, some deep toast but nothign like peat, slightly sweet, some subtle carmels and welcome rotting leaves. Lightly astringent.

okay and better than the idea of it I had somehow managed to plant in my head sweet, caramelish and with a whole realm of flavours that while not unpleasant, were hard for me to separate from the whole and also not inviting me to go beyond just thinking that this was okay and not great.