Harpoon 100 Barrel Series #09 - Maibock

Formerly brewed at Harpoon Brewery
Style: Heller Bock
Boston, Massachusetts USA

Pours with a two-finger cream head that fades slowly leaving a little lace. Clear amber color. Medium bodied and light-medium carbonation. Nose is malty. Starts on the sweet side but really balanced malt/hop, finish has a hint of hops but overall flavor is subdued. Surprised to find this since it was brewed last winter. $4.59 for a 22oz bottle from Tully’s Beer & Wine Wells, Me.

[At RBSG 2005] An amber beer with a small beige head. The aroma is very malty combined with light notes of hops. The flavor is sweet malty with notes of wood and cararamel, leading to a slightly hoppy end. A great interpretation of a Maibock.

The body is medium, and the malts at times almost fruity. Very sweet and honey-like even when cold from the fridge. However, the malt depth is missing. There’s no richness to this sugar. The finish is slightly coating, with flowery hops, which adds an interesting element, but ultimately fails to cut the sweetness for a clean aftertaste. It’s sad and shallow. I weep.

Sweet, fresh, floral, lavender aroma with some green apple notes and strong underlying maltiness. Clear brown-tan body is topped with generous and lasting off-white head that coats the glass. Floral hop flavour with strong bready malts and a lingering sweetness. Floral flavours and sweetness become progressively more cloying. Dry medium body is clean and crisply carbonated. Very refreshing and full of flavour. Cold this is very enjoyable but if allowed to warm at all, things get out of hand rather quickly. Tulip glass. Just below cellar temp. Bottle (RBSG 2005 leftovers).

100 barrel. Pours light brown with a small off white head. Dark fruit, malty taste and aroma. Taste is sweet. Average body. Good session beer i guess, not for a big 100 barrel release though.

Clear, coppery color, slim fuzzy, cream head. Sweet, rich, caramel-y malt greets the nose at first. Bold, vinous, and almost barleywine-ish. It stops getting interesting then... Smooth on the palate. Rolls easily off the tongue, but perhaps a bit too easily. Lays limply on the palate, but, tastes good. Odd, I’m not finding anything really to say about it. Needs a bit more bite, I think. A very capable maibock, I guess, but unremarkable in every way.

Part of the 100 Barrel Series #9, 22 oz bottle. Caramel colored with a smallish head. Aroma is dry hops and sweet, rich malts. Taste is nicely bittered and lively with some toffee and grains. Tastes a lot stronger than the 5.8. I’d drink this again which is about the highest compliment I feel lik giving.

22 oz bottle - 100 Barrel series, Session #9: This beer pours a clear, darker amber color. It had a strong off-white head on it that lingers for awhile. Somewhat of a caramel malt aroma. Kind of weak and not much else. The taste is OK, with a medium malt body with a suprisingly fair amout of hops, considering the aroma. Somewhat dry finish. A decent beer, but not worthy of being a special series.