Harpoon 100 Barrel Series #12 - Imperial Stout

Formerly brewed at Harpoon Brewery
Style: Imperial Stout
Boston, Massachusetts USA

Thanks to Degarth for providing this one. Poured black with a little light brown head. Aroma had hints of cardboard, some chocolate, and cherry. Flavor profile was weak: slight chocolate and dark fruits. Smooth but too thin. Just eh...

Quite the letdown. I guess I’ve been spoiled with the impys I’ve had lately, but this just doesn’t hold up at all. Grainy, chalky palate. Watery for an impy. On the plus side, there is a good amount of complexity. Flavors are date, cherry, plum, raisin, licorice, anise, toffee, molasses and a touch of hops. Nutty/roasty character with a roasty bitterness in the back. Too sweet. Really reminds me of a bad raisin: grainy, super-sweet and nauseatng. I drank it at room temp; maybe that was a bad idea.

Thanks for sharing this one Mike! Opaque black pour, with a thin ring of mocha head. Aroma is dominated by fruit with some molasses and vanilla. A slight oxidized aroma as well. Taste is sweet vanilla with boozey fruit and some roasty malt flavours. As it warms it becomes pretty rough, and almost undrinkable. Could use a little more cowbell. Thanks Mike!

bottle. pours a nearing black coloured body with a a tight ring of tanned head. slightly sour bready aroma with raisins, chalky grapes, and light coffee roast. flavour is predominately sweet and fruity with plenty of alcohol to go along. astringent chalkiness in the finish along with tobacco notes. at some points I found it to be quite nice but then fairly uncharacteristic of the style and then almost undrinkable as it warmed to near room temperature. bought at Premier Gourmet in November 2005.

Black pour, thin beige head. Cocoa, chocolate are the main flavors, with a touch a sweetness, creamy and thin, very easy to drink.

Courtesy of jjpm74 <P> Aroma is chocolate, alcohol (odd considering the low abv) dark fruits (cherry prune) and coffee. Deep black with a thin mocha head. Esspresso, dates, cocoa, vanilla, cheery and chocolate work through all flavor ranges. It’s thin and not as intense flavor wise as it could be, but has nice range.

Bottle shared with HogTownHarry & Dave B. -- courtesy of HogTownHarry. Pours a very dark brown, almost black, with some ruby hues and an average size foamy light-brown head. Aroma of sweet malt, dark fruit and maybe some milk chocolate -- doesn’t smell bad but it smells nothing like an Imperial Stout. Very sweet flavour of caramel malt, dark fruit, vanilla and big hop finish. I found the flavour overly sweet, almost cloying and a tad boozy. Medium bodied. As a beer this is decent but as an Imperial Stout it fails, it’s just way too sweet.

Bottle (650ml). Shared with blankboy and Dave B, my bottle. Poured opaque black with ruby highlights, large foamy-creamy dark brown lasting head. Light aroma of funky evergreen hops, light coffee bean roast malt, some dairy, but a lot of sweet pear, apple and apricot yeasty fruitiness. Light flavour of milk chocolate, light mocha, vanilla, juniper and tree fruits - very smooth and creamy, incredibly malty - but an Impy Stout? No way! Creamy, lightly bitter mouthfeel, soft alcohol, slightly sticky, with a short finish. Oddball beer - nice to drink, but highly disappointing when seen as an Impy Stout. Too sweet!