Harpoon 100 Barrel Series #12 - Imperial Stout

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

Pours dark brown into a snifter. Quickly dissipating mocha-colored head leaves no lacing. Chocolate and coffee aromas. Burnt caramel up front with bitter hop aftertaste that lingers and becomes malt liquorish.

I liked this beer alot. i liked the lable design alot. the aroma was a little funky, very yeasty and pungent, but the flavor was awesome, like fruit covered with dark chocolate, molasas, fudge and other nice flavors. very nice smooth mouth feel.

Black, opaque with a small, light tan head. Good mouthfeel. The hops seemed to dominate the malt and yet it is still smooth. A bitterness lingers on the tongue. Not as full-bodied,robust as I would expect from an imperial.

This seems to have gotten some average ratings, but I loved it. Very apparent chocolate and cherry nose. Not bitter at all, but not overly sweet. Great subtle roasted taste and caramel malts. Not perfection, but get snowed in and drink this, it’s heavenly.

Pours a thin black with little head. Nose of really sweet malts-- cotton candy and bubblegun scents with a hint of smokey chocolate. Thin body with little carbonation. Flavor of sweet caramel and a little roastiness with a coffee smokey finish. Really distinct Imperial Stout though not my favorite.

I would of never knew of this Imperial Stout if it wasn’t for my Secret Santa. I cellared it for a few months waiting for the right winter day to consume. Fourteen inches of snow outside my house prompted me to fetch Harpoon Imperial Stout from the cellar. Black body, with this head, hoppier than I expected. Chocolate and roasted malts blend well in this Impy Stout.

Black pour with a little tan ring around the edge. Rich alcoholic chocolate nose. Dark bitter chocolate flavor. A little light on the body.A disappointment.

Bomber. The problem with these 100 barrel series beers is that the batches are so small, and they only plan on releasing one batch, that there’s no chance to go back and work on the formula. They’re pretty much taking it on faith. Take this imperial stout for example, it has potential. It has some of the complexity you’d look for in the style. The aroma is a little light, but picks up chocolate covered cherries and bourbon as it warms. Very sweet mouthfeel. Too sweet. There’s really nothing else to balance the sweetness. Flavor has aspects of chocolate, caramel, vanilla, bourbon and cherries. It’s good, but it needs some hops or roasted malts to add a bittering feel to it. If they ever decide to go back to it, and bittered it up a bit, this could be pretty good.