Harpoon 100 Barrel Series #13 - Kellerbier

Formerly brewed at Harpoon Brewery
Style: Zwickel/Keller/Landbier
Boston, Massachusetts USA

22 oz bottle from City Market, Burlington VT, cellar temperature in a Christoffel glass. It pours...a translucent, bubbly amber with pink hints, huge lasting fine-bubbled off-white creamy head, plenty of lace....the aroma is of....acrid grassiness at first, honey sweetness quickly appears, but pungency is the rule (mustard greens, rhubarb), and lovely pale pilsner malt combining to make a nose of strength and depth....I taste, and....light grainy character throughout, moderately sweet front is taken over by dry breadiness at the center, strong (Hallertauer?) hoppiness, light metallic qualities….very light sour apple-lactic notes seem to meld well with the fresh hay and barley....the tongue feels...somewhat oily/slick towards the finish, pretty full throughout, moderately dry and solid but not heavy or doughy..... Wow. Though I wouldn’t quite call this a masterpiece, it is easily the best beer I’ve had from this maligned brewery. The 100-Barrel series has had ups (Triticus, Oatmeal Stout) and downs (Framboise), certainly more ups, but this one really stands out. I don’t know how stylistically correct it is, having had, oh, 1 or 2 keller beers, but it’s damn tasty and makes me just a little more interested in what’s up next in the series. Good job.

bottle. wake up early , head to the library- fuck it, i’ll eat later- then to the bank, i’ll grab something in a bit,- YOU WANT HOW MUCH OF MY MONEY?, NO, MA’AM, FUCK YOU! on to the courthouse, damn this snow is getting strong, damn, no time to eat, later hopefully i’ll grab some coffee or something soon. made it out of the courthouse unscathed, back to the library- no i don’t have any change tospare you miserable land carp, get out of my way. a few hours in the library, damn, when was the last time i ate or had anything to drink? ten minutes to home & the snow is really coming down. i start some stuff cooking on the stove as i crack this harpoon kellerbier. take a whiff & i am back in the field on a hot summer day picking cantalope in texas.the aroma is honey, dirt, & cantalope. great flavor that is so refreshing. honey, buscuity goodness. fuck the food, give me more of this beer. i can go another 6 hours now. fruit finish is pleasant. a nice hop midway on my tongue that brings out the cerealsweetness. beautiful hazed tan body that sticks to the sides of my glass. all i have to do now is schedule my community service for the next couple months and i can spend the rest of the day drinking 4 9 7 4 17

Bottle poured a nice orange with a creamy white head. Sweet, ripe fruity aroma with a light ,tart hops and fruit flavor. Medium body. Finish was tangy citrus clean and refreshing.

on tap-pours a light tan head that becomes rocky and laces. Color is copper. Aroma is hops and bitter citrus. Taste follows, secondary malt. Stiff, in your face, pungent grapefruit, approaching an uber lager.

Bottled at Stockholm Beer Festival. Lightly hazy deep golden. Buttery aroma. Dryish and grassy with rounded mouthfeel. Well hopped, yet yeast and bready malt gets a chance to come through. Salty bitter finish. An impressive take on a difficult style.

Pungent and spicy nose, very hoppy for a lager. Pours a hazy copper amber with golden highlights. The fully lasting off white head is stiff, creamy, and tall. The brew has great balance and depth with a moderately high level of acidity. The finish is non compromising. Reminds me of SA Boston Lager (and I mean that as a compliment). The crisp palate has a decent showing; medium to full, lively and dry. Highly recommended.

On tap at Barcade. Deep orange in color with a little head. Hoppy and nice grainy aroma. Earthy, grassy hops. Caramel honey notes. Malty sweet flavor. Bready notes. Smooth tasting. Finish is dry. Well balanced. Medium bodied. Crisp and refreshing. Very drinkable. Enjoyable.

I’ve not had such good experiences with the 100 barrel series, but this is a really solid lager - clear straw color with a light red tint - lots of sediment in the bottle - spicy, herbal, hoppy nose, with slight fruity esters in the background - quite hoppy, almost IPA-like - resinous, pine-like - nice balancing malt sweetness - biscuity, with a hint of honey and grain/bread - dry, hoppy finish - this is quite nice.