100 Barrel Series #02 - Wit Beer
Harpoon Brewery & Beer Hall

100 Barrel Series #02 - Wit Beer100 Barrel Series #02 - Wit Beer
Beer Geek Stats | Print Shelf Talker
From:
Harpoon Brewery & Beer Hall
 
Massachusetts, United States
Style:
Witbier
ABV:
4.5%
Score:
89
Avg:
3.97 | pDev: 14.61%
Reviews:
34
Ratings:
36
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Jul 14, 2013
Added:
Aug 15, 2003
Wants:
  2
Gots:
  1
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
 
Rated: 3.5 by WOLFGANG from South Carolina

Jul 14, 2013
 
Rated: 2.5 by jfcaa193 from Canada (QC)

Feb 18, 2012
Photo of BillyBrew
Reviewed by BillyBrew from Maine

3.8/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Variety is the spice of life, which is ultimately beer, of course.

Dense, hazey-yellow with a tall, white, creamy head that lasts and turns into a chunky scalp.

Thick, gooey yeast-heavy nose. Strong, raw-smelly yeast with mild malted grains.

Heavy, dense yeast upfront with much milder fruits esters. Raw wheat malt, not really roasted. No real hop to taste of.

Medium-full bod that is really creamy, although with a delightful,faint fizziness. Fairly clean finish.

I can appreciate, but too much yeasty wheat for me.

-Cheers!
Jan 14, 2005
Photo of ppoitras
Reviewed by ppoitras from Massachusetts

4.18/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
22ozer bottle from Austin Liquors, Shrewsbury, MA. Gold-foiled cap.

Poured into an imperial pint glass, formed a dense 1 1/2" slightly off-white head above the bright straw brew. Laces excellently. Aroma is assertive with hops and citrus. Taste is pleasantly of grains and citrus, with a slight hops bite at the end. Flavor is enjoyable, but not as solid through and through as I was hoping, probably due to this being released last September, and I stumbled onto a straggler bottle. Mouthfeel and drinkability both excellent. Another of these 100 Barrels that I wish would come back in the regular lineup from Harpoon someday.
Jun 26, 2004
Photo of AllThingsNinja
Reviewed by AllThingsNinja from Massachusetts

4.18/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
The hazy, bright golden ale pours up a few fingers of foam. This dissipates, leaving a thin, but lacy head to crown the brew. The aroma of yeast, wheat, and orange peel is inviting. The flavors blend grain, citrus, and yeast notes in a refreshing manner. The brew is slightly sweet, medium bodied, and inherently drinkable.
Jun 24, 2004
Photo of feloniousmonk
Reviewed by feloniousmonk from Minnesota

4.05/5  rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5
Hazy, straw-yellow color, full, fresh, lush head of chalk-white foam.
Aroma, full of requisite coriander and orange zest, fresh, lively, airy, a fruity tingle in the nose.
Taste: smooth, full of citric flavor, bright and alive, sunny and satisfying. A perfect thirst-quencher for when the palate is parched, or just when you need to make your tastebuds happy. I unapologetically admire the witbier style, and this version fits the bill nicely. Light/medium bodied, with a slick, even oily mouthfeel that washes flavor over the palate, before fading back, to swiftly return. A zesty, tasty brew, and a good stab at the style.

Thanks to BeerResearcher for sending this one out!
May 04, 2004
Photo of brewandbbq
Reviewed by brewandbbq from New Hampshire

3.75/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5
Pours nicely with a frothy head and gold/orange in color.
Hazy,but not cloudy.
Big, pungent spices in the nose,earthy tones and fruit zest,lemons,orange,cumin,some bubblegum,a subdued mustyness.Huge spices in the flavor,first thing that hits you is cardamon,a little overbearing on it,a little cardamon goes a long way.Tartness,lemony and orangelike notes along with earthy,musty notes of cumin maybe. Belgian qualities a little subdued and/or overwhelmed ny the spicing.
Decent mouthfeel but none of the pillowy softness which is a trademark of good wits, rather on the crisp side instead.
A good attempt at a difficult style,cut back on the spices and lighten the color and you've got a winner.
Apr 26, 2004
Photo of fdrich29
Reviewed by fdrich29 from Massachusetts

3.5/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Pours a cloudy, hazy orange gold with a with frothy,bubbly head. Smells spicy and tastes of lemon, pepper and some orange. Heavy carbonation feel first that swiftly transitions to a barely bitter finish, that is more bland than bite. I anticipated (and hoped) for much more in taste and a better drinking experience from Harpoon on this 100 Barrel Series.

The most pleasant part of drinking this was the batch date for this brew was the same as my birthday. Harpoon next year just get me a 12 pack of IPA. Thanks.
Mar 24, 2004
Photo of alexgash
Reviewed by alexgash from Connecticut

4.3/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Thanks to chaduvel for this bomber. Pours a cloudy, bubbly, dirty orange, with a fluffy white head. Nice. Smells of lemon zest, oranges, pepper, wheat, and yeast. Taste is tangy, yeasty wheat malt with touches of honey, pepper, lemons, and orange sorbet. Finish is wit bitter. Delicious. Bring on summer! Oh wait, there's still snow that needs to be skiied/boarded. I can wait.
Feb 17, 2004
Photo of kmo1030
Reviewed by kmo1030 from Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
hazy golden color with a white head. cloves and citrus dominate the smell, with a bit of yeastiness as well. lemony citrus, is the first thing that hits you, along with clove/corriander behind it. the yeast provides a milder bready flavor to mellow out things a little. a medium mouthfeel with high carbonation in combination with the taste make this a very refreshing beer. i had a bottle previous to this one, as in somewhere in october, and i think letting it sit a while definitely improved this.
Jan 28, 2004
Photo of beergeek279
Reviewed by beergeek279 from Pennsylvania

4.32/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Served in a 22 oz. bomber, into a St. Bernardus goblet. The color is a hazy golden, with a wispy white head. The smell is very spiced. The taste is well-spiced, with the wheat well balanced by the corriander and other flavors. Mouthfeel is well-carbonated. As for drinkability, would probably have a few more.

Thanks to mydeadguy for this bottle. A very interesting wit, and one that lovers of heavy spicing will enjoy. Quite good, and though I probably won't have the chance to enjoy it again, I'll certainly savor the memory of this one.
Jan 25, 2004
Photo of SheepNutz
Reviewed by SheepNutz from Kentucky

3.9/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
22oz. bomber poured into a tulip-style glass. It pours a slightly hazy orange-yellow with two fingers of head. There is a bit of lacing left. The smell is fairly spicy, and smells very heavily of lime. It's a fairly strong smell. The taste also has a significant lime flavor, weird. There is also some cinnamon and black pepper. The mouthfeel is fairly strong, but very smooth. The drinkability is very very good. A nice try at a classic Belgian style.
Jan 14, 2004
Photo of Gusler
Reviewed by Gusler from Arizona

4.22/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5
Harpoon has been a long time favorite since I sampled their beer several years ago, and till this day, I still find them an excellent brewery and one I look for where ever I go, or if someone has to trade. This is from their 100 barrel series, and is presented in a 22 ounce bomber, “Woo Hoo”!

The beer before decanting is a spectacularly clear and sparkling golden yellow with a Bunyanesque sized head that is a brilliant white color, the consistency creamy and it ever so slowly fades away the lace forms a white satin sheet to caress the glass, after decanting, only a slight bit of hazing noticed. Sweet malt at the front, citrus like crispness, very light bit of earthiness from the wheat, mighty fine sniffer this beer, start is ambrosial with a great grain profile and the top full and rich in feel to the palate. Finish is stinging in its acidity, the way a “Wit” should be, sharp and crisp, quite thirst quenching, going to fire up a great cigar to enjoy with this brew, hops are delectable in their spiciness, a very dry beer, with a long lasting aftertaste, a real treat and a marvelous change of pace from the “Bad Boyz” I normally consume, another hit from a most favored brewery.
Dec 20, 2003
Photo of sulldaddy
Reviewed by sulldaddy from Connecticut

4.23/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5
22 oz bomber with nice foil piece over cap. My bottle has been chilled overnite.

The beer pours bright gold in color, slightly hazy, and produces a bright white head as it pours. The aroma is dominated by orange and some lemon flavors but on the second sniff I also detect the bready smell of yeast (very faint).

Very sharp carbonation but not unpleasant. The taste is similar to the aroma, dominated by orange. Wheatiness is also there but I am getting the citrus flavors predominantly. After a few sips I do pick up some banana on the side of my tongue but it is gone very quickly.The brew is fairly light bodied, as it should be and goes down Very smoothly. Wow! This one is easy to drink!

Very clean finish, with no strong taste left in my mouth. Perhaps a mild general sweetness but that is all.
This is a very nice beer that I would like to have on a hot summer day. Grab some of this one before they are gone!
Dec 03, 2003
Photo of nixhecks
Reviewed by nixhecks from Rhode Island

4.35/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Poured a hazy golden yellow color with a fluffy white head that had good retention. Carbonation was plentiful. Came in a 22oz bottle with the batch date on the side, pretty classy looking. Had a very soft aroma of yeast, spice, bananas, and wheat, also smelled a little metallic. The taste really blew me away though - all the classic wit characteristics - banana, citrus, yeast - with a spiced, ginger kick to it. Very unique flavors, reminded me a little of Magic Hat's Lemon Ginger Hocus Pocus.
Nov 03, 2003
Photo of beernut7
Reviewed by beernut7 from Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Nice hazy pour with foaming lasting head. The aroma is mellow with hints of lemon, banana and cloves. The first taste brings out the banana ester yeast flavor. A moderate bitterness works its way through as the beer warms up some followed by a lingering sweet malt. The bitterness grows through to the finish which is crisply refreshing. Not a bad wit.
Nov 01, 2003
Photo of sponberg
Reviewed by sponberg from New York

4.55/5  rDev +14.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5
Pours a beautiful slightly hazy yellow-gold with a white head that hangs around well. Spicy, pepper-coriander aroma with a citrusy estery background. Promises a hell of a lot.

And it delivers. To your door. With a smile. I can't get over the mouthfeel on this beer - soft as velvet, yet round and just full enough (to me) for a Wit. Starts out with a good bitter orange hit, then blossoms into coriander, spice (hint of cardamom maybe?), and celery seed flavors over a spot-on estery malty base. The balance between the orange, spice, and malt is outstanding, tilting clightly towards the spice end of the seesaw. A stellar example of a Wit. I agree with the previous review - this beer would be exceptional with seafood, either as an accompaniment or as the beer in a beer batter.
Nov 01, 2003
Photo of mikeys01
Reviewed by mikeys01 from Colorado

4.09/5  rDev +3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
My Harpoon Wit was served from a 22oz brown bottle, nicely chilled. Pours out quite hazy, like many a wheat beer but fairly light golden in color, appearing to be lighter than its body tells and touched with a little wispy white head. The Wit aroma is quite amazing, both yeasty sweet and brightly sharp and spicy at the same time. Couldn't wait to taste it and I was not disappointed. First taste is a nice wheat yeast flavor, which was actually a bit reminiscent of Bells Oberon, but this is quickly drwoned in lapping waves of spice as the coriander and cardamom build to a peak, and then taper off in tart notes of orange peel. In my opinion, quite an impressive brew from Harpoon, keep the 100 Barrel Series Coming!
Oct 24, 2003
Photo of scottum
Reviewed by scottum from Vermont

3.74/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Pours a hazy straw amber with a huge flowing white head. Mouthfeel is quite thin, but it almost works with the full flavor but it's not quite there. Flavor is complex and wellrounded. Nice and citrus spicey sweet which balances itself. I'm not a huge fan of the style, but I found this to be a tasty brew nontheless.
Oct 21, 2003
Photo of waughbrew
Reviewed by waughbrew from Massachusetts

4.35/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
This is a great wit. The flavor is so well-rounded and complex for a low-alcohol beer. It is so many things at once - tart, spicy, grassy, herbal, sweet, yeasty, orangy, coriandery - but nothing is overdone. So balanced. My only criticism is that I would actually prefer the body to be a bit thinner as to be a little more drinkable.
Oct 04, 2003
100 Barrel Series #02 - Wit Beer from Harpoon Brewery & Beer Hall
Beer rating: 89 out of 100 with 36 ratings