100 Barrel Series #06 - Scotch Style Ale
Harpoon Brewery & Beer Hall

100 Barrel Series #06 - Scotch Style Ale100 Barrel Series #06 - Scotch Style Ale
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From:
Harpoon Brewery & Beer Hall
 
Massachusetts, United States
Style:
Scotch Ale / Wee Heavy
ABV:
6.9%
Score:
83
Avg:
3.62 | pDev: 12.43%
Reviews:
36
Ratings:
39
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Jul 14, 2013
Added:
Jul 09, 2004
Wants:
  1
Gots:
  0
Scotland is known for its wonderfully malty beers. This beer is in the Wee Heavy tradition with a firm body, creamy head and dark tawny color. It has a rich malty, caramel, toasted flavor, a slight alcoholic warming with a clean well balanced hop bitterness.

34 IBU
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by CRJMellor:
Photo of CRJMellor
Reviewed by CRJMellor from Arkansas

3.8/5  rDev +5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours a clear copper and amber color with a thin, white head with large carbonation bubbles in the head. Head leaves very minor lacing.
Aroma is layers of caramel, toffee and malt on top of a real sharp biscuit note.
Flavor is light caramel and toffee and heavy bread and butter and diacetyl note. Surprisingly tangy and resiny hop finish.
Mouthfeel starts real sweet for a moment then moves quickly to a roasted nuttiness and slippery butter notes. Finishes with a distinctive oily and resiny hop hit.
Drinkability is solid. Feels a little bit too light or watery for style but it is still a tasty beer.
Nov 05, 2004
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.5 by WOLFGANG from South Carolina

Jul 14, 2013
 
Rated: 3 by jongullotti from Massachusetts

Feb 19, 2012
 
Rated: 4 by Rochefort10nh from New Hampshire

Dec 06, 2011
Photo of Boto
Reviewed by Boto from Connecticut

3.95/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
22oz. bomber: I found this one hiding in the back of the refrigerator. This one pours a slightly ruby tinged darker amber color. Mine had quite a bit of a beige head on it, but it dropped off rather quickly. Interesting aroma. Caramel, toffee, fruits, almost belgian-like. Caramel, a hint of smokiness and peatiness, and some muted fruits to the taste. This was pretty good. I’m not sure if the unintentional aging helped or hurt this one. I’d buy it again if they decided to make more.
Oct 27, 2007
Photo of drumrboy22
Reviewed by drumrboy22 from Colorado

4/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Born on date of 6/16/04, making this just under 3 years old. I picked it up at the Windsor, VT brewery on a road trip back in the summer of '04. I hadn't planned on aging this one, but it kind of got lost in the shuffle and after a while I decided to save it for a special occasion.

Anyway, poured into several snifter glasses and shared with some friends. Poured a medium shade of amber. Still had lots of carbonation.

Spicy, caramel smells.

I don't have any notes from the first time I tried it back in 2004, but it's turned into a very smooth beer. Easy to drink with a nice mellow caramel taste. Also slight toffee and vanilla flavors present.

Was really delicious and my friend's I shared it with all seemed to enjoy it as well. I only wish I had bought another bottle. I was pleasantly surprised by how well it's held up.
Mar 17, 2007
Photo of Gaisgeil
Reviewed by Gaisgeil from Michigan

4.1/5  rDev +13.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Born on date 6/16/04 making this one 14 months old, I can definatly sense a bit of age, the flavors have come together pretty well I think, I would have liked to have tried it when it was younger for comparison's sake.

Pours a medium amber tinged brown in color, fairly hazy, quite appealing with a thin and creamy light tan head with a slight bit of carbonation. Nose is quite strong, alcoholic and malty. Lots of depth going on here really.

Taste is very well balanced. Notes of scotch (peat and smoke) and vanilla, quite strong. This one is quite crisp and light for a Scotch Ale. There are certainly some familiar tones going on here, but it's also a bit of a departure. Hints of caramel of various spices.

Not the very best Scotch Ale I've had but really this was quite nice. I really enjoyed this one honestly. I'm actually sort of surprised coming from this brewery. Worth a try if you manage to get a bottle.

Slàinte!
Aug 04, 2005
Photo of BuckSpin
Reviewed by BuckSpin from Maine

4.15/5  rDev +14.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Received this from a fellow BA as part of a trade. In that I really enjoy this genre, I saved it for a quiet evening. Arrived with a BOD of 6/16/04, which means as of this writing it is a few days over 1 year aged. Enjoyed in a thistle glass to maximize the experience.

The year has been kind to this brew. A warm, murky, ruddy bronze hue, it had a 1/4" head of loose pale cream foam that disappated very quickly and laced subtly. Most noticable was a strong carbonation - a result of the aging, I suppose.

Nose is nice & characteristic of the genre - strong roasted malts, echoes of wood, dried fruits. As it warmed the nose intensified, to me hinting of a very young single malt scotch.

Its ironic that I chose some smooth jazz to enjoy as I savored this, for that is what the taste reminds me of - smooth jazz. You have your savory, rich malts, caramel hues and resonnences of overripe fruit as drums & bass, providing an oh, so smooth & creamy structure. The noticable carbonation added a fresh fruit/cider like crispness & life, like a trumpet or sax playing freestyle over the drums & bass - very nice.

The initail taste dance on my tongue as individuals, then warm & fade into a duo playing in time on the pallete. The fade into a smooth & fruit like syrupness on the throat is right in time. Aftertaste is not as warming as other wee heavies, but rather a little thick, yet refreshing.

Its not the best wee heavy I have had, but I do think time has aided this. If you enjoy a wee heavy, this is definitely worth picking up and enjoying some quiet evening, and don't forget the jazz.
Jun 19, 2005
Photo of GClarkage
Reviewed by GClarkage from California

4.32/5  rDev +19.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
04/23/05- Received from BA member Spinlock late last year.

Presentation- 22oz bottle with a batch date on the label. Poured into my celebrator glass.

Appearance- Brown-amber pour with a small head which disipates soon after. Average wisps of lace.

Smell- Mostly sweet scented malt. A bit candyish.

Taste- Great caramel and cotton candy sweetness within the malt. Much sweeter than expected.

Mouthfeel- Lower carbonation and super smooth. Nice and mouthcoating.

Drinkability- Didn't think it would be as good as it was. It was aged, however, for at least 7 months or so. One of the smoothest brews I have had. Apparently this is in disagreement with many other members. But, I liked it and would definitely grab a few more if I was back east.
Apr 25, 2005
Photo of mschofield
Reviewed by mschofield from Massachusetts

3.7/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Pours a reddish mahogany, topped with a thin khaki head, leaves bits of webbed lacing.
Rich aroma, malt and raisin, sweet with a tobacco note.
Strong malty taste, fruit, apple, not as sweet and unbalanced as some scotch's, raisin, caramel and spice.
Full bodied. Ok, but not the best Scotch or the best 100 Barrel series offering.
Mar 30, 2005
Photo of deejaydan
Reviewed by deejaydan from Michigan

4.13/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4
Pours a decent amber color, with tight compacted head. Great lacing on this one.

Aroma is peaty and earthy and smoky. Good there.

Taste is rich and malty, slighty smoky. Fitting to style. Not too fruity or smoky.


Mouthfeel is thick and lush. Wonderful

Overall, a great scotch ale.
Mar 29, 2005
Photo of JMH_
Reviewed by JMH_ from New Jersey

3.63/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
This one pours a nice crisp but healthy looking amber colour with a moderate head that turns thin rather quickly.

The smell is a decent mix of malt and caramel sweetness with a hint of dirty chocolate (is there such a thing? Maybe unsweetened chocolate is more like it).

The flavour here is more of the same from the smell, but frankly a bit too thin for my liking. Caramel dominates the malt flavour a bit more than anticipated, though its nothing bad. I just would have preferred a heartier more earth/malt based brew.

While this isn't the greatest scotch ale in the world, it's far from bad, but moreso just not what I'm looking for in the style. Turn down the sweetness a bit and crank up the maltiness. Overall though, this one was not a bad effort.
Feb 11, 2005
Photo of sulldaddy
Reviewed by sulldaddy from Connecticut

4.1/5  rDev +13.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
I am sampling this brew at room temp in a snifter. The brew pours a clear chestnut color with some garnet tints. A creamy beige head foams up 1 cm and fades gradually to an edge layer. The aroma is clean maltyness with caramel, toffee, chocolate and some brown sugar. very mild earthy hops intertwined. First sip reveals very full and tingly carbonation with average body and a bit fo a silky texture. Flavor is caramel, toffee, and raisins some biscuits and nuts as well. I get a huge chocolate finish as the beer warms. A very tasty brew with no hint of the alcohol. Quite nice!
Jan 10, 2005
Photo of redmosquito
Reviewed by redmosquito from Michigan

3.75/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
I must thank ClarkVV for bringing this out to me. This beer pours a beautiful burnt copper color with a nice off white head, that disappeared really quickly. The aroma is malty, sweet toffee with a nice roasted chocolate balance, followed by the ever so faint smoke. The flavor is nice, malt (roasted caramel) and alcohol, smooth with lots of body. I think this is such a good representation of the style that Harpoon will reconsider making this a seasonal.
Dec 30, 2004
Photo of feloniousmonk
Reviewed by feloniousmonk from Minnesota

3.62/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Clear, tawny amber hue, nearly brown, yet not quite, with a slim-to-none head.
Malty, nutty nose, with touches of toffee and caramel, a fuller chocolate tones.
Taste; smooth on the palate, fully flavored, rich in the mouth. Bit too carbonated and spritzy on the tongue, though. That's a major detraction, actually, for while I sometimes enjoy the flavor, this aspect spoils it. Could be fuller, smoother, even maltier. Astringincy on the palate is unappreciated, in this instance. I guess I like it okay, but it doesn't fit what I'd want from a Scotch ale.
Medium to full body, with a long, fruity, malty finish, ultimately drying before vanishing away from the senses.
Still, too bright, too fierce, too fuzzy...could have been nice, if it were less like that, methinks.
Dec 19, 2004
Photo of tavernjef
Reviewed by tavernjef from Minnesota

3.08/5  rDev -14.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
Dull but glaring tone of cinnamon crimson capped by a crunchy thin off-tannish head. Keeps a slim collar the whole glass down but lacing is very minimal.

Aroma is of a stale malt, slight chocolate, candied caramel and toffee sweetness, but has a fairly noticeable overall tone of musky beach towels just getting beyond the sweetness. Also has a stronger then average tinge of alcoholic heat thats unwelcome for a Wee heavy in my book.

Taste is stale and pale, mild and dull with a certain musky sweet malt and stuff that is of corn or wild rice, grainy husks even?
Soggy cardbord and envelope glue come to mind at first intial taste, but moderately comes to a point of overall weirdly dulled sweet toffee sense.

Feel is smooth with a thinnish oily body that coats well with a creamy malting, but has some empty areas in the middle and not much for a finish either.

This could possibly be worse, but more so needs improvement then anything so I'll go with a very slightly above average recommendation for this as it seems clean enough but the overall character has flaws that aren't appealing for a Wee heavy.
Dec 19, 2004
Photo of shippos
Reviewed by shippos from New York

4.2/5  rDev +16%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
poured a bit hazy with a red amber color and a off white head that has some good lacing. deep rich sweet bready malty aroma, very little hops just a good emphasis on the malt as it should be. Taste is just the same as the aroma, excellent rich mouthfeel but it's not syrupy. very drinkable and definetly a good brew.
Dec 17, 2004
Photo of HappyHourHero
Reviewed by HappyHourHero from Indiana

3.5/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Thick, light cocoa colored head slowly faded to a film leaving some stringy lace along the way. Transparent, deep copper colored beer is dormant. Light malt aroma, mostly caramel. Slightly sweet malt flavor mixed with a dose of alcohol. Slightly slick feel, but not that heavy of a beer.
Dec 07, 2004
Photo of connecticutpoet
Reviewed by connecticutpoet from Connecticut

3.2/5  rDev -11.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
This was a reddish brown ale with a one-finger foamy head. No lacing.

The aroma was of fruity malt, with a hint of alcohol.

The taste was slightly sweet and fruity, with a bit of roasted malt, and alcohol on the aftertaste.

Not a bad beer, but not a standout either. Not as big a hit as the other 100 Barrel Series beers I have tried.
Dec 02, 2004
Photo of Skidz
Reviewed by Skidz from Wisconsin

3.53/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Batch date: 6/19/04 Thanks to ppoitras for the hookup!

Pours out orange brown and sits a deep ruby brown in the glass with a good sized light tan head, plenty of lacings and sticks around for awhile, a bit of skim on the surface.

Smells of toasted malts and caramel. Dried leather, old wood and a light hoppy spiciness come out from the middle. Brown sugar and some aromas reminiscant of maple syrup.

Tastes instantly sweet up front, full of brown sugar-like sweetness. Alcohol floats on top of the bed of sugar and is almost immediately apparent. Hop spiciness brings in a bit of balance, along with a scorched and lightly burnt off-flavor. Mellows out to a light bitter finish, plenty of sugary sweetness sticking around.

Clean in the mouth, decent carbonation in a failry light feeling medium body. A bit watered down IMO, lacks an interesting body. Flavor is alright, not great. Beers like this make me glad I have Lake Louie available any time, day or night.
Nov 19, 2004
100 Barrel Series #06 - Scotch Style Ale from Harpoon Brewery & Beer Hall
Beer rating: 83 out of 100 with 39 ratings