100 Barrel Series #13 - Kellerbier
Harpoon Brewery & Beer Hall

100 Barrel Series #13 - Kellerbier100 Barrel Series #13 - Kellerbier
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From:
Harpoon Brewery & Beer Hall
 
Massachusetts, United States
Style:
Kellerbier / Zwickelbier
ABV:
5.2%
Score:
86
Avg:
3.79 | pDev: 9.23%
Reviews:
80
Ratings:
90
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Jul 07, 2015
Added:
Feb 05, 2006
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  0
Our Kellerbier is made in the German style that is traditionally matured in un-bunged wooden barrels in caves. The lower alcohol and low carbonation accent the balance between the generous amounts of German malts and hops used to make this beer. Surprisingly thirst quenching, this beer goes wonderfully with many different food styles—or by itself. Prosit!

45 IBU
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by mikesgroove:
Photo of mikesgroove
Reviewed by mikesgroove from South Carolina

4.6/5  rDev +21.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5
I received this one a while back, and had honestly just not gotten around to trying it and because of that it literally has been sitting in thee fridge for a couple of months, but no matter as I knew it should still be good, and that I would eventually get around to trying it. Last night when looking for something different I grabbed this one out and proceeded to pour it into a footed pilsner glass right out of the fridge.

Appearance - The pour was very nice with a rich caramel and honey colored amber being presented in front of me. Very nicely clouded and hazy, this was definitely looking the part. There was a very nice three inch high head of white lace which rose up over the top and stayed around for what honestly seemed like forever before finally settling down into a rocky and crater filled layer of foam. Deep side glass lacing and lots of carbonation only served to enhance the overall look of this one.

Smell - The aroma as well was absolutely wonderful. A rich sweet smelling lager. There were loads of caramel and rye hints spread though out, as well as some light floral hop notes that were really very well done. I was initially shocked by the hop tones, but later very nicely surprised by their overall presence and it really help deepen the profile a good bit.

Taste - The flavor was really well done. Started off with a bit of caramel infused malts, which rolled across the tongue and settled with a wonderful smooth presence. Some very nice earthy notes then followed and continued with the very grainy profile. Some light touches of floral hops then proceeded to start coming through on top of this. Hints of grass, and some light lemon even playing around in the back. Notes of banana and peach could be found. The finish was nice and clean, but left the lingering flavor of caramel and rye in its wake. Very interesting indeed.

Mouthfeel - A super smooth, and very clean light bodied lager. It had that nice presence that really let the flavor sit and stir for a while, but at the same time had a really nice sense of cleanness and crispness. Great carbonation only enhanced this fact.

Drinkability - This was an outstanding session ale. I would have loved to have drunk this one all night long. It was smooth, clean, low ABV and a great profile. Not much else needs to be said, as this was top notch all around.

Overall I though this was an excellent beer. I am not overly familiar with the style, but I really liked this one. If this flavor is any indication of the style, I am going to be one happy man for sure. I would recommend to anyone to try and find this one. One of the better beers I have had from Harpoon.
Jun 06, 2008
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4.5 by -Andrew- from Michigan

Jul 07, 2015
 
Rated: 3.25 by JAHMUR from Connecticut

Nov 03, 2013
 
Rated: 4 by pastramionrye7 from Germany

Jul 16, 2013
 
Rated: 3.75 by EvanWilliams from Illinois

Dec 23, 2012
 
Rated: 3 by swinyeju from New Hampshire

Jun 13, 2012
 
Rated: 3.5 by jfcaa193 from Canada (QC)

Feb 18, 2012
 
Rated: 4 by Rochefort10nh from New Hampshire

Dec 06, 2011
 
Rated: 3.5 by rab53 from Washington

Dec 01, 2011
 
Rated: 4 by Burt from Rhode Island

Nov 22, 2011
 
Rated: 3.5 by bpfrush from Wisconsin

Nov 14, 2011
Photo of tmoneyba
Reviewed by tmoneyba from Ohio

4/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured hazy copper color with a large frothy off-white head that was mostly lasting with good lacing. Moderate bready malty aroma. Medium body with a sticky texture. Medium balanced flavor with a smooth malty finish of moderate duration.

Solid drinkable beer that is good ovarall and very good to style.
Feb 17, 2009
Photo of mmmbeer
Reviewed by mmmbeer from Massachusetts

3.98/5  rDev +5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
An encore brewing of 100 Barrel Series #13, and a well-justified one I must say. 12 oz., unfiltered brew, with 45 IBUs. The beer is a translucent copper/gold, with medium carbonation and three fingers of tan head that leaves a few patches of foam. Spicy and grassy, almost lemony hops in the nose. On the palate, it's the same delicious (noble?) hops, backed by toasted malts and a firm bitterness. Crisp, medium body, with ample carbonation and a bitter hop finish. Overall a good, sessionable lager that drinks like an IPA.
Mar 17, 2008
Photo of GJ40
Reviewed by GJ40 from North Carolina

3.97/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A - Nice golden color but minimal head.

S - Mild aroma with a clean lager yeast and slight hop presence.

T - Crisp, clean flavor with a bitterness toward the end.

M - Good carbonation level with good body for a lighter beer.

D - Went down easily and left me wanting more.

I enjoyed this beer. Nothing overwhelming but good. I'll try it again.
Mar 01, 2008
Photo of AltBock
Reviewed by AltBock from Ohio

3.46/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
22 oz. bottle with a label that looks like it was ripped off a barrel. This label lists the brewer's name, ABV%, IBU of 45, an OG of 14, and it has a printed red stamp stating this is a limited edition beer. To the right of the label is where the US Government warning, barcode, and refund values are kept. I should also mention that the cap is covered up with gold foil.

Appearance: When poured into a Euro style Brooklyn Brewery pint glass, this Harpoon is a hazy tangerine orange that has some burgendy blended into it. It had a 1 inch head of fizzy white foam that didn't completely fizzle away in a matter of a second. Instead it fizzled down into a small white film that left streak after streak of white lace.

Smell: The main aroma of this beer would have to be black pepper. It's very peppery with only the slightest bit of juicy fruits, roasted malts, caramel, tea leaves, and peppery hops in the background. Even the hops in this beer were peppered! What can I say? It loved the pepper!

Taste: The taste started off soft with dry roasted bitter hops, toasted malts, and a smidge of caramel. After the initial soft taste, the second part of the taste gathered up what strength it had and went into dried citrus fruits and dried citrus hops. I still wish to this day that I can explain what happened here in the taste. It just went from taste A all the way to taste Z in 2 seconds.

Mouthfeel: For a beer that's suppose to clock in at a 5.2% ABV, it was actually a medium bodied beer that had a mild aftertaste of grapefruit and dried citrus hops. This aftertaste will linger on for a few minutes.

Drinkability: To me it was an unusual beer. The taste was the place where a set of flavors went warp speed to the next set flavors. While this was going on, every other aspect of this beer stayed the same. Not bad for my first try in the Harpoon world. It's too bad that this isn't part of their regular line.
Feb 13, 2008
Photo of erosier
Reviewed by erosier from Connecticut

3.58/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Golden Amber color with an off-white head that is slightly tan, but mostly white. It has a malty, yeasty, hoppy smell that is pretty good. It has a good taste, especially for an ale. The smell kind of threw me off, but I like the taste better than the aroma. It has a roasted malty base with a really nice hoppy finish. It has a good mouthfeel with the right amonunt of carbonation and it is a pretty drinkable beer, if it wasn't retired I'd get some more of this.
Jan 28, 2008
Photo of Mebuzzard
Reviewed by Mebuzzard from Colorado

3.48/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
A hazey, glowing amber pour topped with a 2 finger white head. A bit soapy at first, but it builds fairly well into a thicker foam.
Caramel and malt dominate the nose, but the aroma isn't really all that strong. Hints of spice and hops.
Taste: caramel and malt present the most strength and are accompanied by earthy hops, some almond, and spice. Overall, it's more sweet than complex, but not an overbearing sweetness. A bomber is enough, probably too much for me. I can see pairing this with a braut while watching the football games, which is what I did. It has that "ignore" feel to it; that is, it didn't grab my attention away from the game while drinking it. which isn't at all bad.
Jan 21, 2008
Photo of RblWthACoz
Reviewed by RblWthACoz from Pennsylvania

4.3/5  rDev +13.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Sampled 9-6-2007. Pours a slightly fogged orange amber with a creme head that falls but leaves a good lacing on the way down. Nose is roasted malts with a caramel tone to it. Flavor is slightly bitter and then after about 5 seconds, I get a really good roasted character that hits me. Feel has a good level of carbonation to it and the liquid is good too. Overall very good. This is my first of the 100 Barrel Series and I have to say that it is very good. Very much worth trying.
Jan 01, 2008
Photo of johnnnniee
Reviewed by johnnnniee from New Hampshire

3.75/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Picked up a 6 pack of the encore series.
Pours an amber color with a slight haze to it. Started off with a fluffy head that dissipated quickly. Aroma is nutty, grainy, with some sweet caramel in there. Taste is grainy, bready with a hop touch in there. Medium carbonation and a dry finish that lingers of hops. Descent beer not my favorite, but highly quaffable.
Nov 15, 2007
Photo of Nipitato
Reviewed by Nipitato from Massachusetts

3.8/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Picked up a bottle at Julio's Liquors in Westborough, MA.

A: Amber hue. Great clarity for an unfiltered lager. No cloudiness. A thin white head tops.

S: A toasty, grainy, malty aroma. A touch skunky. Sweet with some caramel notes.

T: Can a beer taste like a pretzel without salt? This one does. Good hop bitterness. A pronounced bready malty taste with some toasty notes.

MF: Medium mouthfeel. Well carbonated with a dry finish.

D, notes: Another win from the Harpoon 100 Barrel series. I'm glad they brought this one back.
Nov 06, 2007
100 Barrel Series #13 - Kellerbier from Harpoon Brewery & Beer Hall
Beer rating: 86 out of 100 with 90 ratings