100 Barrel Series #27 - Helles Blond Bock
Harpoon Brewery & Beer Hall

100 Barrel Series #27 - Helles Blond Bock100 Barrel Series #27 - Helles Blond Bock
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From:
Harpoon Brewery & Beer Hall
 
Massachusetts, United States
Style:
Maibock
ABV:
7.4%
Score:
86
Avg:
3.81 | pDev: 7.09%
Reviews:
66
Ratings:
73
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Aug 07, 2014
Added:
May 17, 2009
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  2
The 27th offering of Harpoon’s 100 Barrel Series is Helles Blond Bock. This light amber beer has a bready aroma, creamy smooth mouthfeel, and a clean, lingering sweetness at the finish.

Brewer Jaime Schier set out to create a beer with a robust body that was light in color and delicate on the palate. Jaime combined Pale Ale malt, Munich malt, and Black malt to give the beer its intense malt flavor. A German Bock yeast accentuates the malt character, yielding a slightly sweet aroma. German Noble hops add a touch of bitterness to balance the malt.

This Helles Bock recipe comprised the most malt per 120-barrel batch ever brewed at Harpoon. Enjoy it on a warm, sunny day, with a big basket of pretzels and mustard.

15 IBU
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
 
Rated: 4 by wrightst from Maryland

Aug 07, 2014
 
Rated: 3.25 by Kelp from New Hampshire

Apr 27, 2013
 
Rated: 4 by mbs11 from Massachusetts

Jan 14, 2012
 
Rated: 4 by slasich from Pennsylvania

Dec 18, 2011
 
Rated: 4 by ROGUE16 from Delaware

Dec 06, 2011
 
Rated: 3 by waiting4lunch from Massachusetts

Nov 18, 2011
 
Rated: 4 by ElGallo from New Hampshire

Nov 16, 2011
Photo of mikereaser
Reviewed by mikereaser from Pennsylvania

3.38/5  rDev -11.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
A - Pours a light orange with a bit of foam that quickly faded leaving no lacing at all.
S - light grain and yeast aroma, probably let this one sit too long but it still has a nice aroma
T - light grains along with some lemon, and the malts coming through, turning a bit syrupy
M - medium bodied, still crisp carbonation, the finish is a bit syrupy
D - I should have consumed this a long time ago, but the cellar swallowed it up and I only found it now. Its still good but if you have one around, do it now or drain pour it later.
Oct 30, 2011
Photo of brentk56
Reviewed by brentk56 from North Carolina

4.1/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Appearance: Pours a clear amber color with a couple of fingers' worth of head; decent retention and a smattering of lace

Smell: Cakey malt with a hint of herbaceous hops

Taste: Cakey malt. up front, with hints of vanilla and toffee; by mid-palate, a touch of apples and herbaceous hops arrive; after the swallow, while some bitterness lingers, the vanilla cake malts carry through into the finish

Mouthfeel: Medium body with moderate carbonation

Drinkability: Though this is far from my favorite style and one I rarely seek out, Harpoon has done a very nice job with this one; while it is not as hoppy as was reported in reviews when the beer was younger, the flavors have mellowed out nicely and, after 18 months or so, the beer is drinking very nicely

Thanks, VanillaMike, for the opportunity
Jan 09, 2011
Photo of dtivp
Reviewed by dtivp from Pennsylvania

3.7/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4
Poured a golden color with a slight white head no lacing.

Aroma of sweet malt and maple syrup.

Taste was leaning to a sweet fruit, caramel and the maple syrup.

The mouthfeel was dominated by the carbonation very fizzy. Medium body, smooth and I felt as it came to room temperature it was much better.

This is a good drinkable beer, I would allow it to move towards room temperature then enjoy. It wasn't a typical maibock but good.
May 08, 2010
Photo of sliverX
Reviewed by sliverX from S. Georgia & S. Sandwich Isls.

4.32/5  rDev +13.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Poured a copper tinged amber, clear, slight stream of carbonation, thin head which was much like old dish water in bubble appearance which left slight lacing.
Smell is very sweet, caramel, a touch of maple syrup maybe, about right for a helles bock
Taste is dead similar but with a bread like back bone and a earthy after note, hint of alcohol jumps out as beer warms
mouthfeel very full feeling
Drinkability is real good on this one I could drink this all day long but I love bocks in their varying forms
Mar 23, 2010
Photo of laituegonflable
Reviewed by laituegonflable from Australia

3.82/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours a clear, golden colour with white head, visible small bubbles, slow bead and lacing that is dense and quite sticky, falls slowly down the glass. Looks drinkable, but fairly standard.

Nose is quite hoppy, fairly phenolic in character, but with a pleasant cakey malt aroma underlying that. Hops are quite bitter, with hints of lemon rind and grapefruit; some grain husk and soil as well. Not bad, just a little heavy on the bitter side.

Taste is an interesting one, very malty for the most part with cakey, caramel notes all over that, a hint of orange zest, and some tangy notes resembling sherbet almost. Finish is quite bitter and ever so slightly phenolic, but doesn't have any astringent bitterness, just a clean bittering off balanced very well with amber maltiness, with an almost raw sugar character at the back. Simple but surprisingly pleasant, it has a very enjoyable sweetness, slight hints of spicy sourness and zest throughout.

Mouthfeel is quite thick, aids the sweetness, but nothing clunky or syrupy, still manages to go down smoothly.

A pleasant drop, although I prefer Dead Guy as far as Maibocks go. Am quite enjoying this.
Mar 23, 2010
Photo of lacqueredmouse
Reviewed by lacqueredmouse from Australia

3.61/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Pours an absolutely gorgeous colour, a vibrantly clear orange-gold colour, with a thick and fine head of white foam leaving some good lacing. Tine finy lacing around the edges, but it looks pleasantly full-bodied. Really looks excellent.

Crisp grains and noble hops on the nose, vegatative slightly green notes, with a type of cereal sweetness. Quite refined, if not incredibly complex.

Crisp palate, redolent with hoppy phenols, and perhaps just a whiff of solvent-like booze. Grain notes are present around the edges, and fill in the back of the palate, lending a bit of depth. Carbonation is fine, but assertive - stylistically rather good. It's really quite pleasant altogether - it's not the most complex beer - but the style is not the most complex style either.

There's things to like about it - it comes across as slightly too heavy, a little too boozy for the style, but otherwise it's surprisingly crisp and drinkable. In any case, it's an excellent American example of a non-American style, which for me once again proves that the US can not only do extreme beers that push brewing to their boundaries, but can brew really good traditional styles as well.
Mar 20, 2010
Photo of BeerDawg1
Reviewed by BeerDawg1 from Massachusetts

3.9/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5
Aroma-not very potent smell at first/slightly hoppy and fruity

Appearance-golden blond color/1 finger head/no retention/no lacing

Flavor-light/crisp/clean/smell and taste don't really match but compliment each other nicley

Mouthfeel-Small bubble carbonation/clean/crisp/refreshing/doesn't sit on pallette long and leaves you wanting more

Drinkability-Could easily session this beer/very easy to drink/very light
Feb 18, 2010
Photo of jzeilinger
Reviewed by jzeilinger from Pennsylvania

3.76/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours a crisp, clear bright gold with a tremendous three finger head, pours like a pils. This beer has a nice amount of active carbonation. After several minutes, the huge three finger head subsides to a nice consistent creamy almost rocky-like head across the top.

Smell is maple syrup, very tamed hop aroma, sweet honey malt. The aroma is extremely mild and not overly distinctive, a little dissapointing.

Taste of sweet carmelized honey, over ripe apples, with very mild amount of hopping. Finishes mainly sweet and has traces of some vanilla also.

Mouthfeel is prickly and lively, heavy medium body. Drinkability for this beer is high and the alcohol never once surfaces in any way. This is a style I would normally not go for but I'm glad I went out on a limb and purchased this, definitely enjoyable.
Feb 07, 2010
Photo of Sammy
Reviewed by Sammy from Canada (ON)

3.55/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
A nice drinkable beer, nothing outstanding. Pours blonde with some white head. An aroma that would be best described as neutral. Medium plus mouthfeel, a bit of bitterness but more sweetness there. Carbonation is right there. OK, but nothing I would seek out again.
Jan 31, 2010
Photo of donkeyrunner
Reviewed by donkeyrunner from Massachusetts

3.87/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4
$4.99 @ Nikki's Providence RI

Clear, dark gold with a thin white head. Constant bubbles migrating from glass bottom to top. Weak retention at first but looked better the second time with a forced pour.

Dry, sweet biscuit aroma with a light floral mist. Pleasant and clean. Sweet poundcake malt dominates a timid floral hop spice. Again, pleasant and clean. Carbonation is a little weak.
Jan 05, 2010
Photo of rtratzlaff
Reviewed by rtratzlaff from North Carolina

3.52/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Pours a clear golden bodied beer with a thick full white head that sticks pretty well. Aromas of sweet pale Munich malts along with an herbal hop bitterness. The flavor is cereal that grain sweetness with along with noble hop character that keeps things in check. Full and lush mouthfeel along with ample carbonation. At 7.5% this one is a good drinkable helles bock and probably the best I've tasted brewed in the States.
Jan 04, 2010
Photo of Boppar
Reviewed by Boppar from New Hampshire

4.13/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Poured into a red wine glass.

A: Beautiful golden color with glorious two fingers of head, large soap bubbles, and excellent retention.

S: Honey, sweet malts, mild hop spice.

T: Honey and slight hop bite right off the bat. Sweet malts and biscuit mid-palate. Subtle hop character on the finish.

M: Medium-bodied and creamy.

D: Excellent, even for the style. I'll definitely pick up a few more next time I'm in the store because the one bottle I bought wasn;t nearly enough.
Jan 04, 2010
Photo of emsroth
Reviewed by emsroth from New York

4/5  rDev +5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
22oz bottle with gold foil cap

App: True amber with wonderful clarity. Slight head with nice lacing.

Smell: Honey and sweet pale malt. No hop aromas present.

Taste: Starts with a nice tight carbonation that leads way to a dominant honey sweetness. Dries quickly. Very herbal hops from the middle to end. Refreshing.
Dec 23, 2009
100 Barrel Series #27 - Helles Blond Bock from Harpoon Brewery & Beer Hall
Beer rating: 86 out of 100 with 73 ratings