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100 Barrel Series #30 - Island Creek Oyster Stout
Harpoon Brewery & Beer Hall
- From:
- Harpoon Brewery & Beer Hall
- Massachusetts, United States
- Style:
- English Stout
- ABV:
- 5.5%
- Score:
- 85
- Avg:
- 3.76 | pDev: 13.03%
- Reviews:
- 182
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Retired
- Rated:
- Jun 02, 2019
- Added:
- Jan 21, 2010
- Wants:
- 5
- Gots:
- 16
Brewed by Harpoon brewer Katie Tame, using Island Creek oyster farmer Skip Bennett’s revered Duxbury Bay oysters, this beer has a rich body and smooth mouthfeel derived in part from a combination of roasted barley and chocolate rye malts. The roasted malt notes blend beautifully with the briny, mineral flavors of the Island Creek oysters. An addition of hops adds some bitterness to balance the malt sweetness. This, the 30th installment of the Harpoon 100 Barrel Series, is best enjoyed with a plate full of Island Creek Oysters.
35 IBU
35 IBU
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by jbertsch:
Reviewed by jbertsch from Massachusetts
2.28/5 rDev -39.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2
2.28/5 rDev -39.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2
I don't like oysters. Frankly, knowing this was brewed with oysters scares me. And, I like VERY LITTLE seafood. But, I had to give this a try out of curiosity because it seemed creative and I think Harpoon generally does very well with their 100 Barrel Series.
Appearance: Black, with a decent frothy-tan head. Lacing is non-existent.
Aroma: Some bitter chocolate up front mixes with aromas of nuts, salt, and smokiness. The label refers to a "nutty stout" that blends well with the "mineral flavor" of oysters. I think the mineral flavors they speak of are what's giving me a salty aroma.
Taste: Faintly bitter chocolate notes are followed quickly by the minerals they spoke of - I notice it now. It's not overwhelming, but it's still a little off-putting. It's briney. When ice cold, the chocolate is more apparent. When warmed a bit, the briney aftertaste is stronger and lingers.
Mouthfeel: When cold I noticed a lot of carbonation - almost seltzer-like. Those of you who say it's velvety are kidding yourselves. Just because it's a stout doesn't make it so. In fact, the warmer it got, the thinner it tasted.
It's hard to rate this one. On one hand, this is not a stout I want again - however, did they successfully brew a fair stout with oysters without making it taste offensive? Yes, I suppose they did...but was it enjoyable? Not enough for me.
Having this with some American cheese and fig cake helped a lot to get through the bottle. Yes, I happened to have fig cake on hand.... What, you don't?
Feb 24, 2010Appearance: Black, with a decent frothy-tan head. Lacing is non-existent.
Aroma: Some bitter chocolate up front mixes with aromas of nuts, salt, and smokiness. The label refers to a "nutty stout" that blends well with the "mineral flavor" of oysters. I think the mineral flavors they speak of are what's giving me a salty aroma.
Taste: Faintly bitter chocolate notes are followed quickly by the minerals they spoke of - I notice it now. It's not overwhelming, but it's still a little off-putting. It's briney. When ice cold, the chocolate is more apparent. When warmed a bit, the briney aftertaste is stronger and lingers.
Mouthfeel: When cold I noticed a lot of carbonation - almost seltzer-like. Those of you who say it's velvety are kidding yourselves. Just because it's a stout doesn't make it so. In fact, the warmer it got, the thinner it tasted.
It's hard to rate this one. On one hand, this is not a stout I want again - however, did they successfully brew a fair stout with oysters without making it taste offensive? Yes, I suppose they did...but was it enjoyable? Not enough for me.
Having this with some American cheese and fig cake helped a lot to get through the bottle. Yes, I happened to have fig cake on hand.... What, you don't?
More User Ratings:
Reviewed by izraelc from New York
4.5/5 rDev +19.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.5/5 rDev +19.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
I had this many years ago and it was wonderful. Oyster stouts are like unicorns. Nobody makes them. Which I understand. Beer brewed with oysters sounds awful but they're not. The brinyness of the oysters adds a real depth to the stout. Phenomenal beer.
Jun 02, 2019Rated by Leeadourian
4.75/5 rDev +26.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
4.75/5 rDev +26.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
Wonderful. Rich and malty. One of the best.
Jan 16, 2015
100 Barrel Series #30 - Island Creek Oyster Stout from Harpoon Brewery & Beer Hall
Beer rating:
85 out of
100 with
228 ratings
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