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100 Barrel Series #52- Beer Trip 2014 Tuscan Pool Party
Harpoon Brewery & Beer Hall


Beer Geek Stats
| Print Shelf Talker
- From:
- Harpoon Brewery & Beer Hall
- Massachusetts, United States
- Style:
- Fruit and Field Beer
- ABV:
- 7.6%
- Score:
- 85
- Avg:
- 3.74 | pDev: 9.36%
- Reviews:
- 9
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Retired
- Rated:
- Jan 02, 2018
- Added:
- Dec 25, 2014
- Wants:
- 1
- Gots:
- 22
SCORE
85
Very Good
85
Very Good


Notes:
The culmination of our week of visiting Italian breweries, sipping beers poolside, and toasting sunsets over the rolling hills of Tuscany was a stop at Birricio L’Olmaia in Montepulciano, Italy. There we met renowned Italian brewer and music fanatic Moreno Ercolani. Beers were savored, hard rock echoed off the mountains, and the idea for this collaboration between brewers and vintners ignited. Salute!
Aged on oak spirals, this ale is a delicate balance of juicy hops and the sweetness of Sangiovese and Merlot grape juice.
Aged on oak spirals, this ale is a delicate balance of juicy hops and the sweetness of Sangiovese and Merlot grape juice.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Rated by fedtwist from Massachusetts
3.74/5 rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
3.74/5 rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Tasty, kinda sweet and fruity.
Jan 02, 2018Reviewed by metter98 from New York
3.77/5 rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.77/5 rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
A: The beer is clear rosé in color and has a light amount of visible carbonation. It poured with a finger high white head that died down, leaving lacing on the surface and a collar of large bubbles around the edge of the glass.
S: Light aromas of Merlot and Sangiovese grapes are present in the nose.
T: Similar to the smell, the taste has complex flavors from the juice of grapes used to make red wine with subtle hints of cherries and tomatoes from the Sangiovese grapes. No fruity sweetness is perceptible.
M: It feels a bit shy of being medium-bodied on the palate and has a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: This beer is rather "winey" in nature, except that it doesn't seem to have much in the way of oaky flavors, being more like a sangria. In any event, it is interesting and unique.
Serving type: bottle
Mar 29, 2015S: Light aromas of Merlot and Sangiovese grapes are present in the nose.
T: Similar to the smell, the taste has complex flavors from the juice of grapes used to make red wine with subtle hints of cherries and tomatoes from the Sangiovese grapes. No fruity sweetness is perceptible.
M: It feels a bit shy of being medium-bodied on the palate and has a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: This beer is rather "winey" in nature, except that it doesn't seem to have much in the way of oaky flavors, being more like a sangria. In any event, it is interesting and unique.
Serving type: bottle
Rated by jacks0n from New Jersey
4.87/5 rDev +30.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
4.87/5 rDev +30.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
Gentle session beer. Sweet and fruity without being cloying. Really delicious.
Mar 01, 2015Reviewed by 31Sam13 from New Hampshire
4.3/5 rDev +15%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
4.3/5 rDev +15%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
An interesting "session" ale with very noticeable Merlot notes. It has a beautiful tawny color, wonderful carbonation and actually lives up to the description on the bottle. It is a noble experiment with an outcome that I would purchase again. Try it...the complexity is marvelous....
Feb 16, 2015Reviewed by smcolw from Massachusetts
3.82/5 rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75
3.82/5 rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75
Nice white rocky head. Some splotches The liquid is crystal clear neutral amber color.
Interesting combination of what I believe is Belgian yeast, earthy hop and pale malts. I note some alcohol as well.
This beer has elements of a macro with a bit of a milky finish, along with a bit of grape. That's where the comparison ends. It is far more bitter and biting. The body is full and the carbonation is on the high side.
Feb 02, 2015Interesting combination of what I believe is Belgian yeast, earthy hop and pale malts. I note some alcohol as well.
This beer has elements of a macro with a bit of a milky finish, along with a bit of grape. That's where the comparison ends. It is far more bitter and biting. The body is full and the carbonation is on the high side.
Reviewed by sprat1960 from Massachusetts
3.34/5 rDev -10.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5
3.34/5 rDev -10.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5
Look: Light copper in color; transparent, lots of medium bubbles. Pours with a 2 finger creamy beige head the dies slowly leaving an uneven layer of foam on the surface and lots of sticky lacing on the glass.
Smell: Musty grapes, somewhat sweet, mild malty aroma.
Taste: Different. Tastes similar to the smell: musty grapes, slightly sweet, mild malt.
Feel: Thin body.
Overall: Different; I am glad I tried it. Kind of a cross between beer and wine - in terms of flavor. I liked it for what it was and would not mind having this on occasion; though there are many better beers out there.
Jan 28, 2015Smell: Musty grapes, somewhat sweet, mild malty aroma.
Taste: Different. Tastes similar to the smell: musty grapes, slightly sweet, mild malt.
Feel: Thin body.
Overall: Different; I am glad I tried it. Kind of a cross between beer and wine - in terms of flavor. I liked it for what it was and would not mind having this on occasion; though there are many better beers out there.
Reviewed by jlindros from Massachusetts
3.2/5 rDev -14.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25
3.2/5 rDev -14.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25
Nice creamy 1 finger head fades at med pace, crystal clear watery tan color, nice lacing.
Sour grapes, musty concord grape wine thing, light funky note, Nelson like grassy floral fruity hop, dank musty grape thing
Taste more sweet syrupy messy malt thing, bad grape flavours, earthy Italian style concord sour grape flavours, more grassy hop thing but meh, weird fruity thing.
Mouth is med to lighter bod but sticky.
Overall I was expecting a lot more from this, and it was quite meh, oh well.
Jan 18, 2015Sour grapes, musty concord grape wine thing, light funky note, Nelson like grassy floral fruity hop, dank musty grape thing
Taste more sweet syrupy messy malt thing, bad grape flavours, earthy Italian style concord sour grape flavours, more grassy hop thing but meh, weird fruity thing.
Mouth is med to lighter bod but sticky.
Overall I was expecting a lot more from this, and it was quite meh, oh well.
Reviewed by hreb from Washington
3.59/5 rDev -4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
3.59/5 rDev -4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
on tap at harpoon tap room, logan airport. served in harpoon gold-rimmed tulip. brilliant Amber in color and crystal clear. aroma is mild and slightly toasty. flavor is pretty mild. I don't know anything about this beer but I'm guessing there's some gourd in here, thus the fruit/vegetable thing. I actually would have guessed this is under 5% abv, it's so mild, so I guess it hides the alcohol really well. mid carbonation. quite drinkable, if mild.
update: I get neither oak nor wine/grape. I do see it in the color (reddish) and sweetness (and extra alcohol)
Jan 16, 2015update: I get neither oak nor wine/grape. I do see it in the color (reddish) and sweetness (and extra alcohol)
100 Barrel Series #52- Beer Trip 2014 Tuscan Pool Party from Harpoon Brewery & Beer Hall
Beer rating:
85 out of
100 with
59 ratings
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