100 Barrel Series #12 - Imperial Stout
Harpoon Brewery & Beer Hall

100 Barrel Series #12 - Imperial Stout100 Barrel Series #12 - Imperial Stout
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From:
Harpoon Brewery & Beer Hall
 
Massachusetts, United States
Style:
Russian Imperial Stout
ABV:
7.7%
Score:
89
Avg:
3.97 | pDev: 11.34%
Reviews:
60
Ratings:
69
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Jul 14, 2013
Added:
Oct 16, 2005
Wants:
  4
Gots:
  0
Imperial Stout had its noble beginnings in the late 18th century to appease the Tsarist courts of Empress Catherine II. With an original gravity of 19° P, high percentages of roasted barley, brown and caramel malts, and the finest noble English hops, this beer will surely keep the winter chill off.

50 IBU
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
 
Rated: 3.75 by WOLFGANG from South Carolina

Jul 14, 2013
 
Rated: 3.75 by JoeMarsh from Missouri

Jun 28, 2013
 
Rated: 4 by jaxon53 from Connecticut

Jun 25, 2013
 
Rated: 4 by Gerardes from New Hampshire

Apr 29, 2013
 
Rated: 4 by DmanGTR from New York

Jan 29, 2013
 
Rated: 3.25 by t0rin0 from California

Oct 14, 2012
 
Rated: 4 by sauger86 from Massachusetts

Feb 14, 2012
 
Rated: 4 by Rochefort10nh from New Hampshire

Dec 06, 2011
 
Rated: 4 by rab53 from Washington

Dec 01, 2011
Photo of brokensail
Reviewed by brokensail from California

3.21/5  rDev -19.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Thanks for sharing this one, Bobby.

A: The pour is essentially black in color with a thin layer of khaki colored foam.

S: A little bit of soy sauce followed by roasted malt and coffee. Some sweet and dark chocolate notes with a hint of licorice. There is a definite burnt sugar aroma, perhaps some graham cracker.

T: This was sweeter than expected. Chocolate and roasted malt with molasses and soy sauce. A bit of coffee and maybe even a little vinous, sort of a port type oxidation to it.

M: Medium bodied with a smooth, low carbonation.

O: Too much soy sauce to be anything good.
Sep 17, 2011
Photo of SPLITGRIN
Reviewed by SPLITGRIN from Kentucky

4.07/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Head is a short solid rocky inch of crackling carmel brown fuzz that fades in minutes to just a skim. Body is a chocolate syrup blackness setting beautiful in the glass. Nose has distinct sweet toffee malt wraped with attractive bourbon. There may be some soured darkfruit there also. Enters the mouth with a distinct candied sweetness with graham cracker, plum, anise and burnt malt. The flavor profile is kind of like when you cook down a sweet liquer in a frying pan. Turns to more of a black licorice hue on the back of the tongue as you drink more. Nicely drinkable but misses the bold richness of my favorite Barrel aged stouts.
Feb 04, 2009
Photo of morebeergood
Reviewed by morebeergood from Massachusetts

4.17/5  rDev +5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Had a few of these stocked up in my beer cellar when it first came out, and decided to drink the last one this past weekend. Poured it into two pint glasses. Immense head was a pleasure to see. It was a very dark brown in color, not quite black though. The smell was of roasted barley, coffee, and hints of chocolate. The taste, was to be honest, one of the best imperial stouts that I have had the honor to drink. I had a bottle when this was first released, and I have to admit that this beer aged quite well over time. It was so smooth and drinkable, to the point that I wished that I had more of these in my stock. This is the only 100 Barrel beer that I bought multiple bottles of. Absolutely delicious.
Dec 04, 2007
Photo of laintringulis
Reviewed by laintringulis from Ohio

3.85/5  rDev -3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4
Served in a wide mouth goblet.

Appearance: Pours a dark brown, almost black with a slight ruby opaqueness. Moderate light beige head that thins quickly. Small tight carbonation bubbles throughout drinking.

Smells: Strong roasted/toasted malts, coffee, bourbon, spicy alcohol. Pleasant earthiness.

Taste: I wish it tasted as rich and full as it smelled. Very mild coffee and chocolate flavors present. Moderate caramel malt with sweet raisin flavor. Overall, a pleasant spicy alcohol dominated this brew. I would have liked a better balance of the coffee/chocolate flavors and the malts/alcohol.

Mouthfeel: Medium body, not watery. Not chewy at all. I would have preferred more of a mouthfeel and chewiness. Very light and brief slickness in the middle finishing with a pleasant dry, spicy alcohol bitterness.

Drinkability: Easy to drink, tasty, but not complex. Sessionable. I think this would be better paired with food. I had mine solo and I don't think it is a stand alone beer, unless you have more than one.
Mar 16, 2007
Photo of sinstaineddemon
Reviewed by sinstaineddemon from Connecticut

4.12/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
been saving this bad boy for over a year (part of Stout Night blind taste test, 2/18/06)

A - impenetrably black with a half finger of dark caramel colored head welled up by unseen carbonation, slightly frothy/rocky head

S - i don't know if it is because i cellared this for a year, but it has a nice aroma, almost like and RIS/Old Ale amalgam, a huge buttery toffee acetyl scent added to the nose as well, the alcohol is highly noticeable but not to the point of being a detriment, and finally at the back of the nose is a blend of dark raisin and mocha aromas, a rather nice bouquet

T - very rich, thick flavor, full bodied, the alcohol is present but faded into the background, stepping up are deep coffee and mocha flavors with a nice backbone of vanilla and toffee, a bittersweet battle of flavors descended from their malt and hops ancestors, what a nice stout

M&D - smooth, thick and rich, with a nice mouthfeel, warming on the way down without being to terribly alcoholic, a nice easy down stout. makes me wish i could get more of it, maybe they'll encore this one.
Feb 19, 2007
Photo of SaCkErZ9
Reviewed by SaCkErZ9 from South Carolina

3.46/5  rDev -12.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
Dispensed from a 22oz bottle into an imperial pint glass. Appearance is nearly perfect for an Impy Stout. Nice and black, opaque, thick as motor oil as it pours from the bottle. A decent sized, chocolate head covers the beer, leaving little lacing but having great retention.

Aromas were a little disappointing. Mostly chocolate as well as dark fruits like cherries and plums. Alcohol is noticeable in the aroma which seems odd as this is only 7.7abv. Sweet smelling, lots of toasty malt and nutty aromas.

Taste was sweet and full of coffee. The alcohol was definitely in the taste. Chocolate in the finish. Pretty fruity but the hops seem to be hidden in there somewhere and dont make a shining appearance. The bottle says 50 ibus, which seems about right I suppose.

This is not a bad imperial stout but I have had better. Certainly drinkable and worthy of a chance. Perhaps a little to tame for me. Mouthfeel is nice and thick but the noticability of the alcohol brings the overall drinkability down in my book.
Dec 26, 2006
Photo of Kendo
Reviewed by Kendo from New York

4.15/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
A: Dark black. Held up to a light directly behind it, no light comes through at all. A big, fluffy, 2-finger chocolate milkshake-colored head settles slowly, leaving no lacing at all.

S: Mild at first -- hazelnut, coffee and chocolate. All become more pronounced as it warms.

T:Hazelnut coffee. Roasted malts. Chocolate/cocoa. Dark chocolate bitterness coats the back of the tongue. Alcohol warms the belly but is not noticeable in the taste at all, as the hazelnut sweetness and coffee flavors dominate early and the bitterness finishes it nicely.

M: I felt a slight chalkiness at first, but it seemed short-lived. It became very smooth and creamy and was lighter than expected for the style (not a bad thing, as some RIS-style stouts are just too chewy).

D: Excellent. An easy-drinking brew, nice and creamy but flavorful enough to keep you interested.

Notes: This has been in my cellar for about a year. Not sure what that may have done for the flavors overall, but I thought this was an enjoyable stout -- I didn't find it too sweet as some other reviewers have. If they brewed this regularly, I would certainly purchase it regularly.
Dec 24, 2006
Photo of rsyberg01
Reviewed by rsyberg01 from Oregon

3.95/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
S - 22 oz. bomber with a gold foil wrapper on the cap. Thanks to Nouseforotacon for this bottle.

A - Pours a black with a deep red at the very edges, head isnt that big but it is somewhat sticky, Lacing is decent.

S - Maple syrup, sugary oatmeal, deep dark fruits, fig and berries, slightly roasty as well. Somewhat of an alcohol warming in the nostrils. Quite nice.

T - Oats, sugary sweet, little earthy tone, toasted caramel, fruit character is nice, bitter in the finish.

M - Coats the palate though it is a little light for me, overall it isnt what I had expected but not bad.

D - I would say a bomber would be the perfect serving. Not bad at all.
Nov 11, 2006
Photo of SteveO1231
Reviewed by SteveO1231 from Connecticut

4/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
100 barrel series # 12 came in a 22 oz. brown bomber 101705 printed on the label. Pours a jet black opaque with tiny maroon highlights when held to the light. Nice layer of off white foam settles quickly and leaves great lacing. Great aroma of chocolate, roasted malts, hazelnut, and coffee beans. Rather light texture for an IS. Very smooth. Flavor is caramel sweet with a large amount of bitter chocolate, and roasted barley. Finish has a dry bitterness like espresso. Overall very tasty brew. I think that this is one of the better 100 Bbl series beers that I've tried.

Cheers!
Nov 03, 2006
Photo of Sycodrummer
Reviewed by Sycodrummer from Massachusetts

4.82/5  rDev +21.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Poured from the black, capped, and foil encrusted bomber into a snifter the beer was a very dark, near opaque, black with some slight ruby hues. Carbonation clung to the glass and a frothy one-finger off-white head crowned the beer.

The nose is filled with coffee aromas; expresso, mocha, chicory. Chocolate and sweet malt in the nose as well with a tinge of carmale and alcohol.

This is a highly robust, coffee, and sweet RIS. Coffee flavors are abound here with a sweet start and slightly bitter chicory-like finish. Expresso, coffee beans, cocoa, chocolate all compliment a robust malt backbone. A deep roasted character and suprisingly devilish ABV that sneaks up especially when slightly warmer. The finish is slightly bitter with soft hints of dark fruit.

A big robust mouthfeel with little carbonation.

This is quite possibly my favorite beer from Harpoon to date. True, I have an affinity for the style, but this was well done. Nice balance of dark flavors and a beer that dares you to drink more, but has a suprisingly potent ABV. I would love for this to make a return in 6-ers.
May 15, 2006
Photo of mcowgill
Reviewed by mcowgill from Massachusetts

3.21/5  rDev -19.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
A - Pours an almost black color with a tan head that quickly fades into a thin film

S - Dark malts with hints of coffee and chocolate

T - Very sweet malty flavor. A little too sweet for my liking. Not much hoppiness to balance things.

M - Thick and full bodied

D - This is a sipping beer. Overall this is not my favorite Imperial Stout but it certainly gets the job done.
May 14, 2006
100 Barrel Series #12 - Imperial Stout from Harpoon Brewery & Beer Hall
Beer rating: 89 out of 100 with 69 ratings