100 Barrel Series #38 - Dočesná Czech Hop Harvest Ale
Harpoon Brewery & Beer Hall

100 Barrel Series #38 - Dočesná Czech Hop Harvest Ale100 Barrel Series #38 - Dočesná Czech Hop Harvest Ale
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From:
Harpoon Brewery & Beer Hall
 
Massachusetts, United States
Style:
English Pale Ale
ABV:
6.1%
Score:
83
Avg:
3.68 | pDev: 13.59%
Reviews:
67
Ratings:
120
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Sep 05, 2015
Added:
Sep 07, 2011
Wants:
  2
Gots:
  6
Beer has inspired traditions and celebrations across the world. As brewers, there is one festival in particular that has intrigued us because it is devoted to a single beer ingredient: hops. The Dočesná hop festival celebrates the harvest of hops, grown in the area surrounding the Bohemian city of Zatec. The area has a long history as one of the world’s eminent hop growing regions. This is commemorated annually with music, dancing, hop-picking competitions, and beer drinking. An inspiration indeed for brewing a beer!

This deep chestnut colored ale uses Sládek hops imported from the Zatec region. The Sladek hops provide a clean, slightly bitter but smooth finish. With a medium body, it is well balanced beer. A great choice for celebrations.

35 IBU
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
 
Rated: 4 by Magister_Beav from Vermont

Sep 05, 2015
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Reviewed by Cyberkedi from Georgia

3.71/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Strong, malty aroma has firm fruity and hoppy notes, the former mainly apple, a hint of cloves. Pours a slightly hazy coppery brown with a rather thick light tan head that leaves good lacing. Flavor has a good malty core with a hoppy but scarcely bitter overtone and whispers of cloves and fruit. Firm-bodied texture has good fizz and leaves a pleasant malty, fruity finish.
Jan 05, 2015
 
Rated: 3 by malfunxion from New York

Sep 01, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by wrightst from Maryland

Aug 07, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by costanzo_mike from Massachusetts

Jul 17, 2014
 
Rated: 3 by mattmarka1 from Minnesota

Jan 15, 2014
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Reviewed by GratefulBeerGuy from New Hampshire

4.57/5  rDev +24.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Well, it looks like I'm in the minority on this brew, Because I Really dig It!!

Pours out a clear, bright, light shade of amber, 3" tower of foam, smooth, dense, slowww dissipation. Legs all over the place as it recedes.

A wonderful hoppy aroma, Saaz is and has been one of my very favorite hop varieties. classic in it;s spicy, earthy aroma and flavor. It's grounding yet complex. Used for many traditional and now, not so traditional brews. Wild fruity red berries, pine cone, dry forest floor in the middle of summer, You know the smell, hot pine and roasty leaves. Woody caramel and tropical fruits in subtle ways.

Wowie!! What a unique and bold hop flavor! amazing complexity from a traditional hop...Big earthiness, dry and hearty, wheat and rye, slight citric bite, slightly bitter. Major complexity from these hops and the malt is light and crisp, balanced out just right. The Sladek hop flavor is really a fine compliment, unique and very flavorful hop!! It's really my kind of hop flavor here, I'm surprised that the majority of folks on here don't feel the same way, but this is a very subjective art form, this beer reviewing thing...

The feeling, the mouth feel, for this brew impressed me just as much as the rest, Ultra crispy, Clean, smooth in the long run, Lush going down, this is my favorite from this series since the Kellerbier that was released way back when.
Nov 20, 2013
 
Rated: 3.5 by KarateShow from Massachusetts

Jun 05, 2013
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Reviewed by mfnmbvp from Illinois

3.83/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
22 oz. (1 pint 6 fl oz.) bottle, with no apparent bottled on date present. I know this beer is retired, but I found a few of these hanging out in the fridge at my local beer store. I haven't had any of the other beers in the Harpoon 100 Barrel Series, so this will be a first for me.

Poured into a Firestone Walker pint glass.

A - Pours a dark blood orange / ruby color ('chestnut' as the bottle describes) with two fingers of frothy, bubbly off-white head, with nice retention. Some nice rings of lacing on the way down.

S - Smell is of faint muted fruity pine hops, though still retaining a crispness to it, along with some roasted malty qualities. Not spectacular on the nose.

T - Taste is very sweet, honey & tea leaf like hop profile, balanced well with the malts. The hop bitterness has definitely faded some, but I love what it has become, when the leafy sweetness comes out. Still retains a resinous bitter aftertaste, though.

M - Smooth and creamy, yet the body of the beer is carbonated and bloating which doesn't fit in with the texture of the beer at all.

Overall, this beer definitely surprised me. A fine example of the style, and of the three beers I've had by Harpoon so far, this bottle has probably impressed me the most. A beer I would buy again, although I'd be interested in trying others in this series.

Harpoon 100 Barrel Series #38 Dočesná Czech Hop Harvest Ale ---4/5.
Apr 03, 2013
 
Rated: 3.5 by st9647v3 from New Jersey

Feb 11, 2013
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Reviewed by Ego from New Jersey

3.46/5  rDev -6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
found this lingering around my cellar...

eyes...
almost 2 fingers of micro bubble head rise on the casual pour, slow audible snap and crackle head, light brown with some orange tone, lots of bubbles looking to attend the top of the glass party, nice coverage of lacing as this goes down, a nice looking brew.

nose...
honey bready/malty with herb/hop notes, slight slight slight euro funk tone, some cinnamon lurking underneath, pretty nice.

taste...
medium mouthfeel, smooth delivery with the carbonation, perfect at cellar temp, malty tones softly start out and then fade into some mild bitterness, albeit more bitterness than a typical english bitter it is by no means anywhere near an american bitter/IPA/hop killer etc., this drinks like a nice english bitter with slightly more hops but not quite as smooth as the classics (Like say fullers ESB), something labeled "hop harvest" usually has a bit more punch but the Sladek hops don't punch, I am maybe wishing this to be done with a Czech pils to showcase the hops more.. but alas I can only rate what is on my plate.

verdict?
I probably couldn't drink this all night but definitely could have a few... a non offensive beer, well crafted but nothing worth going gaga over, if you see it and the price is reasonable ? sure, grab it, it is a nice drinking brew, nothing special imo.
Dec 02, 2012
 
Rated: 3.75 by sendbeer from Georgia

Nov 03, 2012
 
Rated: 3.5 by t0rin0 from California

Oct 14, 2012
 
Rated: 3.75 by bluckbeyes from Oregon

Aug 23, 2012
 
Rated: 3.75 by mattparsons from New Hampshire

Aug 05, 2012
 
Rated: 4.5 by andylipp from Massachusetts

Jul 26, 2012
 
Rated: 3.5 by trevorpost from Pennsylvania

Jun 28, 2012
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Reviewed by raszputini from North Carolina

4.42/5  rDev +20.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Pours a rich amber - almost looks like bourbon, ironically - with a moderate off-white head. The nose is dominated by the bourbon, with a light crispness from the hops. The taste is somewhat thin, expected from a pale ale base, with the bourbon being out in front again. The tones from the barrel are not overwhelming however, as many barrel aged ales are. This is a much more subtle tone. There are also notes of grapes, light caramel and a nice crisp floral hop finish. The mouth feel is thin, but slightly oily. This is a very easy drinking, well-balanced brew. Very nice.
Apr 23, 2012
 
Rated: 3.5 by kirkse from Florida

Apr 07, 2012
 
Rated: 3.75 by raythealeman from Connecticut

Apr 05, 2012
100 Barrel Series #38 - Dočesná Czech Hop Harvest Ale from Harpoon Brewery & Beer Hall
Beer rating: 83 out of 100 with 120 ratings