100 Barrel Series #46 - Hoppy Belgian Style Blonde
Harpoon Brewery & Beer Hall

3.64/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz bottle as part of the Harpoon 30th Anniversary pack. Enjoy by 1/15/2017.

Deep gold, hazy pour. Average-sized white head sits on top with good retention. The aroma is bold and hits you with floral hops initially followed by strong citrus fruit, mostly lemon and orange, and vanilla. The Belgian yeast is more prominent in the flavor than the aroma, adding its characteristic fruit and slice to the mix. Medium bodied with a dry and bitter finish.

Not a bad beer overall, but not as refreshing as I was hoping for. The hops and yeast clash, creating an odd combination and taking away from its drinkability.

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3.7/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Found this for 4 bucks at the Beermuda. Seeing as this is almost a year old I don't expect much. Into a pint glass.

A - Surprised the first pour gave me no sediment I know there is a shit ton in there. Head is minimal from a light pour. Color is a bright hazy orange yellow color.
S - Mildly dry yet fruity Belgium yeasts. Some pilsner skunk smells of yeasts. Not picking up any hops.
T - Mildly hoppy, some pilsner flavors but mostly like a Belgium pale with dry and fruity yeasts. Quite smooth and somewhat easy to drink.
M - Light to medium on par with the ABV,

Overall this beer may have lost some carbonation and is a bit lackluster but its still worth picking up on discount. A decent beer.

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3.65/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

"We all love beer here, but we're not all brewers. That changes when the Kettle Cup, our annual employee brewing competition, rolls around. In 2012 we decided that the winning beer would join the ranks of our 100 Barrel Series. Chris, Kevin, and John from Harpoon Distributing Company and brewer Charlie took first place with this hoppy Belgian-style blonde ale." Brewed in the style of a Belgian Pale Ale. This is the 46th entry in the 100 Barrel Series, released as a one-off in 22 oz. bottles and on limited draft.

Poured from a 22 oz. bottle to a pint glass. Served above 58º Fahrenheit.

(Appearance) Pours a crisp frothy pearl white head over a moderately hazy golden amber body. Flecked sediment is a mild impediment to clarity. Retention is good, lacing is light and streaked. 4.25

(Smell) Sweet toasted pale caramel malt, cracker malt and wheat malt body with a moderate citrusy and herbal hop profile with a medium bitterness. Yeast profile produces a bold level of fruit and spice to smooth out the edges. Nice balance of malt and hop aroma. Potency is medium. 3.5

(Taste) Pilsner cracker malt and a light toasted caramel grain body has a mild sweetness with a grassy, herbal and lemon rind hop profile. Bitterness is medium and combined with the Belgian yeast profile culminates into a soft, slightly dry finish. Very flavorful, but not overly filling. 3.5

(Mouthfeel) Texture is slick, peppery, mildly oily. Carbonation generates a creamy, fluffy and moderately full mouthfeel. Body is medium+ for the style, medium overall. Balance is slightly yeasty and hoppy bitter over sweet. Alcohol presence is very low, and there are no off-flavors. 4

(Overall) Quite a tasty beer, very much like a White IPA but very well rounded on the malt and hop flavors. I wouldn't call the hops a "big kick" but do find that they go well with the style without overshadowing the malt or yeast profiles. It's quite enjoyable. 3.75

Harpoon Brewery & Beer Hall's
100 Barrel Series #46: Kettle Cup 2013: Hoppy Belgian Style Blonde
3.64/5.00

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3.68/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Pours a cloudy/hazy straw yellow color with a fluffy white head. Once the initial bloom wears off, retention is pretty good. Decent, scattered lace left behind.
Smell is a mix of citrus and floral hops primarily with some lesser notes of malt, yeast, and spice. Pretty nice balance.
Taste is, of course, hoppy but not overly do, with malt and biscuit notes followed by light spices. Well blended.
Body is slightly under medium, effervescence is a bit tingly but nicely refreshing. Aftertaste is yeast, malt and hops. Very nice.A slight warming early to middle, finish is dry.

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2.78/5  rDev -23.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Draught @ Harpoon: This one pours a hazy, golden color. There was a bit of a frothy white head on it. It left some lacing. The nose is pine, pine and more pine. Nothing else. The taste is bitter pine hops. Wondering where the Belgian beer in the name went: it is completely overwhelmed by the hops. This isn’t very well executed. I would have expected some of the Belgian characteristics of the base beer to come through. I might as well had a glass of hops to drink. Also: at $8 for a small glass at the brewery it is very overpriced.

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3.73/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Really pleasing sunny deep straw color with some golden haziness. Light thin fluffy head.

Nose is bready, yeasty, Some hints of lemon, orange, and melon.

Taste is a little too lemon sugary sweet upfront. Follows with a really nice bready belgian yeast flavor. Little bit of banana.

Feel is pretty solid medium

Nice brew. Enticing up front, but the actual flavor comes off a little off and unbalanced. Good for a sunset in October.

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3.55/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Pours a dark golden color with some sediment. White head with lace in the glass. Aroma of expressive Belgian yeast, some citrus hops as well. Saison like yeast complexity, definitely tastes Belgian. Wheat and semi spicy , somewhat fruity Belgian yeast profile. There is a small leafy hop and mild acidity but tame bitterness. Medium bodied feel with a moderate level of carbonation. Overall, this was a pretty nice brew, has held up well after aging several months.

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4.51/5  rDev +23.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a snifter from the 12 oz. bottle.

a: Straw yellow, moderate head and some light lacing.

s: Hoppy but complex not as funky as a heavy brett Belgian, but in that arena, with lots of American hop aroma.

t: Nice light Belgian, with nice hoppy American bitterness. A more American, less funky take on the Orval style.

m: Moderate carbonation more typical of Harpoon, medium body.

o: The best of the 100 barrel series I've tasted, very nice unique beer, If I can find a few more I'd love to taste one aged for at least a year.

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3.32/5  rDev -8.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A nice gold color, with a good solid head. I can smell hops. Lots of hops. More citrus than anything else. I could not smell malt. I could however taste a tiny bit of malt, but the hops dominated. If you like citrus tasting hops, this is a good brew.

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3.85/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

tap

Pours a light clear gold, white lacing.

Smells of light grassy malts with some citrus.

Light citrus tart flavor up front followed by grassy malts and a mild floral hop bite.

Lighter body with a sting of carbonation on the tongue.

A pretty good Belgian style ale, decent flavor, and definitely worth trying.

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3.8/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22 ounce bottle into tulip glass, best before 8/15/2013. Pours moderately hazy and cloudy pale golden amber color with a 2 finger dense white head with great retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lingers. Spotty foamy lacing clings around the glass. Aromas of big lemon zest, orange zest, pineapple, peach, pear, clove, pepper, banana, bubblegum, wheat, floral, grass, and floral/yeast earthiness. Damn nice aromas with good balance and complexity of hop and yeast ester notes; with good strength. Taste of lemon zest, orange zest, pineapple, pear, clove, banana, pepper, bubblegum, floral, grass, wheat, and floral/yeast earthiness. Light earthy floral bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of citrus zest, pineapple, pear, clove, banana, pepper, bubblegum, floral, grass, wheat, and earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Nice balance and complexity of citrus hops with fruity/spicy yeast esters; with a fair amount of flavor robustness and zero cloying flavors after the finish. Medium carbonation and body; with a very smooth, crisp, and lightly prickly mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is very well hidden with minimal warming present after the finish. Overall this is a very good hoppy Belgian style. Good balance and complexity of hop and yeast ester notes; and very smooth and crisp to drink. A very enjoyable offering.

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4.16/5  rDev +14.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On draft at The Lark, East Northport, NY.

Poured a hazy brassy hue with a one finger foamy white head. There was good retention and lacing.

The smell featured earthy esters with an herbal hop.

The taste consisted of a vibrant herbal hop with a pleasant ester and grainy malt.

The mouthfeel was typical of the style with a dry finish.

Overall a tasty user friendly Belgian ale.

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3.75/5  rDev +3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Bottle: Poured a light hazy beige color ale with a large fluffy head with good retention and some lacing. Aroma consists of biscuit malt with light fruity ester and some floral malt. Taste is also a nice mix of biscuit malt with light fruity ester and some floral dry hops with light residuals sugar notes. Body is a touch fuller then average with good carbonation. Refreshing and somewhat complex beer.

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3.81/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Best by:8/13/13.Poured into a large tulip glass a slightly hazed lemony yellow with a faint orange tinge,a large blooming head a good looking Brussels lace left behind as it settles ever so slowly.Yeasty penols stand out most but there is a nice little shot of juicy citrusy hops that sneak thru a little.Quite dry on the palate with mild toasted creal grain flavors up front,yeasty phenols play a role in the flavor but not to overbrearing,a citric leafy hopped up finish that lingers along with a noticable pepperiness.A refreshing beer and quite solid for the style in my opinion.

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3.27/5  rDev -10.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

Appearance: Pours a clear golden blonde with two fingers of white head that disappears quickly, decent lacing.

Smell: Belgian yeast, doesn't smell extremely hoppy but there are some floral notes and a bit of banana sweetness in the scent.

Taste: Spicy and more bitter than I expect with some decent fruit notes present. Interesting flavors going on here and I'm not sure they are blended together well enough.

Mouthfeel: More carbonation than I'd expect and otherwise light to medium bodied and fairly easy drinking. A bit of bitterness but nothing substantial.

Overall: This was an interesting beer from Harpoon and different from what I've tasted. Not quite a Belgian IPA, but a decent beer nonetheless. I don't think I will try it again but this wasn't bad at all.

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3.67/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

From the 22. fl. oz bottle. Sampled on June 28, 2013.

It pours brilliant golden yellow with a murky unfiltered haze and a fizzy white head that settles down after a few minutes.

The aroma is citrus forward and more specifically grapefruit. Yes, I do get the Belgian pale malts, Belgian yeast, and Belgian sugars but the citrus overpowers it all.

The body is light to medium.

The taste, like the aroma, tends to emphasize the grapefruit zing while the malts and sugar are downplayed. Slightly hopped up as advertised with a lingering finish.

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3.6/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Bottle shared by festero, thanks for the opportunity Dave!
Pours a slightly hazy straw color with a smallish bone white head that dissipates rather quickly. The aroma is quite hoppy with a spicy citrus earthy herbal quality to it. Belgian yeasty esters take over and for me hide the sweet honey like maltiness in this brew. The flavor is a bit sweet up front with a solid shot of earthy spice. Medium body with a moderate to high level of carbonation and a sweet spicy mouthfeel. Decent brew, but not really my cup of tea. The hop forward character here is quite nice but for me the spicy yeasty phenols ruin it. Nice to try, but one and done for me.

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3.77/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Enjoy By 08/15/13

A: Pours a golden yellow color with 2 fingers of head that slowly fades down to a cap

S: Belgian yeast, banana and clove, some other fruits, a hint of spiciness, and light hops in the background

T: Starts off with the yeast which imparts a fruity and spicy character and then moves into the hoppiness which is pretty much just bitterness. Finishes bitter

M: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation

O: Bordering a Belgian IPA because of the hoppiness, this brew is slightly one-dimensional in the fact that pretty much all of the flavor is coming from the yeast. The hops simply provide a lingering bitterness from middle to end. That said, this is still a solid brew that encompasses Belgian yeast quite well. Good value as with all of the 100 barrel series, and very easy to drink

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3.29/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.25

This is a pale blonde for sure, a very light yellow color but with a certain brightness and depth, and very clear. There's consistent light bubbling activity, which stabilizes a white head that's very soapy. At it's peak it's perhaps a hair over one finger tall, and it falls down to a strong, heavy island of tight foam. The lacing's where it's beauty lies, as it demonstrates plenty of initiative and strength from the start as it deposits webbing at the top of the glass and continues the way down with excellent patching.
The smell contains something I can't very easily discern, possibly an effect of the Belgian yeast, but unusual regardless. The smell reminds me of a helles or a Euro pale, and something akin to having Saaz hops or pilsner malts. I doubt it does, but the overall effect seems to come together that way. Otherwise there is a strong citrus note (more orange than lemon but not sweet, per se) along with floral and herbal notes. There's something almost, but not exactly, meaty, for lack of a better descriptor. Harder spiciness and an oddly woody, not bitter enough to be pithy, note is found in the finish.
I'm not imagining. That almost-meaty note is in the flavor. There's also lots of spiciness and the herbal and floral notes are strong. I wouldn't exactly call it especially hoppy. It really is more like a helles than I would have thought, but with some odd notes.
The feel is light and crisp with a nice, firm and flowing creaminess. The spiciness is felt on the tongue in the finish.

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3.64/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Had this on tap at oak bar. I try to get at these 100 barrels on occasion, and this is one of the better ones. The taste is exactly as the name would let you believe, a decent amount of hoppiness with the lighter Belgian taste. Lots of yeast coming through throughout. Give it a try while you can.

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3.43/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

5 words to describe it: Dry, Yeast, Floral, Pepper, Cookie

Paired it with: Roasted beet and goat cheese salad

Should have paired it with: It was great against the creamy, funkiness of goat cheese. It would also be great with sweet barbeque.

Drink it if you like: Lemonade & vodka, Pale Ales, IPAs, Tripels

A few other thoughts: This was interesting because it really was like two different beers— there was a quick taste of Belgian yeast and cloves at the start, and then a hop slam and super long aftertaste. But to be honest, I would rather have a great Belgian Golden or a great IPA individually.

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3.29/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

A: Hazy amber color, not t much transperency, a slight off white head at the top that leaves quickly and a little bit of lacing around the glass.

S: The malts are very present up front, slight hint of bread and brown sugar and a little hint of Vanilla.

T: The vanilla and malts hit you right from the start, a little bitterness but nothing over bearing, hints of brown sugar and vanilla just like the nose.

M: Not to much carbonation, medium bodied, and a little sticky.

O: This was an ok beer, nothing spectacular, seemed like it was more of a regular pale ale, rather than a belgian.

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3.48/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: pours a hazy and cloudy orange color with a one inch head.

Smell: yeast and orange are most notable.

Taste: caramel, big orange citrus, some milder lemon, yeast, clove, pepper, and a big floral hop bitterness are the main flavors.

Mouthfeel: medium bodied beer. Very crisp to start, less crisp and a touch dry late. Aftertaste is long lasting.

Overall: easy to drink hoppy and yeasty centric beer. Tasty and worthy of a try if you find it.

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4.01/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

On-tap 5/20/2013 at Doherty’s East Ave Irish Pub in Pawtucket, RI, served in a US tumbler pint glass.

A: The beer is a light yellow color, with a short white head that fades slowly and leaves a spotty lace on the glass.

S: The aroma contains spice, citrus Belgian yeast, light caramelized malts and some hops.

T: The taste starts with a mild burst of hops bitterness. Then some flavors of citrus, spices and Belgian yeast come in. The malt character is hearty but not too heavy and brings a good balance. The after-taste is slightly hoppy.

M: Smooth and very crisp, medium body, medium carbonation, finish is clean and dry.

O: Tasty, goes down easily, not too filling, decent kick, good representation of style, this is a solid flavorful beer to drink for a long time.

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3.79/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Pours a hazy golden color with some orange highlights. The pure white head is fluffy and big but quickly settles into a sparse cap. Left some lacing on the glass.

The aroma is sweet and spicy. The pale/pils malt doesn't provide much to the aroma since there is a strong clove and hay scent from the yeast. Some bubblegum as well. The hops appear to be both grassy and have orange/tropical fruit notes.

The clove and hay are present in the flavor as well just not as strong. The malt appears to be more bready than dry. The hops are floral and grassy not so much with the tropical notes. There does appear to be a lemony fruitiness which adds some brightness. Not as complex as a true Belgian IPA. The yeast flavors are a tad lacking and not sure if candi sugar was added.

The feel is moderate with sharp carbonation. Good range of sweet, dry, and bitter on the palate. The finish is a bit too dry and the overall feel seems too crisp for the style.

A good example of an American BIPA. Hops seem to be more European in nature or at least grassy. The beer is just lacking some depth.

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