Harpoon 100 Barrel Series #26 - Catamount Maple Wheat
This full, smooth wheat ale is warming and delicious. It’s mildly hopped to let the distinct flavor and aroma of real VT maple syrup take the lead. The maple sweetness and body that blankets this velvety amber beer showcases one of New Englands most beloved traditions. Brewed with wheat malt, pale malt and caramel malt. The pure maple syrup used in this beer came from two syrup makers in the Green Mountain State. The Baker Family in East Dummerston has been boiling maple sugar since the 1950s. Dave Gavett also provided syrup from his Scrag Mountain Sugar House in Waitsfield. John’s recipe, along with top quality syrup from these two Vermont maple sugar operations, resulted in a crisp wheat ale that is warming and delicious. It is mildly hopped to profile the distinct aroma and flavor of real Vermont Maple Syrup. Hopped with Willamette. Brewed by John Baker
3
165 reviews
Boston, United States
Community reviews
On tap. A clear brown amber color with a white head that had some retention and no lace. Aroma had some nice maple syrup notes and a mild wheat notes. Flavor was similar, somewhat two dimensional. Although overall i did not like this beer. I was happy there was not too much maple syrup as it can be over powering. Finish was slightly dry.
On tap at Sunset Grill - Allston, MA. Super scotchy! Dry, strong, alcoholic grain notes. Really big scotch aroma overpowers the base. In the middle though, what is normally an over-sweet beer is nicely balanced by the dry, biting alcoholic heat of scotch and the parching sensation of the oak. They really balance out nicely. The maple flavor does get a bit buried under the presence of the wood tones and the scotch strength, but I think it’s adding subtle brown sugar complexity. Not bad.
Earlier Rating: 2/5/2011 Total Score: 1.4
Batch #35 22oz Bottle, purchased at Wakefield Liquors - Wakefield, RI. Let’s get the bad stuff out of the way first. For starters, these new Harpoon 100 barrel series bottles with the narrow neck suck. As an anal retentive homebrewer, I hate "unique" bottles, especially ones that will intentionally stir up yeast in unfiltered beers. If you’re going to charge me $5.95 for a bottle of "100 Barrel Series" beer, make it worth my while. It should be special, not some sodapop-flavored filtered maple beverage. Finally, should any wheat ale be crystal clear if it’s not a Kristalweiss? This beer tastes filtered to death. Strip all the flavor out and leave behind tinted mineral water. I like mineral water, but I don’t like it with bubblegum wheat flavor and a $6 price tag. Beyond the emaciated flavor and texture profiles of this beer lies a visage of what could have been a New England classic, hearty fresh oily wheat flavors, paired up with a drizzle of real maple syrup flavor to make a beer that would taste something like a grownup’s bowl of cream of wheat with Vermont maple syrup. Instead, I feel like I’m drinking an "Italian Soda" in fad-forward yuppie-shithead chain store. Oops, I guess I didn’t have anything nice to say about this sorry excuse for a novelty beer after all.
Pours mid orange with sweet malt/maple notes. It shows sweetness up front and then rounds out at the end with grain notes. Nice mid length finish.
Bottle, dissipating white head with amber colour. The aroma is maple, caramel and cinnamon. The taste is very malty and sweet, with a bit of a hop finish. There is a lot of sweetness, but it doesn’t necessarily sing of maple. Medium body.
Bottle. Lactic caramel malt, cinnamon, and light maple aroma. Amber with moderate head. Very lightly sweet caramel malt flavor with maple and cinnamon notes. Alcohol pretty apparent. Surprisingly dry and boozy.
Bottle. Sweet maple, spicy cinnamon aroma, and some alcohol. Clear bright copper with a moderate beige head. Wheat malt, spicy hops flavor and a little booze. Medium body, dry finish. I was a little surprised to smell and taste so much alcohol at 6.8%
Acetic crabapple nose, with a maple syrup undercurrent. Fig newtons are also present, cookie and fruit. Clear copper, thin head. Soft carbonation, but boozy. Cherries and maple syrup. Interesting and enjoyable.
22 oz. bottle shared by brew3crew. Pours a clear amber color with a small off white head. The aroma has big sweet maple, light citrus with a lightly toasted bready malt. The flavor has more toasted bread up front with less maple than the nose would indicate. Some grassy hops lead to a light bitterness at the finish. Opens OK, but the finish is a bit soft.
Aroma of rum more than maple syrup. Tastes like it too. Very similar to Innis and Gunn.
~6 oz sampler at the Harpoon taproom in Boston Logan airport. The pour is mostly clear orange copper with pretty much no head. The aroma is sharp maple sweet, followed by some vanilla and general yeast. The taste is the maple, wheat grain, and a yeasty finish. The palate is medium bodied, low carbonation, and some lingering yeast. A lot of maple, interesting though not entirely my thing. I can’t imagine anyone drinking more than 6 oz this.
Bottle shared by B3C. Poured clear dark copper color with an average frothy off-white head that mostly lasted with good lacing. Moderate citrus wheat and maple aroma. Medium body with a smooth texture and soft carbonation. Medium sweet flavor with a medium sweet finish of moderate duration. Refreshing balanced sweet brew.
Refrigerated bomber session 41 poured into a weizen glass. Pours clear amber with small off-white head that dissapates fairly quickly. Little lacing, medium/thick body, slightly sticky texture, light carbonation, and maple aroma. Taste is caramel malt, maple, some hoppiness, and finish is booze. Too much booze.
Bought this on a whim because I thought it was a cool concept. Barrel series #41. Poured a standard clear amber orange. Has a bit of a honey-maple scent to it. Taste is very light and sweet. Not a bad beer, but I wouldn’t buy it regularly.
Pour out of 22 oz bottle, thanks to Aaron for the pour. Dark caramel, toffee, some slight maple, biscuit, some fruit, some slight maple biscuit, touch of earthy notes, some slight booze. Taste is vanilla, caramel, toffee, hints of dark fruits, touch of earth and bitter grass, finishing fairly sweet.
Bottle @ Dan’s house. Dark red orange appearance with a light brown head. Caramel, maple, fruity, molasses notes in the nose. Molasses, brown sugar, dark caramel, somewhat fruity, somewhat macro, wheat flavor. Not my favorite.
Bottle to snifter (thanks brew3crew). Looks alright; a translucent Amber with ample head. good; you can pick up the maple. Tastes meh with a similar mouthfeel. No mas.
Light brown/deep copper color with a thin off-white head. Somewhat grainy aroma. Sort of overly sweet on the palate with a definite maple syrup flavor front and center.
Raft. Clear dark amber color. Aroma of caramel toffee. Taste is very malty raisins with a touch of port wine. Nice.
Batch 41 and served in Duvel snifter: Clean deep amber hue with a lasting frothy head and okay lace. The aroma has note of maple syrup, honey, herbal and grassy hops, earthy yeast, winter wheat, caramel and aromatic malts and sadly some band-aid. The taste is somewhat sweet with not a lot of depth beyond the maple, red wheat and caramel. Just a splash of bitters and spice but not enough to pull this from the doldrums of bland malt notes. The mouth feel is equally muddled, lively yet not crisp, oily yet not lush. The band-aid medicinal tone really ruined this for me and the lack of forceful malt character made this a drain pour after half a bottle. Very disappointing 100 Barrel release that I would normally like.
Bottle with Dubra on the Stuy Town lawn. Pour is amber, taste is maple syrup, caramel, dry booze, wheat. Nothing thick or complex and didn’t go well w/ food.
Bottle. Rusty amber with a short, tan head. Aroma is sweet with grains, soft fruit and hints of maple syrup. Taste is sweet as well with big grains, maple syrup, light fruit and toffee. At certain points this tastes like a sorghum beer. Body is light-medium with a soft, fizzy carbonation. Finishes with more sweet malt, big grain, cereal, maple syrup and soft fruit notes.
The aroma is rather non rescript with only a hint of maple and mostly malty and sweet with some hops and honey. The appearance is amber with a medium head. The taste is like the aroma. The palate is smooth. Overall this is very good despite lacking maple.
the emphasis on toffee and caramel are the forerunners of the brew. very sweet malt and a nice overlay of wood and sugar. not too hoppy which is outstanding in its own right.
22 oz. Bottle,
this beer had a very clear dark gold pour with some red and bronze color showing at the sides of the glass, the pour made a one finger off-white head that receded to a partial cover and ring, carbonation was a little less than medium, this ale left spots and a few fingers of lacing on the sides of the glass, there was no sediment in the bottle,
the aromas were light tropical fruit and raisin, caramel, a little syrup, toasted malt, caramel and syrup sweetness, with faint spice in the background,
there were flavors of caramel, light fruit, maple syrup and toasted malt with a finish that had a little citrus spice and bitterness,
the mouth feel was a little less than medium, and soft carbonation,
this beer was not exciting but the maple syrup was in the background which is the best thing I can say about this drink.
Aroma of maple and fresh hay, pours amber with thick short lived head that shrinks to persistent top with lacing. Taste maple sweetness, nutty, slight sourness light bitterness lively on palate leaves combination of maple and sourness finish drinkable but not to go out of your way for
On tap at brewery. Light aroma of maple syrup and light fruity notes. Pours a nice amber with a moderate white head. Interesting mouthfeel. Slightly slippery. Pretty tasty though. I’ve never really had a maple beer so pronounced as this. At around $6, a decent price for a bomber
bottle. clear amber with a small head. honey and toasty nose. flavor is lightly sweet. the addition of maple syrup cancels the crisp wheat malt notes and helps bring out the crystal. makes for a moderately sweet, malty beer.
draft at Harpoon. Pours maple syrup with a thin white head. Slight hint of Maple Syrup on the nose. Smooth taste that’s a tad slippery. Some hints of sweetness on the tongue. Finishes clean. Solid effort though I don’t know if it deserves it’s exalted packaging.
Savannah, Ga. - Habersham Beverage Warehouse (Habersham St) - 22 oz bomber - labeled as session 41. Dark copper pour, nice lazy khaki-colored head, light lacing. Aroma has some light maple syrup notes, a bit of nuttiness. Flavor is sweet but far from cloying. Maple syrup shines through, backed up by some nutty accents, some candied sugar notes, and a touch of bubble gum. Mouthfeel is sticky, but slightly thin. Decent.
Session #41. Looks like this is the 3rd installment of this beer in this series. Never got to try it the first 2 times around.
Poured into a pint glass. Pours a dark ruby-tinted amber with a very thin beige sheet of lace on top. The nose is malty and sweet. Subtle notes of fruits and just the mildest of maple whiffs. The body is bubbly enough, but coats the palate well. Carries a bit more heft than many of this style. The maple is very subtle in the flavor, coming through just a touch on the finish. This is more fruit-forward than I expected, with some mild citrus tartness and strawberries. Not a bad beer here. These "one-offs" that Harpoon releases never really blow me away, but I’ve never been really disappointed either. This is one I’d revisit.