Harpoon 100 Barrel Series #30 - Island Creek Oyster Stout

Harpoon 100 Barrel Series #30 - Island Creek Oyster Stout

This one-of-a-kind, limited-batch creation has a rich body and a smooth feel derived from a combination of roasted barley and chocolate rye malts. The roasted notes of the stout blend beautifully with the briny, mineral flavors of Island Creek Oysters, which were added to the brew moments after being harvested in Duxbury Bay. An addition of hops adds a hint of bitterness and aroma to balance the sweetness from the malt combination. This beer is best enjoyed in a pint glass with a plate full of Island Creek Oysters.
3.6
265 reviews
Boston, United States

Community reviews

3.5 Originally reviewed: 5/27/11. This is "100 Barrel Series" #36. This is my first "Oyster Stout," so I’m excited to give it a try. 22oz bottle, split with my wife. Poured my allotment into a tall chalice. Pours a dark black (surprise) with a finger-width beige head. Wispy lace stuck to the glass after each sip. Nothing in the nose told me that this was anything other than a standard stout -- dark roasted malts, charred wood, coffee grounds. Nice nose. The body was a little on the thin side. Though the ABV is lower, I still expected a bit more heft to this. Mild cocoa on the tongue, toasted malts, light hop bite. Not sure what the oysters add to this as I can’t seem to find any aspect that’s different than any other standard stout I’ve had. Pretty average, not that that’s a bad thing.
2.1 Bottle. Pours almost a black with a thin head. Chemical aroma. Sweet initial taste with a bitter follow through.
3.6 Thin light brown head of fine bubbles. Lots of chocolate and roasted grains in the aroma wit hmaybe a hint of coffee. Color is a very dark brown Flavor is more strong roasted grains, dark bitter chocolate, light coffee and I can taste a bit of the rye that the description speaks to. Finishes roasty and rather clean. A pretty easy drinking stout. Not much sweetness as the palate is pretty dry.
3.4 Deep clear brown with a small head limited lacing... malty dry roasty fruity aroma that is subdued.. cream dry lightly roasty some light coffee and choc notes... medium body...
3.6 Pours deep brown/black with a medium tan head. Aroma has chalky cocoa and subtle dark fruit. Flavor has more dark fruit and less chocolate... ery faint smoke. Mouthfeel is medium and creamy with a dry, roasty finish.
3.8 Bottle... Poured near pitch black with a light tan head. Nice roast character here with a hint of oyster minerals and brine. Dark malt sugars, ash, mild bitterness and a hint of acid. Some salty undertones to balance it all out.
3.8 Draft Back Bay Marriott Bar, Boston, Pours deep black with intense tan head . Cream lace - Lots. Aromas - mocha, oyster, coffee, chocolate. Light-medium body, coffee, light caramel, cream, toffee choc, coffee bean astringency works with hop bitterness and carb smooth mouthfeel, med-high carbonation accentuates dryness. Dry finish with a cream cafe lingering choc and coffee.
4.7 My personal stout of choice. I was so excited when they came back out with it as the first re-release of the 100 barrel series. Goes to show what 100 barrels and harpoon is all about. Popular demand rules the beer world! Everyone in boston loves oysters and this beer was top knotch. if your scarred of a little shellfish in your drink get out of new england. Black and cold as a winter Night on the harbor. This owns a clean dark malt flavor. yum
4.0 Situation: Fat Tuesday refreshment before forty days of self-imposed prohibition… Glassware: “Lovely day for a GUINNESS” pint… Appearance: dark opaque body with a thick, marshy brown head… Aroma: a nice pitch of roasted malts and salty seas—that’s not a real description, but it works… Palate: slick, swift, almost oily texture waxes the tongue…a coating, steadfast aftertaste… Taste: caramel and brown sugar—a strong combination that sweetens an already thick malty stout… Overall: the experience is pleasant, smooth, and sweet; I paired it with nothing, so I cannot extol its virtues with said oysters…
3.5 This brew got my attention - as I do like oysters. However it was pretty damn good, lots of smooth malts and hints of brown sugar. Maybe it was in my head, but I even tasted a bit of oysters (though I don’t know how you put that in a beer). Not that bad, and for a dark beer, VERY drinkable.
2.7 Tap pours blackish tan head. Tastes smells like caramel, roasty, chocolate, alcohol, soy sauce, woody, light sweetness, medium bitterness, salty, medium body, sticky, soft carbonation, bitter, Pretty good overall nice balance of flavors
3.3 ok, but nothing great here; much carbonation nice aroma thinnish palate slight bitter roast not much flavor
3.6 Bottle at Craig’s house. caramel, roasty, black, minimal head, lightly bitter, medium body.
3.8 Bottle at home ... deep brown black ... tan head ... sweet chocolate malt ... hint of coffee ... mild soft roast nose ... mellow toffee chocolate roast ... very mellow and mild ... very simple ... very tasty ... i can wallow in the luxury ... light bitter in the linger ... nice
3.3 Bottle thanks to jcwattsrugger: Poured a black with red edges, there was very little to no head. Aroma was very woodsy from barrel some spice and malt. Taste is sweet with a roasted barely and malt flavor.
4.0 This fascinating beer was courtesy of Strykzone. Thanks Dave. Poured black with a huge foamy tan head and glue like lacing rings. Nose of burnt malts. The body is medium and the mouthfeel silky smooth. The flavor is roasted malts with and coffee, Don’t taste oysters, but get brine and some bitterness that shows up all the way to the smooth finish. Very enjoyable brew.
3.8 22 ounce bottle. The aroma is filled with roasted malts and chocolate. What a great session stout. The flavors of chocolate and roasted malts dominate, but there was a soft mineral note as well. Everything was balanced well, a great beer.
3.8 A very unique, tasty beer. Has an awesome color, and smells sweet. Sweet taste with pine aftertaste. Quite tasty!
3.5 The ideal of beer with oyster sounds so weird but this is pretty good.Pours dark and clear with shades of red and bubbly,think tan head.A thin beer that has flavors that are smokey and salty.
4.1 Bomber, #36 session: Very dark mahogany pour that’s clear. Small tan head that lingers around the edge of the glass and leaves spotty lacing. Dark roasted malts, smoke, peat, molasses and chocolate aromas mix with an oddly noticeable sea/sand note - I imagine the oyster minerals coming through. Lt to med carb with a med/full body and smooth mouthfeel. Nice dry finish w/ mineral quality. Flavors of coffee, molasses & dark chocolate, slight brininess in the finish. Well balanced, a subtle, yet rich brew. I’m hoping to find another bottle this weekend.
3.7 Bottle/22oz - Pours a very dark black/brown in color with a small tan head that quickly settles to a thin covering over the beer. Aroma is mostly of dark malts and chocolate, but there is the hint of the briny sea. Flavor is choclatey with plenty of dark roasted malts. Mineral aftertaste that has to be the oysters. Much better than I expected and better than any other oyster stout that I have had to date...
3.7 Very rich palate. Weak aroma. Nice and dark with a frothy tan head. It’s hard to distinguish all the flavors because they are so varied. There is the chocolate malt, the hop bitterness, and of course the oysters, which make the beer a bit salty, and really do add a maritime quality . Fans of single malt scotch from the islands would love this beer. The oysters make this stout seem a little more dry and less sweet than it otherwise would have tasted. This isn’t an everyday beer by any stretch, but I’m glad I had the chance to experience it.
4.4 I had this a long time ago, but I remember it fondly. Great rich flavor and definitely tasted the Oysters. The only complaint I have is that it was released during the summer, I had it July 4th. This beer would have been better during a cooler time of the year.
3.4 650 ml bottle A solid stout that makes me want to open my last oyster stout this had a local twist to it. In addition to the standard flavors there was the feel of sitting and eating a plate full of fresh seafood. Check this one out if you like out of the ordinary examples of popular styles. Aroma / Appearance - The fluid black base was like watered down ink from a ballpoint pen. A flat fringe of cocoa head was like crumbs from a brownie. Roasted coffee, burnt toast, honey, and a deft touch of oysters meld easily on the nose. Flavor / Palate - The mouthfeel was a little thin. Even so I could feel the flavors of oyster crackers, roasted malts, and a sweet finish linger on the throat. A solid beer with lively carbonation this was a nice entry to the 100 Barrel Series. I look forward to grabbing trying others in the future once the cellar stock is thinned out.
2.7 650 ml bottle bought at the Windsor brewery, on July 28, 2011. Black, small beige head. Aroma of malted barley and chocolate, a little licorice. Taste of chocolate and tobacco, some oysters notes, bizzard dry aftertaste. Too boring to drink!
3.4 On tap at Barcade, Brooklyn, New York, NY. A dark brown/black coloured pour with a small beige head on top. Roasty, malty aroma. Tastes malty, chocolate, roasty, caramel, slight sweetness and quite dry. Nice stout from Harpoon.
3.4 tap - Pours dark brown with a small off-white head. It has a roasty, chocolate aroma. The flavor is lightly bitter with dark roast malt and some chocolate. It’s medium bodied and a touch watery but not bad. Oysters? That I don’t get. It’s a fairly good brew though.
4.1 Bomber, "Session 36". Poured cola brown with a short, dense khaki head. The aroma picked up sweet, roasted chocolates and molasses with vanilla and minerally accents.. balance was perfect, and it smelled like it was going to be delicious. The flavor found darker chocolates, molasses, and ashy roast, with smoke and minerally accents (little bit salty).. more smoky and roasty through the finish.. again the balance was very, very good. Medium-bodied, roasty, and dry on the palate.. the oysters gave a nice salty accent.. this was excellent!
3.6 Bottle 22fl.oz. [ As Harpoon 100 Barrel Series #36 - Island Creek Oyster Stout ]. Clear dark brown colour with a average, frothy, good lacing, mostly lasting, off-white to beige head. Aroma is moderate to heavy malty, roasted, burnt, cold coffee. Flavour is moderate to heavy sweet and bitter with a long duration, smoked, wood, dark roasted. Body is medium, texture is oily, carbonation is soft. [20110918]
3.1 bottle at papso tasting. clear brown, smooth ofwhite head. slighlty roasted and woody aroma. flavor is roasted malts, sort of dark german beer like, charchoal.