Try?
One of the nice things about growing from a small
microbrewery into a big craft brewery is that it allows you to go back and
do some of the things that you couldn't afford to do when you were "little".
That seems to be the case with Harpoon. Long a brewer of relatively small
batches of fairly straightforward ales, Harpoon has been growing and growing
for years, and now actually operates two breweries: one on Boston, and one
in Vermont.
But I remember, in days long gone by, touring their small Boston operation. It was a pleasure back in those days to see how the beer came from such humble beginnings, and you could tell by chatting with then brewer Todd Mott how much love and dedication went into the brew.
The days of small batches are back at Harpoon with their 100 Barrel Series. Small production runs of unique beer styles, they are sold in 22 ounce bottles for about three bucks and capped with gold foil for good measure. So far, there have been ten such beers, including an oatmeal stout, a barleywine, an abbey ale, a smoked porter and a wheat wine. Each release is brewed by a guest brewer.
Up in Rhode Island a few weeks ago, I scored a bottle of Session 9, Harpoon 100 Barrel Maibock. Now, Harpoon has done a Spring Maibock for years now. But that wasn't really a Maibock, because they have brewed it as an ale. Maibocks, a pale variation on the classic German bock, are traditionally lagers.
Here's what Harpoon says about their limited edition Maibock:
Brewer: Al Marzi Style: Maibock Alcohol by Volume: 5.8% IBU: 40 Original Gravity: 14.5 The big, malty scent of the Harpoon 100 Barrel Series Maibock is present just above the floral hop nose. The combination of five malts creates a full, smooth texture that yields a clean, dry bitterness. This is a full-bodied beer with a pronounced hop and malt character.
This one seems a little light on alcohol for the style. But we'll give it a go, shall we?
Harpoon 100 Barrel Session 9 Maibock pours to a mildly dark mahogany color with a very creamy head formation and a nutty chocolaty nose. A nice thick layer of Brussels lace forms on the side of the glass as I sip. Right off the bat, this beer surprised me. It was rather darker than I expected for the style, and I knew right off the bat this one probably had a bit more chocolate malt than is usual.
The first sip confirmed as much. I didn't get much fruitiness here, so I am assuming that this one was likely lagered. Overall, the mouthfeel was very creamy in texture, rich and satisfying and full of non-fermentable dextrin sugars. I tasted a lot of chocolate too, and some nutty Munich malt flavor. The finish is gently bitter with a dry grassy character.
Overall, this is a nice enough beer, but as a Maibock I think it really misses the mark. Maibocks should be lighter in color and body and have a bit more bite of alcohol warmth in the finish. This one really isn't like any authentic Maibock. Worth trying nonetheless, but don't take it as a classic example of the style.
But I remember, in days long gone by, touring their small Boston operation. It was a pleasure back in those days to see how the beer came from such humble beginnings, and you could tell by chatting with then brewer Todd Mott how much love and dedication went into the brew.
The days of small batches are back at Harpoon with their 100 Barrel Series. Small production runs of unique beer styles, they are sold in 22 ounce bottles for about three bucks and capped with gold foil for good measure. So far, there have been ten such beers, including an oatmeal stout, a barleywine, an abbey ale, a smoked porter and a wheat wine. Each release is brewed by a guest brewer.
Up in Rhode Island a few weeks ago, I scored a bottle of Session 9, Harpoon 100 Barrel Maibock. Now, Harpoon has done a Spring Maibock for years now. But that wasn't really a Maibock, because they have brewed it as an ale. Maibocks, a pale variation on the classic German bock, are traditionally lagers.
Here's what Harpoon says about their limited edition Maibock:
Brewer: Al Marzi Style: Maibock Alcohol by Volume: 5.8% IBU: 40 Original Gravity: 14.5 The big, malty scent of the Harpoon 100 Barrel Series Maibock is present just above the floral hop nose. The combination of five malts creates a full, smooth texture that yields a clean, dry bitterness. This is a full-bodied beer with a pronounced hop and malt character.
This one seems a little light on alcohol for the style. But we'll give it a go, shall we?
Harpoon 100 Barrel Session 9 Maibock pours to a mildly dark mahogany color with a very creamy head formation and a nutty chocolaty nose. A nice thick layer of Brussels lace forms on the side of the glass as I sip. Right off the bat, this beer surprised me. It was rather darker than I expected for the style, and I knew right off the bat this one probably had a bit more chocolate malt than is usual.
The first sip confirmed as much. I didn't get much fruitiness here, so I am assuming that this one was likely lagered. Overall, the mouthfeel was very creamy in texture, rich and satisfying and full of non-fermentable dextrin sugars. I tasted a lot of chocolate too, and some nutty Munich malt flavor. The finish is gently bitter with a dry grassy character.
Overall, this is a nice enough beer, but as a Maibock I think it really misses the mark. Maibocks should be lighter in color and body and have a bit more bite of alcohol warmth in the finish. This one really isn't like any authentic Maibock. Worth trying nonetheless, but don't take it as a classic example of the style.
And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.
*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.
(B)=Bottled
(D)=Draft
