Harpoon 100 Barrel Series #35 - Catamount Maple Wheat - Harpoon Brewery

bbeerman

Massachusetts

2.28/5  rDev -34.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Poured into a Masskrug mug.

A..Very nice looking beer. Deep mahogany color with a red hue. Really happy with the look of this beer.

S..Sweet, which should be expected since it is maple wheat. However, I was a little hesitant as it smelled a bit too much like perfume.

T..Not what I had hoped for. Something about the way the maple flavor was presented made me think I was drinking some sort of beauty product my wife might use. It is difficult for me to describe the flavor(s) since I had to work at drinking 3/4 of the bottle.

M..Texture was average.

O..As nice looking as this beer is, drinks are not about how they look but how they taste. And unfortunately I do not like the taste of this wheat ale. One of a few times I have not finished a beer. Disappointed as I had high hopes for this Harpoon offering.

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2011 13:58:31 | More by bbeerman

gamanley

Connecticut

2.5/5  rDev -28.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

22 ounce bottle poured into a snifter. Nice and clear amber-orange color with plenty of sticky head. Smells of maple, bread, grassy hops, and a bit of apple. I only got a little maple in the initial taste, but plenty of malt sweetness. The finish is pretty dry and a little mouth puckering (not from the hops, but the dryness). Diacetyl comes through a little strong. I'm pretty let down by the taste. The mouthfeel is much lighter than I expected it to me ranking in somewhere between light and medium. The carbonation level is medium. The finish is extremely dry. I don't think I'll be picking this up again, but at the ~$5 for the bomber when I was looking to try something new I don't regret the purchase.

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2011 04:29:18 | More by gamanley

GatheringBrews

Vermont

2.7/5  rDev -22.9%
look: 4 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

A: Pour from bottle resulted in a good frothy head that dissipated into a well laced top and sides. Coppery brown color and very clear.

S: Very sharp aroma, slightly unpleasant. Some wheat and sugar.

T: Slightly watery taste with some malt and a sugary angle that doesn't remind me of maple, but I would attribute it to such.

M: Ample carbonation and a slightly slick feel from the sugars.

D: An interesting if unremarkable beer. I don't get much maple characteristics, but it's certainly drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2011 01:23:19 | More by GatheringBrews

GarthDanielson

New Hampshire

2.75/5  rDev -21.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Session #35, this bomber was served in a weisse vase. The beer poured a deep, vibrant, amber-copper color, more indicative of a red/amber or even some IPA/DIPAs. There was a slight foaming of head, no more than half an inch, but quickly settling into a thin film of white, chunky, sparse bubbled foam. Aroma is minimal, and there is a slight sweetness to it, but only a hint of malt and sugar. Nothing leaping out at you when you pour this beer. In mouth, the flavors are sweet and boozey, which is shocking with such a moderate ABV. Flavors are sugary sweet, with only a hint of maple throughout, and a weak malt backbone that leaves the initial flavorings out to dry. Some dark fruit characteristics (plum, prune) are highlighted throughout, but only minimally. The beer has a hollow, malty, and again slightly boozey aftertasste, with a high note of sugary sweet at the very end to give the brew a little "pick-me-up". The finish is sweet, and a little cloying, leaving a sugary feel on the tip of the tongue and the entire palate. Not the best brew I've had from Harpoon, and a little off for the style. Unique, all the same, but I don't think I'll be seeking this one out again.

Serving type: bottle

08-07-2011 02:10:46 | More by GarthDanielson

Liverpool08

Massachusetts

2.85/5  rDev -18.6%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Pours a nice dark orange amber. Unfortunately thats the best part of this beer. Aroma is very weak. Maybe some malt and a slight hint of maple.
Flavor is the same some nice malty sweetness with a somewhat maple hiding somewhere. But thats about it. It might have been a little better but is extremely watery. I can't believe they brewed this a second time and thought this was worth putting out there. Its not bad, but for a limited edition you expect something special. A big disapointment.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2011 23:10:04 | More by Liverpool08

beals

Massachusetts

2.98/5  rDev -14.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

bought a 22oz bomber (aren't they all?), poured into a Sam Adams "Perfect Pint" glass.

A: 3 fingers of off-white head. reddish-amber color... clear... beautiful-looking beer. really well-put-together -- just wish the taste matched the looks.

S: sweet, faint hops. subtle malt... otherwise not much.

T: rich, but not overwhelming malt. nicely balanced. wheat characteristics subtle (almost too subtle), don't dominate. expected a more "wheaty" flavor based on the name. finish is crisp with only a *faint* maple taste, and even then, not on all sips.

M: moderate carbonation. smooth, medium body.

D: very drinkable, but just tastes like a nice amber. not worth the $$.

overall: i know that many maple beers overdo it, and taste like you're drinking a pancake, but this beer could have used a little more maple presence.

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2011 15:09:08 | More by beals

n2185

North Carolina

3.1/5  rDev -11.4%
look: 2 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A: Pours a dark orange/copper with a finger of light tan head that quickly recedes into almost nothing with very little lacing.

S: Bubblegum, bananas, and hearty bread with maybe a touch of maple.

T: Similar to the aroma, there is some banana/bugglegum up front. Then comes a thick, bitter bread flavor with a little bit of maple. The finish is clean and bready.

M: Medium-light body with medium carbonation, this beer goes down pretty smoothly without too much sweet or bitterness.

Overall, not a bad beer, but not good either. The maple is hardly there and the flavor is a bit bland.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2011 05:43:23 | More by n2185

donkeyrunner

Massachusetts

3.15/5  rDev -10%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

According to the Harpoon's website this is based off the last Catamount Maple 100 Barrel but was tweaked a bit.

Clear, dark amber with a 1" white cap. Good retention and lace. Harpoon always has great clarity in their beers.

Maple comes across as a lightly smoky wood character in the aroma. Taste-wise a more obvious but not overwhelming maple. Bright and fruity bubble gum sweetness doesn't mesh well with a 6.8% malty sweetness.

Not one of my 100 Barrel favorites. Kicker is that Harpoon put it out twice.

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2011 23:05:11 | More by donkeyrunner

Jason

Massachusetts

3.23/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

22oz brown bomber with a best by freshness date on the bottle.

Clear brass colored brew, impressive head stacks high with a decent retention as well. Hint of maple, faint butter, toasted grain and an even more faint grassiness in the nose. Big on smoothness with a creamy medium body. Maple flavor goes up against the buttery tone of the yeast and maltiness to make for a pretty sweet beer. Modest hopping alcohol warming alcohol don't do much to balance. Some apple and pear fruitiness in the back, sweet lingers for a while.

A half decent beer to pair with sweets and definitely to share as one bomber if too much to be had.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2011 02:18:08 | More by Jason

IronCitySteve

Pennsylvania

3.28/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A: Pours a deep bright amber color with a thick 2 finger foam head that has excellent retention. There is lots of lacing all down the sides.

S: Ample amounts of sweet maple syrup, wheat, earthy hops and caramel.

T: Starts off with an extreme amount of maple syrup taste up front. In the middle, there is just a slight undertone of earthy hops. On the back end lots more sweet maple, burnt caramel and toast.

M: Leaves a thick slick taste on the palate. A medium bodied beer.

O: The maple syrup is there for sure, but not sure this is a pale wheat ale. Thought there would be a little more balance to this, maybe a little hop and yeast tastes.

Serving type: bottle

06-28-2011 23:03:07 | More by IronCitySteve

Ommy

Massachusetts

3.33/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Harpoon's Catamount Maple Wheat pours a rust color which takes on a darker hue as it fills the glass. The head forms ok and leaves a thin broken layer lingering.

I immediately get the aroma of bananas, or banana bread on the nose with a hint of sugary sweetness. Once I swirl it to open it up a bit, I notice a slight hop scent, but the banana overpowers it very quickly.

The taste is quite unexpected. The intense nose made me anticipate a very sweet beer, and wheat beers have always tasted mellow and sweet to me. This beer is much more bitter than any wheat beer I have had, and although that does not mean I don't enjoy it, I would say that if someone was looking for a wheat beer, this would not be what they had in mind, for better or worse.

The beer prickles the tongue, like most bitter beer, which is a bit strange since it is a wheat beer, but it is not unpleasant. It isn't super silky and smooth, but it is enjoyable.

Overall I would say that this is an interesting direction for a wheat beer, and I do not regret trying it. If I had a friend who likes IPAs and wheat beer I would definitely show this to them as they seem to share many aspects.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2011 00:21:54 | More by Ommy

HeyItsChili

South Carolina

3.35/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Stopped by the Charleston Beer Exchange while I was downtown for a while and picked up a growler of this offering from Harpoon.

A - Pours a red-brick orangish color with a big foamy ecru head.

S - Smells of cloves, white pepper, earthy wheat, light brown sugar maple sweetness.

T - The maple sweetness is really well mixed in here, it's not an overwhelming dark brown sugar sweetness but instead really envelops the traditional mild spiciness of the wheat component.

This was a pretty drinkable, very solid beer. Enjoyable.

Serving type: growler

03-26-2011 16:38:23 | More by HeyItsChili

WVbeergeek

Ohio

3.38/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

New shiny neck label for their 100 barrel series this is the first one I've seen around in my area for awhile. I got excited when I saw this and Long Trail coffee stout side by side for reasonable prices. This one a clear amber body with a fine off white tan cream head with fine speckled lacing. Aroma has light pale wheat with hints of caramel, and an air of fresh maple syrup...look this is a smell taste texture I'm all too familiar with. Real maple syrupy takes like 52 gallons of sap to boil down to one gallon of syrup. I used to work with a retired doctor in Northern West Virginia where I collected sap everyday after school. This stuff we boil down at his sugar shack and would package up in mason jars was simply amazing, it would go well over ice cream, pancakes, waffles, or any untraditional use of maple syrup you can find. This flavor hits me with a touch of true maple syrup amongst the the pale wheat malts used but nothing comes close to the actual maple syrup flavor I'm familiar with. Mouthfeel is medium to light bodied heaviliy cabonated nothing cloying just I wish there were true hints of maple syrup. Overall drinkability was solid something I couldn't picture myself drinking on a regular basis but it was a decent big beer for Harpoon's 100 barrel series.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2011 22:09:56 | More by WVbeergeek

Redrover

Illinois

3.38/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

This one was on one of the rotating taps at the Ginger Man in Austin. As with most regular beers at this bar, the beer is served in standard pint glass. The beer is dark copper with an off-white head. It had decent lacing.

It has a very faint nose some fresh malt and something floral.

The taste is grainy, slightly sweet with a bit of bite at the finish. Slight maple at mid-glass, but it needs to be turned up a notch.

The mouth is medium thick with a touch of slickness. It is not bad, just not as advertised.

Serving type: on-tap

03-24-2011 18:36:35 | More by Redrover

jman892

Massachusetts

3.38/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A - Pours a nice amber color with a 1 finger foamy head which fades quickly to a thin film.

S - Smells malty and has a very very faint hint of maple, probably only noticed because it is called "Maple Wheat"

T - Taste is malty and sweet with more pronounced maple flavor than the nose would indicate, but still is a bit on the bland side

M - Smooth, fairly low carbonation. Clean, dry finish

O - Pretty middle of the road. Not great, certainly not bad. Not a bad beer for the spring/summer but 22oz is a bit much at one sitting

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2011 19:29:17 | More by jman892

mdfb79

New York

3.38/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

From 03/25/11 notes. Thanks to nmann 08 for sharing this one.

a - Pours an amber color with one inch of white head and moderate carbonation evident.

s - Smells of light maple, grain, bready malts, and light spice. Smells kind of light on all fronts and not very strong; not bad, but average.

t - Tastes of maple syrup, bready malts, grains, spices, and wheat. More maple and wheat here, a definite step up from the nose.

m - Medium body and low carbonation.

d - Overall a nice, average wheat ale. The smell wasn't very strong, but the maple came out a lot more in the taste. Wouldn't purchase it again but glad to have tried it.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2011 17:25:22 | More by mdfb79

ReelBigwigFish

New Jersey

3.4/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5

Bought a bomber at White Horse in Absecon, NJ for a great price ($4.50). Poured into a 22oz Munchen Mug. Appearance dark amber/copper color with creamy head that dissipated quickly, no lacing. Smells malty with a whiff of maple in there. The maple syrup is lost in the taste however, which I was hoping would be a little more pronounced (the idea of vermont maple syrup got me to purchase the beer after all), it is quite bready with a lingering hint of hops on the tongue. I don't find it too sticky, and it is surprisingly crisp and clean for a wheat beer. All in all the beer is somewhere between average and good, not outstanding, very drinkable though; would enjoy this in a sixer or something as a get-home-from-work kind of beer. For the price of the bomber though, I don't regret the purchase, and I would like to try more from this series.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2011 04:06:05 | More by ReelBigwigFish

Daniellobo

District of Columbia

3.4/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | drink: 3.5

Fair wheat take with an accented sweet side.

Presentation: 22 oz brown capped bottle. (First bottle of the 100 barrel series that leaves the foiled top and replaces it with a neck label, which works just as well.) Simple front label design with a loose attempt at a limited release image with signature of the brewer. Includes a small paragraph noting the name of the ale and intent. Shows best by date (03/15/11) Notes IBUs (30), OG (15.2), and Alc. by Vol. (5.7%) Served into a snifter.

A - Clear deep amber pour, rich frothy head, fair retention, and some splashes of lacing with a bit of a letdown in the surface memory..

S - Very soft, lightly fruity and sweet.

T - Malty with a sugar coated bitterness, almost an strange touch of lager in the back with a soft maple sweetness.

M - Medium to medium/light body and carbonation, a bit bumpy in the finish.

D - Quaffable but a bit short.

Notes: Fair, and not one of the best 100 Barrel Series... Still decent if one is curious enough to try.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2011 00:06:26 | More by Daniellobo

jdhilt

New Hampshire

3.43/5  rDev -2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a three finger cream head that fades quickly to a thin layer leaving some lace. Crystal clear amber color. Good carbonation and medium bodied. Hint of a maple nose. Flavor maple syrup is up front, no cloying, minimal wheat, slightly better than 100 barrel series #26. $5.99 for a 22oz bottle from Market Basket Concord, NH.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2011 23:24:47 | More by jdhilt

Kinsman

New Hampshire

3.45/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Dark amber colored body with great clarity (especially for a wheat beer) and a medium sized light tan colored head that thins out just a bit too quickly for my liking.

Aroma is notably bready and biscuity with the maple adding to the sweetness a bit but not as much as expected. Overall nothing in the aroma seems to really stand out.

The first taste puts out a lot more flavor than the aroma suggested with a notable wheat character giving it some bread like qualities mixed in with the sweet maple flavor. Maple however is not overly dominant and sweet like some other maple beers. Finishes with just a tad bit of a grassy hop character.

Mouthfeel is crisp and rather full bodied compared to many other wheat beers I've had. Overall, Catamount Maple Wheat is not the best I've had from the 100 barrel series, but decent enough that I can enjoy it just fine. Some maple flavored beers tend to be overly done and taste more like a maple candy so I appreciate the more balanced flavor of this one.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2011 23:07:02 | More by Kinsman

Bendurgin

Maine

3.45/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a pint glass. THis one pours a deep caramel color wth a thin layer of off white head. It settles almost right away.

This smells like bannana Laffy Taffy. Nothing more and nothing less. Grainy flavor with a touch of sweetness. Must be the maple, but the maple isn't distiguishable in of itself. I could reall only pick it out probably because of the name.

The feel is good. It's nice and light with good carbonation. Overall, this seems like a novelty beer to me. It's enoyable, but only once.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2011 16:53:15 | More by Bendurgin

EkimGram

New York

3.45/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Poured from 22oz bottle into a standard pint glass. A thin bubbly head fades quickly into a thin white film. Colour is a brownish-red.

Smell: Aromas of sweet wheat and a little bit of alcohol are the strongest followed by some maple syrup.

Taste: Very malty and wheaty, mostly caramel malts. Light maple taste is almost completely masked by alcohol, but it is surprisingly warming. Very simple.

Mouthfeel: Lightly-medium bodied with a modest amount of carbonation.

Overall/Drinkability: As I said before, this brew is nicely warming. Overall, nothing really sticks out, I was expecting a little more maple syrup flavours. A nice basic beer but nothing special.

Serving type: bottle

05-29-2011 05:22:01 | More by EkimGram

bigfnjoe

Pennsylvania

3.48/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured from a bottle into a pint glass

A- pours a nice shade of amber with a half finger head that fades nearly instantaneously. It looks OK, but the lack of head sucks

S- getting the maple in the forefront. Smells pretty good, about what I expected from this one.

T- maple is the prominent flavor in this one. Really malty, actually...the maltiness is weird for the style and a little offputting. Taste is a little strong for the style as well

M- the maltiness is there, and it really adds a layer of thickness to the beer that I'm not sure I'm fond of in this style

O- I like a good pale wheat, but this one is too malty and the flavors are a little too potent...how that's a bad thing, I'm not totally sure. But it is, dammit

Serving type: bottle

06-20-2011 20:42:04 | More by bigfnjoe

TurdFurgison

Ohio

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

i had this on tap at the Local Pub in Saratoga Springs NY. I was happy to see it, as I've come close to buying a bottle a couple times but always shied off.

It's a medium orange shade, not very dark, good clarity, with a very thin ring of foam. I could definitely get the maple in the aroma, plenty of esters and some phenols too. Above all it didn't smell aggresive, just approachable.

You can taste the maple but it isn't very strong, more of a complementary flavor to what is otherwise a sort of unremarkable wheat ale. Somewhat sweet upfront, with esters and maple leading the way, with a little bitterness in the middle and a clean aftertaste in the end. As an apertif it served well, not what I chose with the meal though.

Serving type: on-tap

03-17-2011 10:08:09 | More by TurdFurgison

avalon07

South Carolina

3.53/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: Poured from a bottle to a weizen glass. Had a medium brown color and a completely clear consistency. There was an inch of foamy, fairly long-lasting head. No lacing at all.

S: There was a sharp aroma of wheat, malt, and some sugar.

T: Tasted of malt (more than anything else, wheat, and a sugary quality. Not the most dynamic flavor, but serviceable. Actually gets better as it goes along.

M: A good amount of carbonation with a smooth, sharp finish. Medium-bodied.

D: This is a mixed bag of a beer, but that's to be expected of a style that's not terribly interesting. Still, a basically drinkable beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2011 14:18:40 | More by avalon07