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Home > Brewers > Massachusetts > Harpoon Brewery >

Harpoon Glacier Harvest Wet Hop Beer


 Percentile 
66
overall
An American Pale Ale brewed by
Harpoon Brewery

Boston, Massachusetts USA

bottled
common

on tap
available

Regional Distribution
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 Ratings  Average  Score  Seasonal  ABV  Style Pctl  Serve in  Advanced 
613.26/5.03.25/5.0Special6.7%58.6 Lager glass, Shaker P  Stats

Commercial Description:
The 20th installment of the Harpoon 100 Barrel Series has been brewed to celebrate the annual hop harvest. Harpoon Glacier Harvest Wet Hop beer is a pale ale made with fresh hops picked just hours before being tossed into the brew. Wet hop beers are brewed using fresh, wet (hops contain about 60% moisture when they are first picked) hops instead of traditional dried hops. Typically, when hops are picked they are quickly dried and refrigerated to make them more suitable and consistent for brewing. This process allows brewers to use hops that were harvested in the fall throughout the following year. Alternatively, wet hops need to be used within hours of their being harvested or they will begin to rapidly degrade. Wet hops retain some of their natural oils and volatile flavors that dissipate when dried. This yields an immersed, intense hop flavor in the beer. Harpoon brewer Ray Dobens, creator of the beer, harvested the Glacier hops in Seneca New York the morning of August 13th and immediately drove them back to Boston that very afternoon in a refrigerated truck. Ray added the newly harvested hops to the brew within hours after the harvest. The fresh hops were added to a malty, copper-colored ale. The combination is a pleasing blend of fresh hop flavor and sweet malt.

Most RecentTop RatersHighest Ratings Who's Rated This?
 notalush (1971), Rawn-kawn-kohma, New York, USA
3.5 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/104/57/103/514/20

Apr 19, 2008  
Fizzy copper beer with a foamy, lasting head - aroma of spicy, grassy hops, citrus, yeast, and biscuit/cracker - fairly creamy mouthfeel, but thin-bodied - the hops ride an undercurrent of bready, british maltiness that is surprisingly sweet, but it works well with the fruity and floral characteristics that the hops generate - the hops aren’t that present at first, but they swell up in the mouth, and are especially potent in the finish, where they combine with some cherry/berry flavors that are unexpected, but welcome - a little bit of metallic character lessens the enjoyment somewhat, but this is still a decent ale - it’s going well with my pizza right now.

 twitcher (121), framingham, Massachusetts, USA
3.4 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/103/57/104/512/20
Jun 4, 2008  
(n) An odd one from harpoon. Interesting hop choice for a wet-hop brew. Appearance is pretty ordinary, if not sup-par. Dark ruby color, not much head, pretty flat looking. Smells wierd- dank, sweet, piney resin with middling hints of bitterness. Flavor follows- on the odd side. Sharp crisp pine trees and a minty earthy sweetness. Crisp bitterness on par with an ESB. Sweet and smooth pale malt flavor. interesting, no doubt, but not sure I’d buy it again.


 beerguy101 (3424), Newark, California, USA
3 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
6/103/56/103/512/20
May 2, 2008  
Tasted at the February Northern California Beer Tasting. This American Pale Ale pours a medium amber color from a 22oz bottle. Small to medium sized white foamy head. The aroma is caramel and malt, earthy hops and some bubble gum. A medium bodied American Pale Ale. The malts are caramel and sweet. The hops are earthy and a touch piney. Nice balance. Decent carbonation. Mouthfeel is full. Finish is clean and smooth. Aftertaste is slightly bitter.


edmedina (11), Chesterfield, Virginia, USA
3.6 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/104/58/105/512/20
Apr 23, 2008  
First the pour. This one has a great head to it. The color is cloudy amber. The aroma is a slight hoppy smell to it. Almost a piney smell to it. As I took my first taste I first noticed that the smell carried over really well to the taste. As the name denotes there is a very strong hop presence in here. The taste really masks the abv making this a very easy drink. It does leave a bitter after taste. I can easily sit and have a few of these.


 unclemattie (1521), Georgia, USA
3.5 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/105/56/104/513/20
Mar 9, 2008  
22oz bottle, gold foil. Session 20/100 Barrel Series. Pours golden orange hue, large creamy, light tan head. Great lace. Aroma of sweet aromatic grassy citrus scented hop flowers. Flavor is sweet malt. Followed by the balance hop bitterness. With big sips it is quite a refreshing beer. The body in a bit on the thin side which lightens the beer quite a bit on the smaller sips. Overall I thoroughly enjoyed this offering.




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