Harpoon IPA

Brewed by Harpoon Brewery
Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)
Boston, Massachusetts USA

Serve in Shaker, Tulip

12oz bottle. Drank two weeks after expiration, it’s starting to show in the aroma. It has touch more butterscotch sweetness than anyone would want. Filtered orange color, small and soapy off white head. Mellowed orange citrus tones, with an earthy APA-like malt backbone. Hard to give an accurate and fair description, as the beer hasn’t aged well at all. I remembered it being smoother and cleaner. Sub-par stuff, OK at best.

India pale ales are known for being extremely hop-flavored (which isn’t surprising because IPAs were brewed with extra hops in order to survive the trip from England to India back in the day). I have no problems with a flat-out strong hop flavor (i.e. Sam Adams Boston Lager), but there’s definitely a difference between hoppiness and saltiness. I don’t know what the brewers at Harpoon were trying to accomplish with their take on the IPA, but the result is disappointing.

POUR, COLOR AND AROMA

This beer pours smoothly and forms an averaged-sized bright white head. The head never dissipates completely and leaves a lot of lacing on the glass (which I’ve heard is a sign of freshness, but I’m not sure if this is completely true or not). It’s an absolutely brilliant copper color, much like Magic Hat’s #9, one of my all-time favorite beers.

The aroma is fairly typical of the IPA style of beer with a strong note of hops, but without the floral scent of the great beers of the type. The scent actually hints of salt.

TASTE AND FINISH

I’ve heard of saltwater taffy, but I’ve never heard of saltwater beer. Perhaps that’s what Harpoon was attempting to do with this particular IPA. The taste is extremely salty as if this beer were made from water from the ocean, rather than freshwater. I know this is not true, and the flavor is due to the hops. However, the brewers of Harpoon are using an unusual formula, apparently. This beer definitely has the makings of a traditional IPA, but the taste is just too unusual to appreciate. I like a beer with a strong flavor, but it should most definitely not taste so salty.

If you’ve ever been to the ocean and accidentally swallowed a mouthful of saltwater, you can appreciate just how bitter this beer is. Actually, it might not be that harsh, because I’d much rather drink this beer than seawater, but the initial shock was about the same as accidentally swallowing saltwater. It’s drinkable, but the finish isn’t smooth enough to make up for the harsh taste.

BODY

At least the beer is not too filling. I was able to drink three within an hour or so without feeling remotely full or bloated. It does have a high amount of carbonation to make it seem a bit heavier in body than it actually is. Still, the light body does nothing to make up for the odd taste. It’s just a nice feature that make Harpoon IPA simply average rather than out-and-out bad.

FINAL THOUGHTS

India pale ales are my single favorite style of beer, so I was a bit disappointed that a micro brewery like Harpoon wouldn’t get this style right. It’s just too unusual to appreciate, too harsh to enjoy, but light enough to drink quickly.

Pours a clear golden amber with a slew of bubbles and a big, frothy white head. Decent lacing. Grainy, caramel malt aroma with citrus and floral notes. The flavor is on the sweet side, with a grainy taste, and a short, crisp finish. Light to medium bodied with moderate carbonation. Not very hoppy or bitter, which is a minus, but drinkable.

Bright orange, clear colour. Medium to strong body with a solid, malty taste. Minimal head and a crisp finish. Minimal carbonation with an overall pleasing palate. A solid IPA.

Bottle. Pours dark, crisp golden with lively head. Smells of floral. Starts sweet and hoppy but has a short finish. A slightly above average IPA.

Pours a bright orange with a thick, white head. It has a mild, balanced aroma of sweet malt and grapefruit. The taste is a very balanced mix of grapefruit, peppery + herby hops and sweet malt. This beer has an excellent hop profile, one that is far more balanced than many IPAs.

Purchased at The Fresh Market, Greenville, NC Nice color/head. Inviting scent - very floral. Delicious and refreshing.

Mahhh, nothing special here. Just a run of the mill, mildly hoppy, slightly citrusy IPA.