Harpoon Leviathan Barleywine Style Ale

Brewed by Harpoon Brewery
Style: Barley Wine
Boston, Massachusetts USA

Serve in Snifter

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2010 Vintage I tried this fresh and thought it was a bit hot so I held on to a couple of bottles to see how they developed. Pours a deep copper color with a decent off white head that shows moderate retention and lace. Smells of bready caramel and toffee with a bit of earth and alcohol. The flavor is sweet with bready caramel and toffee with a bit of ethanol to cut through the sweetness. Medium body with a light level of carbonation and a sweet sticky mouthfeel. After two years the alcohol is still a bit hot, but that is the only thing providing any balance against a really sweet syrupy maltiness. OK barleywine, definitely a sipper.

Pours a hazy orange/brown color and is loaded with small floating particles. Aroma is very sweet with some bready malt, brown sugar and caramel. Taste is very similar and the alcohol is hidden well (that may change as it warms). Body is medium to heavy and there is a little bitterness in the finish. This doesn’t taste bad, and it is rather easy to drink, but nothing stands out. This is definitely well below average compared to other barleywines. I think it would be difficult to drink another.

Smelled like fermented fruit. Tasted a bit floral. I liked it better at our near room temp.

Smells like sweetened strawberry shortcake laying out in a flower patch to ferment. Pours without much lacing and some soapy bubbles. Taste of alcohol is strong, barley bitterness present but not overbearing. Some of the caky sweetness in the smell carries through to the aftertaste. Better than some of the mediocre offerings I’ve had from this brewery but it doesn’t go much further than that. Bottle from Lebanon Health Food store, NH.

The aroma is caramel, toffee, fruit. The appearance is deep red/brown, translucent, off-white head. The flavor is caramel, fruit, floral hops. The finish is floral hops, light sweetness. Medium in body, very slightly thick, oily mouthfeel. The floral hops don’t appear until the you taste the beer, but make their presence known thereafter. Pretty good overall.

My bottle [12oz] shared with HogTownHarry & garthicus. Pours a cloudy orange-amber with a snowstorm of sediment and a small diminishing frothy white head. Aroma of caramel malt, somewhat bready, along with floral hops, dark fruit and a bit of alcohol. Fruity flavour (grapes, apples and more) along with bready malt, alcohol, floral hops and a bitter, boozy finish, almost harsh. Medium bodied. Quite good but I’m glad I shared it, it’s a bit boozy and harsh -- I liked it though. -- Rated via Beer Buddy.

12oz bottle shared by blankboy with me and garthicus. Deep copper-amber pour, smallish diminishing off-white head, tons of tiny floaties. Sweet pungent boozy aroma, sharp cereal grain. Taste follows, but weirdly it works- and a lot of fruit. Light, slick mouthfeel, a bit hot and dry with dry floral bitterness and drying alcohol in the finish.

Thanks to Blankboy. Appearance: Ruby red, thick off white head. Aroma: Sandalwood, malty, good amount of hops, super spicy, cloves, vanilla, lemon. Flavour: Spicy, alcohol, malt, slightly metallic, toasty, slightly medicinal, long bitter alcoholic finish.

Tap at rattle & hum. Ruby with a thin off-white head. Nose is interesting, spicy, coriander, malt. Mouth is warm, dusty, warm, sweetness, but red wine characteristics and oak comes through the more the flavour progresses. This beer has benefited being laid down. End is vanilla, red wine, enjoyable, good. ---via BeerBuddy

Bottle 355 ml
Aroma solid, clean malts , caramel , rich fee;/ Nice hop top end. Balanced pleasing set up. 8-.
Appearance clear amber with medium top.
Flavor and Palate : full bodied. malty with caramel side . Alcohol warmth. Very true to the style. Not too bold, not too hoppy. Proper example of American Barley Wine.