Harpoon Leviathan Imperial IPA

Brewed by Harpoon Brewery
Style: Imperial/Double IPA
Boston, Massachusetts USA

Serve in Shaker, Snifter

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UPDATED: MAY 17, 2013 Aromas of amontillado sherry, amaretto, vanilla, purple grapes, tropical and citrus fruit, pine, and subtle alcohol. Clear orange-copper with a moderately lasting, off-white head. Slightly sweet, savory, and bitter, with hints of sourness. Medium-full body, low carbonation, strong, and with a sticky, fruity, bittersweet finish. Very much an American barleywine but with a lower ABV.

UPDATED: APR 30, 2013 Pours copper with perfect clarity. A finger of foam that doesn’t last to a thin ring and skin on top. Fair retention and pretty good lace. It’s rather pretty actually because of the orange glow in the color. Nose is grand. Delectable malt! Caramel, biscuit, nuts. Fruity tropical hops, pineapple, mango, grass, sweet pine and an all over earthy scent. The malt opens up as it warms with lots of bread and a graceful honey sweetness. Taste is superb. Tropical fruits with a touch of floral, fat malt character. Bread and biscuit, nuts, and honey. Pale and caramel malt abounds in the taste. Smooth and very drinkable. The hops leave a nice oil and bitter leading into the finish. There is a touch of alcohol on the palate before a nice dry aftertaste and a full on hop bitter that coats the throat with just a touch of sweetness underneath.

What a surprise this was. A real malt treasure of an Imperial IPA. Graceful, drinkable, delicious, fruity, gentle and fat. Has many tea like qualities that make it very attractive to the palate. It has everything an IPA should have in the way of hop grandeur and bitter and everything favorable from it’s malt character. Cheerful and loaded with colossal malt. In my opinion, this comes up pretty close to Alchemy Hour.

This one poured a darker orange color with an off white head. Aroma was nothing to get too excited about, sticky caramel malt and light bittering and citric hops. Flavor was similar, much too sweet and alcoholic though. Another disappointment by harpoon.

Bottle from Total Wine Pours clear copper with a small white head that quickly dissipates, minimal carbonation. The aroma has a big astringency, pine, and some nice citrus. The taste has a massive citrus kick, medium bitterness, dry bitter finish. Solid!

Overall: Surprisingly light, a bit on the hoppy side.
Note: On-tap at a Harpoon Brewery tasting. Reviewed 2013-03-29.

Nice thick head that lasted for a medium amount of time. Creamy mouth feel excellent balance of bitterness and malt. Good example of an Imperial IPA.

Bottle, pours pritine topaz with foamy ivory head, aroma is heavy resin and a bit of pine, very caramely sweet and tacky, sturdy bitterness throughout, finishes stiky with just a bit of lingering bitterness. OK

A - Pours a clear amber body with lackluster head that melts into thinness. S - Resiny pine hop oil, loads mandarin oranges, booze vapors, strange onion/BO odor, caramel malt. T - Jagged pine infused astringent citrus evil hops layered with boozy caramel malt. Bounties of citrus comes out on the finish. Alcohol is not hidden very well. I’ve had this beer several times and it’s seems to vary alot. Sometimes I sort of like it, sometimes I hate it. This beer is good(better) cold. The citrus is the only thing that saves it. When it warms it turns hideously ugly. The alcohol is evident every time. I love and respect this brewery but I probably won’t be getting this again. Serving type: bottle 10-20-2010

Bottle (from backlog). Big orange color with even bigger citrus and hoppy aromas. This smells great. Sweet upfront and slightly piney at the end.

From bottle. Pours bright orange in color with decent white head. A little lacing as it goes down. Aroma was all grapefruit. Taste added bready malt, a little pine and clean crispy bitter bite. Medium to light mouth feel. Very drinkable as the ABV does not show up.