Harpoon Leviathan Imperial Red Ale

Brewed by Harpoon Brewery
Style: American Strong Ale
Boston, Massachusetts USA

Serve in Snifter, Tulip

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Bottle. Pours amber brown with a short beigh head. Aroma was hoppy with pine, citrus and light caramel. Flavor was malty with caramel, subtle fruit, pine, citrus rind, earth and had some resin bitterness

Bottle: The aroma consists of moderate caramel, fruit, light pine, and muted citrus hops. It pours a mostly transparent amber with a lot of sediment. It has a small white head that leaves behind lots of webbed lacing. The flavor starts with moderate caramel with a touch of fruit. The finish still has a decent amount of grapefruit hops, light pine, and some oxidation. It’s medium bodied with moderate carbonation. Overall, I didn’t realize this was over 2.5 years old (bottle 2/12/10) when I ordered it. However,I imagine it’s held up reasonably well...though I am curious to know what it was like fresh.

Draft at Harpoon Tasting Room. Rich hoppy, barleywine like beer. Copper, sweet dark fruit. Quite tasty and interesting.

From notes. First reviewed 2/22/2011. Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a pint glass. A monster head is the most noticeable thing about this beer. Tan and frothy, it fills 4 oz. worth of space in my pint glass. A full amber color, brownish in the center is the color. Lots of particulate matter, including some not-so-good looking black flecks that rest on the bottom. I guess I am not drinking the whole glass. Generous lacing on the glass. This has a traditional red aroma. Nice caramel notes to go along with toasted bread, along with a burst of citrus zest. Some herbal aromas add depth. A tiny bit of booze hides in the background. The taste starts with some toasted bread, toffee sweetness, and a bit of spice. Next up are some herbal hops, grapefruit juicy hops, and a sweet and bitter finish. A little bit of booze never fully pokes through but is always present. The aftertaste is mostly clean, with a bit of herbal residue. The toffee and herbal hoppy character create a sticky feel. A high alcohol content and some spicy hops impart a light tongue tingling. The carbonation bursts in the appearance but is restrained in the feel to a medium level. The body is medium to full. Nothing about this beer really drove me to love it. The big body and semi-complex flavor made things interesting, but this is not my favorite red.

Bought from a local Canals to try more of the Leviathan series.

Poured from a bottle, bottled on 2-12-2010, into a pint glass. Pours a deep amber, slightly red. Pours hazy. Pours a rather small head, half inch, which is rocky but retains itself rather well.

Smells great, like a strong ale, no real strong alcohol smell from it. Hoppy, earthy, and citrusy scents are prevalent from this beer, with hints of butterscotch.

Tastes less hoppy than expected, malty and sweet, and earthy/piney. Hints of citrus/fruit.

Medium bodied, medium carbonated beverage. Lingers on the pallet for a decently long time.

Very drinkable beer, especially for a 9.2% beer, but that’s a bad thing for this, drinking a 4 pack of these in one night would be bad news!

(bomber 8/18/10). Clear amber color. Medium off white head. Moderate citrus hop and moderate sweet malt aroma. Flavor of the same, with moderate to strong bitterness. Long duration. Moderate bitter finish with moderate alcohol. Slick texture. Moderate carbonation. Fair lacing.

Draught @ Headkeeper: Served in a goblet. This one poured a clear, ruby tinged brown. There was a very small brown head that was gone almost immediately. Left almost no lacing. The aroma is nice but a little light for the style. Somewhat sweet aroma. Candi sugar, fruits and some caramel. Good taste. Fairly full bodied. Touch of caramel sweetness, plums, raisins, toffee. The alcohol was well hidden. Nice!

From notes: pours hazy red-amber with an ivory head. Orangey citrus aroma with a spice note underneath. Deep, with a medium-thickness in the body. Strong grapefruity hops taste that lingered into the finish. Underlying note of malt sweetness beneath it.

Big hops and lots of malt. A treat for hopheads in bitterness, without the frontal assault of a double IPA. Malted away for drinkability, the third of a litre was ust about right.

Old rating. Reddish amber pour with a thick beige head. Aroma of amber malt and crisp citrusy hops. Flavor starts with smooth caramel malt, then quickly turns to grassy hops with a citrusy finish.