John Harvards Brewhouse Washington DC Reviews

BroSpud	3.3 John Harvards Rye IPA On tap at Framingham, MA. Pours light brown with very little head. Subtle rye taste all the way through but the hops did not come forth as much as a typical IPA would. Thursday, July 7, 2011
kp	1.7 John Harvards Black Forest Porter Name: Porter Date: 06/03/1999 Mode: Firkin Source: Roswell, GA dark brown, frothy tan head, rich malty aroma and flavor, slight bitter twang Aroma: 6/10; Appearance: 6/10; Flavor: 2/10; Palate: 2/10; Overall: 5/20 Rating: 1.7/5.0 Score: 4 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The score was calculated based upon the notes and an old scoring system. Saturday, September 1, 2007
blank	3.4 John Harvards Black Forest Porter RFD Holidaz, DC. Pretty much matches the name. Lots of cherry and choc flavors. Kinda light for a porter, but plenty of flavors. Thursday, December 15, 2005
beaconstreet	3.8 John Harvards Black Forest Porter Delicious... good stuff. The best of the crop by far here at DC location. Sweet, that taste of the sweet cake in it... tasty all around. Go for it.. connect four! Monday, December 12, 2005
beaconstreet	1.3 John Harvards Prickly Pear Ale The menu thinks its being cute describing this... (we pick the pears ourselves... ouch!! ... argh?) but the beer sort of sucks. Blah. And weird color too. Its like the pear rebelled when put into the mash. DC location. Monday, December 12, 2005
beaconstreet	3.2 John Harvards St Drogo Belgian Ale Apparently another named after this Saint. One of the more solid productions out of the DC location. Sweetish, but rusty solid in flavor. Go for it. Monday, December 12, 2005
Drew	3.1 John Harvards Low Down Common Lager On tap in DC. This seems to be a pretty well done California Common. It looks like my notes say "Dry hopped with Diesel", but no, on further review, it was dry hopped with Chinook. The effervescent body and spicy green piney hop combine well and it all ends up quite refreshing. Tuesday, November 29, 2005
Drew	3.3 John Harvards Midnight Oil Imperial Stout This is the one beer they had that had a strong nose to it - coffee roast and lots of chocolate. Nice big taste too, plenty of roasty fruity malt and a good balance of hops. I thought the body was thin though - it seemed to make the flavors go away quickly. Tuesday, November 29, 2005
beaconstreet	3.1 John Harvards Midnight Oil Imperial Stout Heavy on the palate, indeed. Very fine hearty beer, though without much flavor. Heft is what this thing mainly trades in. JH Brewhouse, Washington. Monday, November 21, 2005
TheBeerGod	3.5 John Harvards Midnight Oil Imperial Stout Draft at the DC location on 11-12-05. I had this in a sampler and then had a pint afterwards. Body was near jet black. Nose is roasty and laden with coffee, dark chocolate and molasses. Hints of alcohol saoked fruits as well. Taste is roasted malts, dark fruits (figs and currants), molasses, choco notes, light hops, coffee and burnt cookies. Body was lighter than expected but still round enough. Bit of oilyness. Some alcohol warmth and a touch of stickiness at times as well. Mild carbonation feel. Finishes much the same as the taste - roasted malts, coffee, chocolate, dark fruit, light alcohol, etc. Bit more hops coming through here. Good but not great. Very drinkable either way. Tuesday, November 15, 2005
TheBeerGod	2.9 John Harvards Low Down Common Lager Draft at the DC location on 11-12-05. Amber bodied with some light fruit notes, floral hops and mild maltiness. Taste is citrusy and decently hopped with a hint of pine, mild fruit notes and decent malt backbone. Body is light-medium with lots of carbonation feel. Finishwith a stronger sweetness, hops light fruits and earthy notes. Hints of spice as well. Not too bad. Tuesday, November 15, 2005
hopscotch	2.7 John Harvards Low Down Common Lager Draft in D.C.... Hazy, golden lager with orange highlights. Large, frothy, egg shell head. Great retention. The mild, subtle nose is a touch earthy and floral with small notes of straw, pepper and fallen apple. Perfectly balanced, but bland. A touch of citrus. Light-bodied and fizzy. Short, crisp, dry finish. Monday, October 31, 2005
hopscotch	3 John Harvards Say Uncle! Dunkel Draft in D.C.... Clear, mohagony ale with a small, fizzy, white head. Mild chocolate and cherries with a whimper of caramel. The flavor is thin and a bit empty with promises of chocolate, mild toffee and sassafras. Light to medium-bodied and lightly creamy with lively carbonation. Watery finish. Monday, October 31, 2005
hopscotch	3.7 John Harvards Midnight Oil Imperial Stout Draft in D.C.... Pitch black ale with a small, creamy, beige head. Leaves thick weeping lace. Chocolatey, caramelly aroma with lesser notes of molasses and charcoal. Rich, malty, burnt flavor. Lots of unsweetened, dark chocolate and sourgham molasses. Full-bodied with a 20W 50 mouthfeel and medium carbonation. Finishes burnt and dry. Monday, October 31, 2005
scraff	4.2 John Harvards Midnight Oil Imperial Stout Fresh batch - OG 18. Pitch black, lasting creamy khaki colored head. As it warmed, complex notes of espresso, black currants, and dark chocolate emerge. Faint hints of milky oatmeal seemed to be layered within. Truly, the aroma seemed to be one in the same with the flavor, but add an ashy burnt chocolate and bitter citric hop bite to round it off. Good balance throughout. Medium to full bodied and slightly oily, medium carbonation, bittered chocolate and espresso finish. Forget the old ratings from 04, this version was really nice! Friday, October 28, 2005
argo0	3.3 John Harvards Say Uncle! Dunkel (DC) Clear dark red-bown body with off-white head. Aroma is medium sweet, caramel, some toffee, chocolate. Taste is medium sweet, chocolate, light coffee, toffee. Smooth, light-medium body. It would be tough to argue if you were told this was a porter. Saturday, October 22, 2005
Nuffield	3.2 John Harvards M-80 Ale A chili beer. I was very nervous before trying this but I shouldn’t have been. Very light yellow, and it keeps significant carbonation in its body even after quite awhile. Dusty, chili pepper aroma, pretty fresh--Texas grocery store quality. Very mild chili hit, hitting at the back of my mouth, like a mild Mexican dish at a restaurant. And that has to be the main idea here: I don’t care for chili pepper as a flavor, but this is very intelligently brewed. By resisting the temptation to make this all about the heat, this is an interesting and restrained experiment in beer flavoring. An excellent example of the style, easily the best I’ve had among a half dozen chili beers. (on tap, Washington D.C. Penn Avenue location) Sunday, September 11, 2005
Nuffield	3.7 John Harvards Sucker-Punch IPA Smells like a band-aid over an open wound dressed with salve, plus pine. really palatable, doesn’t hit you as hard as I would have though, due to a good malt balancing act. Deeper amber/bronze color than the pale ale, with a creamy, off-white head. Just fine. (on tap, Washington D.C. Penn Avenue location) Sunday, September 11, 2005
Braudog	3 John Harvards Sucker-Punch IPA On draft at the Union Station, Wash DC, brewpub, 9/2/05: Dark copper with a thin head. Stingy citric bite, but without much body. Tingles on the lip. Just OK. Saturday, September 10, 2005
TheBeerGod	3.4 John Harvards Sucker-Punch IPA From a sampler at John Harvard’s in DC on September 5th, 2005. Copper bodied. Aroma is hoppy and sweet. Taste is hoppy and fruity with lots of underlying malts. Light caramel. More fruit than simply citrus. Nice sweet and bitter balance to this. Body is medium with a light lingring bitterness. Finishes with lots of hops, fresh fruits, citrus, and caramel. Pretty good. Thursday, September 8, 2005
TheBeerGod	2.5 John Harvard's Washington Lucky Light Lager From a sampler at John Harvard’s in DC on September 5th, 2005. Came outstraw yellow. Nose was malty and sweet. Taste is sweet and malty with a slight grassiness and some fruit notes. Body is light and a bit on the refreshing side. Finishes malty and sweet. One dimensional but drinkable. Thursday, September 8, 2005
argo0	3.1 John Harvard's Washington Lucky Light Lager (DC) Clear straw with minimal white head. Aroma is medium sweet, apple, some cereal, nectarine. Taste is medium sweet, nectarine, apple, light spice. Light body. Surprisingly enjoyable. Monday, September 5, 2005
scraff	4.1 John Harvards Exile IPA DC - Served at frigid temps. So we sit, wait and drink other things for 20 minutes. We’re good now. Hazed coppery orange, thin creamy white head. Real nice aroma here with loads of florals and perfume notes, with lighter pine and grapefruit tones emerging slowly. Sweet butterscotch and toffee brittle encompass the hop notes upon further warming. Deep bitter hops flavors of grapefruit and florals pound you up front, but the caramel and butterscotch crunch flavor knows its role to balance that bite out. And it does it rather well. Seemed to be a really nice cross-section of a good American IPA and good English IPA. Medium bodied, light carbonation, bittersweet finish. Loved it... Friday, August 12, 2005
scraff	3.9 John Harvards Tiki Porter DC - Ultra dark brown bordering black, thick tan creamy head. Rich inviting nose of roasted French vanilla coffee and toasted milk chocolate, and lighter citric hops tones layered in between. As it warmed from the served arctic temperature, citric hops surprisingly plow through the darkend sweet malt, yet it still remained balanced throughout with more coffee and vanilla blending to near perfection. Medium bodied, moderate carbonation, bittersweet finish. Really nice brew all around... Friday, August 12, 2005
argo0	3.2 John Harvards Cali-Copper Pilsner (DC) Lightly hazed amber body with off-white head that leaves nice lacing. Aroma is medium sweet, herbal/grassy, light lemon. Taste is medium sweet, grasy, some lemon, herbal, light caramel. Light-medium body, crisp, some acidity. Friday, July 29, 2005
argo0	3.7 John Harvards Exile IPA (DC) Bartender said this was 178 IBUs, and I cannot say for certain that he was wrong. Beige head, lightly hazed copper body, nice lacing. Aroma is medium sweet, grapefruit. Taste is medium sweet, strong grapefruit, some pine. Caramel lurks in the background but this beer is about hops. Surprisingly, not much aftertaste, though the hop burps linger. Medium body, some resin, light acidity. Servebd too cold. Friday, July 29, 2005
iwantalambic	3.8 John Harvards Tiki Porter Draught, DC brewpub (July 2005): Deep garnet brown, transparent, yes, but very dark…thin, creamy tan head. Dominating coffee aromas with a decent fresh hop bitterness with pine cones and toasted nuts. Dark chocolate truffle flavours that mix beautifully with the fresh hop and darkly roasted malts. Very nice. Monday, July 18, 2005
argo0	3 John Harvards Tiki Porter (DC) Beige head atop a black body with brown edges. Aroma is medium sweet, roasty, coffee, light vanilla. Taste is medium sweet, roasty, coffee, some vanilla, light chocolate, faint cola. Light-medium body, some creaminess. A straightforward porter -- no surprises, good or bad. Friday, July 1, 2005
argo0	3.2 John Harvards Summer Strawberry Wheat (DC) Hazy golden body with white head. Aroma is medium sweet, mellow strawberry, light vanilla. Think strawberry cream soda. Taste is medium sweet, mellow straberry, vanilla, faint sourness in the finish. Light-medium body, light chalkiness coats the tongue, a bit of tartness. Pleasant fruit beer (not a lambic!) -- like other DC JH fruit beers, it does not go over the top. Friday, July 1, 2005
argo0	3.3 John Harvards Hazed & Infused Lager (DC) Hazy amber body topped by off-white head that leaves nice lacing. Aroma is medium sweet, grapefruit, caramel, some grassy. Taste is the same as aroma, plus a finish of lager yeast lemon. Light-medium body, nice crispness, some acidity. Hops dominate, decent bite. As an unfiltered beer with dry hopping, this definitely is not your everyday Cali Common. Friday, July 1, 2005
scraff	4.1 John Harvards Colorado Stout Deep pitch black, small creamy tan head. Nose was nice after it warmed for 20 minutes with a heavy roastiness, dark bittersweet chocolate, and espresso, with lighter tones of caramel and citrus. The flavor could have been Storm King’s little bro. A citric hop slap up front is woven seamlessly with the charred roasted chocolate notes. Great balance throughout the pint. Medium bodied, soft velvety carbonation, drying bittersweet finish. Really nice brew and one of the better stouts I have had from them... Monday, June 13, 2005
scraff	3.4 John Harvards W Malt Liquor DC Draft - Clear sparkling gold, thin fizzy white head. Nose was actually pretty nice with notes of sweet cornbread woven with light grassy and apple tones. Sweet corny flavors up front with light fruity, grainy, and alcohol notes sprinkled throughout. Medium to full bodied, light and tingly carbonation, dry, sweet corn and alcohol-like finish. Pretty drinkable and not half bad for a ML. Should have been served in a brown paper bag covered pint glass... Monday, June 13, 2005
argo0	2.6 John Harvards Kilt Lifter Scottish Ale (DC) Dark copper body with off-white head. Aroma is moderately sweet, caramel, some peat. Taste is sweet, caramel, peat in finish, light alcohol. Medium-full body, smooth with low acidity. Not bad, but somewhat boring. Saturday, June 11, 2005
argo0	3.8 John Harvards Colorado Stout (DC, served near room temperature) Opaque brown-black body topped by brown head. Aroma is medium sweet, coffee, chocolate, light grapefruit. Taste is medium sweet, some roasty, chocolate. Finishes with some grapefruit hoppiness that lends a nice balance without being overpowering. Creamy medium body. Friday, May 20, 2005
argo0	3 John Harvards Blueberry Wheat (DC, served with blueberries in the glass) Hazy copper body tinged with purple, topped with an off-white head. Aroma and taste are medium sweet and blueberry, but in no way is the fruit overwhelming. Light body, some effervescence. Overall, pleasantly genuine, but not distinguished -- then again, what blueberry beer is? Friday, May 20, 2005
blank	3.1 John Harvards Blueberry Wheat DC - nice bluerry wheat. Very drinkable and not overly done. Nice and smooth with a good suble blueberry flavor. They even through in a few blueberrys at the end to add a slight purple color to the beer. Something i’d get again. Sunday, May 15, 2005
scraff	3.8 John Harvards Chili Beer (DC) - OG 9.6 - Sparkling gold, thin creamy white head. Interesting nose of....well.... hot peppers, light smoke, sweet malt, and hints of citrus. Hot pepper flavors up front, (without the heat), light sweet malt in the middle, and a decent citric hop bitterness to round it out. Medium bodied, tingly carbonation, drying peppery finish. Would be perfect to pair up with Mexican food... Tuesday, April 26, 2005
scraff	4.3 John Harvards Sucker-Punch IPA DC - Draft. Dark amber, thin lasting creamy off-white head. Once the icy cold beer came up closer to room temp, perfect rich hoppy aromas of spruce, florals, and grapefruit burst out of the glass. Just below the surface, I was able to get some additional citrus, caramel, and apricot notes, with just a wee bit of pepper. Flavor definitely mirrors aroma with a huge hop bitterness on the front side, and a caramel toffee like punch rounding it out. Medium to full bodied, prickly carbonation, ultra dry, bitter-sweet finish. Could be the best beer I have had coming out of the DC Harvard’s... Thursday, March 31, 2005
hopscotch	4.2 John Harvards Sucker-Punch IPA Draft... DC location... This beer rocks! Sparkling clear, burnt orange ale with a small, creamy, white head. Cirrus and weeping lacework. The nose is chock full of evergreen, black pepper and grapefruit with a rumor of mandarin orange. The flavor provides a light slap of caramel and then a huge hop kick with pine and grapefruit leading the charge. Medium to full-bodied and oily with fizzy carbonation. Earthy and fruity, bitter finish. Beautifully unbalanced. World class glass of beer! Friday, March 25, 2005
hopscotch	3 John Harvards Hazed & Infused Lager Draft... DC location... Not your everyday pale lager. Well-hopped for flavor and balance. A touch citrusy and floral. Light-bodied and fizzy. Short, crisp, clean finish. Friday, March 25, 2005
ivan9856	3.3 John Harvards Murky Porter From the hand drawn tap at the DC location (labeled "Potomac Porter"; dated 03/18/05; gravity 155; cask conditioned), this beer pours cloudy and dark brown to black in color and leaves a thin bubbly tan head with some excellent lacing. Presentation and appearance get high marks. The nose features some roasted barley aromas, but the overall flavors were a bit flat. There were some pleasant and sweet malty, raisin and sherry-like flavors in the initial palate, but mid-palate and finish were a bit bland and disappointing. I detected some faint coffee and chocolate flavors. Finish is dry. Mouthful and body were also a bit thin for this style. Monday, March 21, 2005
Wakie	1.4 John Harvards Passion Fruit Wheat Sampled this at the DC John Harvard’s. At first I was intrigued by the idea of it. That quickly passed. It looked like a hefeweizen. The aroma was offensively sweet. And the taste was ... well, about what you would expect from a failed attempt to bring the flavor of passion fruit into beer. Throw in a strongly acidic aftertaste and you just have an all around BAD beer. Thursday, February 24, 2005
Wakie	2.1 John Harvard's Washington Dutch Light Lager It’s a light lager. So by definition you know it isn’t going to be too good. Tasted as though it was done with rice. Bland and budweiserish. Thursday, February 24, 2005
argo0	3.7 John Harvards Lump-a-Coal Oatmeal Stout (DC) Small tan head atop a brown-black body. Aroma is rich, medium sweet, coffee, chocolate, light nutty, caramel. Taste is moderately sweet, coffee, chocolate, some raisin. Also some grapefruit present, giving it the right amount of bite on the end. Medium-full body, some creaminess. Saturday, January 15, 2005
argo0	4 John Harvards Sucker-Punch IPA (DC) Creamy off-white head, cloudy amber body, nice lacing. Aroma is moderately sweet, pine, grapefruit, some floral. Taste is medium sweet, pine, some grapefruit. Medium-full body, fairly smooth. Solid bite in this one, but definitely enough malt to balance it our. A fine hoppy beer, superior to a few of the ones served just up the road at the Lupulin Slam the other night. Saturday, January 15, 2005
argo0	3.5 John Harvards Prickly Pear Ale (DC) Cloudy salmon body with off-white head. Aroma is medium sweet, fruity, with light sourness. Taste is medium sweet, fruity, some tartness. Fruity, but not overwhelming. Light watery body. Very drinkable, and would make a nice summer beer if prickly pears were in season then. Wednesday, January 12, 2005
chriso	3.4 John Harvards Stout Oak Stout I thought this was the best of the John Harvard brews I tried by some way. Very dark brown colour, with a reddish tinge. Quite a lot of dark chocolate coming through. Slightly woody mouthfeel. Fairly dry, but with a bittersweet edge on the finish. A bit thin, but a pleasant, easy drinker. On tap at John Harvard’s, Washington DC. Tuesday, December 14, 2004
BuckNaked	2.9 John Harvards Stout Oak Stout (DC) Deep, dark ruby-black with a tan head. Aroma is chocolate, bitter dark roasted malt, coffee. Flavor is bitter, light coffee, bitter chocolate, hint of grapefruit, oak. Finishes dry, roasty, with just a hint of citrus. Medium bodied, somewhat thin mouthfeel. Thursday, November 18, 2004
argo0	3.2 John Harvards Stout Oak Stout (DC) Red-black body topped by creamy tan head, nice lacing. Aroma is medium sweet, roasty, nutty, light chocolate. Taste is medium sweet, chocolate, roasty, light nutty, faint cherry, oak, finishes roasty. Medium body. Thursday, November 18, 2004
scraff	3.8 John Harvards Hop Harvest Ale Tap at DC JH’s. Hazy orange, creamy white head. Rich aroma of spruce, earth and pine, grapefruit, lemon rind with a slight caramel sweetness twinge to it. Fresh green hops dominate the aroma and flavor with the unbalanced equation just fine by me. It’s called hop harvest for a reason you know. Lighter side of medium bodied, prickly carbonation (cask sample had little to none), dry hoppy finish. A session ale in my book. Good stuff.... Tuesday, October 19, 2004