Name: Harpoon IPA
Brewery: Harpoon Brewery, Boston, MA
Style: India Pale Ale
ABV: 5.9%
IBU: 42
Date: October 11
Price: $8.99 for a 6 pack at Shop Rite Wines & Spirits of Emerson (shameless plug, I manage the beer in that particular store)
So, I'm Josh, co-writer on this here blog for hopheads. As mentioned above, I work with beer all day every day and, with Aaron's help, have experienced and love microbrews, the hoppier the better! But enough introductions...on to my first review!
So Aaron started off this blog with a palate-destroying Triple IPA, so whaddya say we back up a few steps and delve into something more of a crowd-pleaser? Allow me to introduce you to, Harpoon Brewery's flagship beer, their India Pale Ale. Now don't let the name 'India Pale Ale' scare you away and think this is a super hopped up unapproachable brew for the serious hopheads only. Quite the contrary. Harpoon's IPA is definitely a "beginner's IPA".
Into a generic pint glass, it pours a very nice orange-amber and is relatively transparent. There is a very thin line of pasty-white head that hovers and lingers at the edges of the glass with sticky lacing. The hops reach the nose quickly but they aren't very strong. No cringing in fear from overt bitterness. The aroma is both floral and has hints of pine with a subtle sweetness hiding just below the surface. It smells as light as it is, particularly light for an IPA.
The first sip grants a fantastic hop-forward, pine-like taste that quickly fades behind the malt sweetness. The hops return to linger and dance softly on the tongue in a long, dry finish but is actually quite refreshing. Gloriously non-existent is any hint of alcohol even though it pushes 6%; it's hidden very well underneath the malt and hops. A crazy hop-head might feel cheated due to the beer's thinness and easy drinkability but it's not a bad choice for a regular macro-drinker wanting to try something different without going overboard. As previously mentioned, it's a crowd-pleaser. It's not a bad beer to kick back with while watching some football on a Sunday or BBQing with friends. So drinkable for an IPA, you could put down two or three without leaving your tongue decimated or your head too woozy.
My rating: 3.75 pints out of 5. I, myself, do like a hoppier beer, but this is a very nice, smooth, easy to drink IPA that is sure to keep people coming back (like me!) or help newbies get started on the road to some of the crazier brews out there (i.e. the Devil Dancer that Aaron reviewed in July). Affordable, approachable...it's no wonder it's Harpoon's number one selling beer.
So, I'm Josh, co-writer on this here blog for hopheads. As mentioned above, I work with beer all day every day and, with Aaron's help, have experienced and love microbrews, the hoppier the better! But enough introductions...on to my first review!
So Aaron started off this blog with a palate-destroying Triple IPA, so whaddya say we back up a few steps and delve into something more of a crowd-pleaser? Allow me to introduce you to, Harpoon Brewery's flagship beer, their India Pale Ale. Now don't let the name 'India Pale Ale' scare you away and think this is a super hopped up unapproachable brew for the serious hopheads only. Quite the contrary. Harpoon's IPA is definitely a "beginner's IPA".
Into a generic pint glass, it pours a very nice orange-amber and is relatively transparent. There is a very thin line of pasty-white head that hovers and lingers at the edges of the glass with sticky lacing. The hops reach the nose quickly but they aren't very strong. No cringing in fear from overt bitterness. The aroma is both floral and has hints of pine with a subtle sweetness hiding just below the surface. It smells as light as it is, particularly light for an IPA.
The first sip grants a fantastic hop-forward, pine-like taste that quickly fades behind the malt sweetness. The hops return to linger and dance softly on the tongue in a long, dry finish but is actually quite refreshing. Gloriously non-existent is any hint of alcohol even though it pushes 6%; it's hidden very well underneath the malt and hops. A crazy hop-head might feel cheated due to the beer's thinness and easy drinkability but it's not a bad choice for a regular macro-drinker wanting to try something different without going overboard. As previously mentioned, it's a crowd-pleaser. It's not a bad beer to kick back with while watching some football on a Sunday or BBQing with friends. So drinkable for an IPA, you could put down two or three without leaving your tongue decimated or your head too woozy.
My rating: 3.75 pints out of 5. I, myself, do like a hoppier beer, but this is a very nice, smooth, easy to drink IPA that is sure to keep people coming back (like me!) or help newbies get started on the road to some of the crazier brews out there (i.e. the Devil Dancer that Aaron reviewed in July). Affordable, approachable...it's no wonder it's Harpoon's number one selling beer.
definitely one of my favorites for a BBQ... plus we get it just a stones throw from the source up here in providence... next time your in the north end of Boston go for the tour (the people that work there are crazy, fun and love their beer)
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