Harpoon Summer Beer - Harpoon Brewery

UnderPressure

South Carolina

4.45/5  rDev +24%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Lemonade yellow. Fluffy white head. Not many bubbles in the liquid.
Noble hop aroma, and (I assume Kolsch) yeast. Smells a little like green tea.
Nice, interesting hop character. Green tea notes in aftertaste. Refreshing, but not empty-bodied.
Fizzy and smooth medium-thin mouthfeel.
Overall, this is a fantastic beer. From now on, this will be a summertime staple for me. I just wish I'd discovered it earlier in the season.

Serving type: bottle

08-28-2011 17:15:33 | More by UnderPressure

Elana

New York

3/5  rDev -16.4%

05-21-2013 08:07:29 | More by Elana

bubba6000

Massachusetts

3.5/5  rDev -2.5%

05-20-2013 12:33:44 | More by bubba6000

nickfl

Florida

3.25/5  rDev -9.5%

05-18-2013 20:54:16 | More by nickfl

guzzleacoldone

Ohio

3/5  rDev -16.4%

05-18-2013 20:37:43 | More by guzzleacoldone

jbarletto

Massachusetts

3.75/5  rDev +4.5%

05-18-2013 14:57:39 | More by jbarletto

Zaphog

Michigan

3.25/5  rDev -9.5%

05-17-2013 16:51:01 | More by Zaphog

Cluker

Florida

3.5/5  rDev -2.5%

05-15-2013 23:03:26 | More by Cluker

TheZzyzxScarecrow

North Carolina

3/5  rDev -16.4%

05-15-2013 20:48:23 | More by TheZzyzxScarecrow

pcsnyder

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +11.4%

05-15-2013 13:05:35 | More by pcsnyder

jaasen64

Massachusetts

2.5/5  rDev -30.4%

05-14-2013 14:48:30 | More by jaasen64

hollywood_15063

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -2.5%

05-12-2013 05:08:54 | More by hollywood_15063

CountryRock2001

New York

3.5/5  rDev -2.5%

05-12-2013 00:11:00 | More by CountryRock2001

bigpoppa67

Wisconsin

3.75/5  rDev +4.5%

05-11-2013 17:52:25 | More by bigpoppa67

jimbodude5

Massachusetts

3.25/5  rDev -9.5%

05-11-2013 00:06:12 | More by jimbodude5

chalkda01

New York

3.25/5  rDev -9.5%

05-10-2013 23:12:00 | More by chalkda01

Mikel772

Florida

3/5  rDev -16.4%

05-10-2013 00:35:14 | More by Mikel772

olsen197

New York

4/5  rDev +11.4%

05-09-2013 23:59:09 | More by olsen197

sgregory

Connecticut

3/5  rDev -16.4%

05-08-2013 22:55:52 | More by sgregory

DoomVM

Georgia

3.25/5  rDev -9.5%

05-08-2013 20:43:28 | More by DoomVM

Groomsy

Kentucky

3.51/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz. bottle poured into a Sam Adams glass. "Enjoy by" date of 07/15/13.

This Kolsch pours a familiar but welcoming straw golden and is topped by a 2-finger head of tight white bubbles. Leaving some admirable lace down the bottom of the glass, a steady stream of bubbles from the bottom of the glass keeps this summer seasonal looking alive. A classic appearance on this beer.

Harpoon Summer Beer has an aroma that will remind many of German and Czech pilsners (which, stylistically, isn't too far off from a kolsch - classic ale vs. lager debate). With a malty foundation of fresh grain aromas and some bready/biscuit notes, this beer is rather mild but also has a nice grassy/floral hop presence - smells like Saaz or maybe some other Noble hops. Also a slight lemon presence to this one. Well-balanced and, well, summery.

The taste starts out with a smooth grainy malt presence, leading into some lemon on the middle and a dry, slightly bitter finish with grassy/floral hop flavors. There is also a bread/biscuit flavor that emerges in the aftertaste as the finish dries out. A simple, balanced summer beer. Quaffable and enjoyable.

Summer Beer has a dry finish with lingering flavors from both the hops and the malt. Its light body and crisp carbonation contribute to its enjoyability.

While not my favorite summer seasonal, this is most definitely enjoyable and drinkable. If you're generally a pilsner drinker during the summer months and need a more "ale-ly" counterpart, check out Harpoon Summer Beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2013 00:36:54 | More by Groomsy

Jimbrew

New York

3/5  rDev -16.4%

05-06-2013 02:11:28 | More by Jimbrew

kp29

Arizona

3.25/5  rDev -9.5%

05-05-2013 03:40:33 | More by kp29

PoppyParthenonE

Connecticut

3.75/5  rDev +4.5%

05-04-2013 02:32:08 | More by PoppyParthenonE

Mleblanc25

Massachusetts

3.5/5  rDev -2.5%

04-30-2013 00:22:00 | More by Mleblanc25