Harpoon Brown Session Ale - Harpoon Brewery

kmpitz2

Tennessee

2.55/5  rDev -28.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

12 oz bottle. The brew pours a dark tea color with a light coating of head over top. The clarity is excellent and there are a few random bubbles working out of the brew, but otherwise, it is still. This is a pretty uninspiring looking brew in that it is a bit too light and just has no real life to it. The aroma is rather hoppy. I'm getting a lot of orange citrus. There is a little brown sugar and light caramel sweetness, but I'm really not getting much in the way of roasted malt, which is a disappointment. The flavor is certainly not what I was expecting. There is a definite iced-tea quality to this brew, with a caramel and mild roasted malt character that finishes with an orange fruityness and a very mild bitterness. Mouthfeel is moderate with a distinct mild carbonation. If just feels like it is lacking life. I think a kick of carbonation would really bring this one up a little. Overall, I am not real happy with this one. All aspects of it are not hitting what I expect from the style. I don't think I would have this one again.

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2008 23:53:53 | More by kmpitz2

RBorsato

Virginia

4.5/5  rDev +25.7%

11-13-2012 20:26:04 | More by RBorsato

freewill35

Indiana

3.5/5  rDev -2.2%

09-30-2012 23:10:42 | More by freewill35

GiantMidget

Pennsylvania

3/5  rDev -16.2%

07-21-2012 01:59:40 | More by GiantMidget

KSather

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +11.7%

06-22-2012 00:07:26 | More by KSather

swinyeju

New Hampshire

2.75/5  rDev -23.2%

06-13-2012 14:33:44 | More by swinyeju

BigCheese

Massachusetts

3.75/5  rDev +4.7%

04-08-2012 01:31:03 | More by BigCheese

BigTrubble

North Carolina

3.5/5  rDev -2.2%

01-28-2012 18:55:15 | More by BigTrubble

bonbini26

New Jersey

2.5/5  rDev -30.2%

01-12-2012 17:37:59 | More by bonbini26

tclapper

North Carolina

4/5  rDev +11.7%

12-05-2011 02:17:33 | More by tclapper

rab53

Massachusetts

3/5  rDev -16.2%

12-01-2011 06:57:30 | More by rab53

jmdrpi

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -2.2%

11-23-2011 05:12:15 | More by jmdrpi

RoryOMoore

New Jersey

4/5  rDev +11.7%

11-22-2011 00:59:24 | More by RoryOMoore

waiting4lunch

Massachusetts

3/5  rDev -16.2%

11-18-2011 17:20:32 | More by waiting4lunch

Trailmix242

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +11.7%

11-15-2011 19:48:05 | More by Trailmix242

bpfrush

Wisconsin

3.5/5  rDev -2.2%

11-14-2011 21:19:12 | More by bpfrush

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4.1/5  rDev +14.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

medium brown color, with a small tannish head that fades quickly and leaves a light, dark tea color in the glass.

aroma is as earthy as it can get. deep malty nose, hints of leather, oak, nice touches of roasty malts and earthy grains. really just wonderfully balanced and smooth, nothing heavy here at all and this carries over perfectly into the flavor which was nothing short of stellar. smooth, creamy and tea like flavors dominate with hints of oak, earthy and muted hops and a deep resonated earthy grain that really shows itself off.

overall a very nice example of the style

Serving type: bottle

05-29-2011 06:11:06 | More by mikesgroove

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.13/5  rDev -12.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

This pours out as a clear brown color with a fizzy cream colored head on it. The aroma has some subtle chocolate notes with a handful of roasted nuts in there too. The taste is roasted and kind of dry. Overall the beer is a decent brew to drink with a few friends around a fire or something. I'd drink it again if it was offered to me.

Serving type: bottle

05-28-2011 23:07:10 | More by Knapp85

Thorpe429

Illinois

4.1/5  rDev +14.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Reviewed from notes.

Served in a tulip glass. Pours a moderate brown color with an off-white head. Two fingers of lacing settle down with some nice carbonation bubbles floating on top. The nose is lightly-toasted malt with some chocolate, caramel, toffee, and a bit of yeast. The taste is pretty nice and mellow with toffee and very mild chocolate. Good body and carbonation; a nice, drinkable brew.

Serving type: bottle

11-13-2010 23:40:46 | More by Thorpe429

BeerAdvocate

Massachusetts

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

Review from BeerAdvocate Magazine May 2007.

We'll say it until we come up with something more clever: This year, brown is the new black. But what can brown do for you? It's another choice for a session beer! And a session beer is just what Harpoon has launched here.

A healthy-looking two fingers of head forms after a hard pour. Clarity is there with a stunning mahogany hue. Malty aroma is a little dusty, a little toasty. First and foremost, this beer has that Harpoon-esque flavor from their house yeast: clean with a faint fruitiness and some floral characteris- tics. Very smooth, with an ample crispness and moderate body. There are several layers of malt here--a touch of sweetness up front, with a bready flavor trailed by toasted and finally grainy notes. Clean throughout, with a modest bitterness. Finishes clean with a lingering grain in the back.

Being a Brown Ale (and a session beer at that), let this one warm up a bit. Say to around 50 ̊F--much colder and it won't do the beer justice. Pair this with some cider-marinated turkey tips with Asian slaw and beer-battered onion rings and you'll be good to go.

Serving type: bottle

09-27-2010 18:22:32 | More by BeerAdvocate

ktrillionaire

Florida

3.03/5  rDev -15.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

The Harpoon winter multi-pack is a pretty good deal; the beers are all pretty good, though they are mostly similar brown styles.

G - Newcastle pint

A - It pours a slightly hazy mahogany hue, with a pillowy head, good retention, some clingy lace.

S - As with nearly all of Harpoon's winter offerings, this beer has obvious notes of cocoa, along with a rich toffee malt presence.

T - It tastes a bit wimpy; the flavors are there, chocolate, roast, and bitter hop, but they are muted or 'mild', and it doesn't serve this beer well. The Munich-Type Dark from the same sampler has all of the same elements, exploited with much greater success.

M - Medium-bodied with moderate carbonation, a tad slick. The feel and flavor does not mesh.

D - Brown, sessionable, thus it is aptly titled. A bit like a glorified Newcastle. Actually, it is a lot better than Newcastle.

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2010 06:27:43 | More by ktrillionaire

grayburn

South Carolina

3.68/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5

Not a bad beer from harpoon. I thought it rather timely, with all the session beer threads we have been bombarded with as of late.

Pours a light brown, rather bright, which I found a little odd. Some Ruby edging and a small collar of light tan foam. The retention and lacing aren't top notch, but they suffice.

Some light toasted notes pair with caramel to comprise the brunt of the nose and the mouth. There could be quite a bit more flavor, more oomph. A bit on the bland side, there is some corn like graininess picking on me from the background. Decent, but not stellar.

The mouthfeel is just too damn thin and bubbly. I wanted a creamy, lightly carbed heavily flavored beer, and this session brown really couldn't deliver.

Not a bad beer, but in need of some tweaking to escape blatant mediocrity.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2010 02:01:50 | More by grayburn

jiggahertz

New Hampshire

3.73/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: burnt amber beer that passes little light has a quickly dissipating single finger head. Minimal to no lacing.

S: nice brown sugar, molasses, caramel nose

T: more hops up front then expected, sweetness really isn't as much as i expected from the nose. Finish is nice and dry.

M: medium bodied with a thin finish, high carbonation, refreshing

D: Reminds me more of a pale ale from the taste. The finish is a little thin, but overall a nice pour that pairs well with pub food.

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2010 23:18:19 | More by jiggahertz

scootny

New York

3.7/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A malty full flavored ale. clear brown with a decent head fading to a light film. bits of lace here and there. A lovely roasted grain and deep toffee aroma. Taste follows suit with a yeasty fruitiness and light mocha finish. Earthy hops as well. Feel is light, ( OK ) and a little thin, ( not so OK ). Carbonation is nice however. Easy to kill a few of these as it is quite refreshing and quaffable.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2009 06:15:55 | More by scootny

stakem

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12 oz brown bottle with a best by date of 1/15/10.

Pours a very clear brown color with a slightly tanned head boasting more than a fingers worth of height and a bunch of lacing upon the glassware. Pretty decent retension on the head. Nose has a bit of toasty grain and malt character that is both sweet and a little metallic in the finish of the aroma. Taste includes both malt and grain and has a bit of hop bitterness in the very crisp finish. Medium to higher amount of carb with a light feel. Little bit of metallic taste in the finish that blends with the slight hop bitterness.

At a time when all the buzz and hype seems to be about super double ultra imperial uber this that and the other thing, this fine little beverage is alright with me. It is certainly something I could sit and drink a few of in a session.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2009 23:37:33 | More by stakem