Harpoon Leviathan - Imperial IPA - Harpoon Brewery

barczar

Kentucky

3.85/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Aggressive pour yields a brilliantly clear light copper color with a dense 3"cream head that lingers.

Grapefruit pith, onion, and dank hops are accompanied by bready malt and caramel in the aroma.

Big citrus flavor of grapefruit, pineapple, mango, and tangerine are dominant, with a bready malt backbone supporting the hops into a fairly bitter, peppery, piney finish. There's a bit of sweetness offering respite, along with a minty note.

Body is moderate, with moderate carbonation and a significant alcohol warmth.

Overall, a very good dipa, but it's fairly hot. Also a bit on the sweet side.

Serving type: bottle

08-24-2012 04:31:29 | More by barczar

Greywulfken

New York

4.33/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: golden orange with a beige head that left lotsa lace

S: lemon zest; deeper caramelly malt

T: citrus and pine are balanced; nice chewy malt; robust flavors under lighter hoppiness

M: medium body, creamy undertones - almost buttery - but with a zestiness that dries out the maltiness

O: I'm starting to think that the DIPA is a brew that anyone can do, and there are a lot of similarities between the American DIPAs - they all seem to exist on a spectrum of pine and citrus - so its no surprise that Harpoon's Leviathan is a solid weigh-in for the style, and a real good exmaple of the style

Serving type: bottle

08-18-2012 23:37:32 | More by Greywulfken

neophilus

Massachusetts

3.58/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Copper colored beer, mostly clear. Lazy, small bubbles from the bottom. Foamy, active head that dies down but shows good lacing.

Aroma is malt then a dose of piney, citrus hops. Good clean balance in the aroma, the big body gives off lots of malt sweetness but the resiny hops freshen it up a lot.

Stiff hop bitterness up front. Heavy dose of pine resins fight back the thick malt body. Hop flavor is a bit one dimensional but does a great job cutting down the malt and drying out the beer. Just a hint of booziness hides behind the resin flavors.

Rich, smooth body is thick in the mouth but cleans up well as it finishes dry. A serviceable DIPA that brings it with the ABV but keeps it in check with the IBU. Not breaking any new ground, but clean and crisp for such a strong beer and easily lends itself to a second.

Serving type: bottle

08-11-2012 22:11:38 | More by neophilus

crazyfraser

4.33/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Very Deliciuos brew.

Apperance is kinda clear amber, I prefer a little cloudiness for body but it is beautiful. 4.0

Smell is very alcohol y, strong, you can really smell the 10%abv coming through. very hoppy/grapefruity. 4.5

Taste is strong yet smooth, very very hoppy. with citrus noted. if you like hopslam then youll love this. the difference is this this one has more of an alcohol bite. 4.5

mouthfeel The only reason i give it a 4.0 is the super strong alcohol taste, given it is 10%, Its hard not to compare it to hopslam which is way smoother

Overall very nice, will buy again, very soon

Serving type: bottle

08-10-2012 00:40:20 | More by crazyfraser

facundoCNB

New Jersey

4.03/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

a deep orange/amber pour with 2 fingers of frothy white head. smells of honey, pine, grapefruit, sweet corn smell which i assume is coming from the malts. an earthy / spicy bitterness up front followed by a citrusy/sweet malt backbone. leaves a nice bitter aftertaste behind. creamy mouthfeel, medium body, nicely carbonated. overall a great ipa, not spectacular or outstanding like some others, but pretty solid as far as ipa's go.

Serving type: bottle

08-04-2012 17:00:59 | More by facundoCNB

Greenmachine07

4.78/5  rDev +17.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A-very light brown minimal head, clear

S-bread, slight pine. there was not alot noticeable once poured but upon warming there was a hop presence and a citrus smell.

T-this is where i am won over. There is a forefront of flavor slight lemon, bread, malt and then it is won over by a large dose of hops. if there were any more hops this may be overpowering for anyone not used to the bitter spike. but for the average drinker this was perfect.

O-i loved this beer and can not find a day i do not enjoy a bottle. i bought a case after i went through two six packs. it is easy drinking packed with flavor and hops but not so much that you will dull the palette.

Buy it you wont regret it. i

Serving type: bottle

07-21-2012 23:12:09 | More by Greenmachine07

tdm168

North Carolina

4.03/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - pours a bright orangish amber with a half inch of off white head that is foamy, dense, and creamy; great retention

S - bread, grapefruit, pineapple, faintly herbal, faint alcohol

T - bready malt with some faint caramel; grapefruit and pineapple make up the citrusy hop character up front with some piny, spicy, bitter hops in the finish; decent lingering bitterness on the palate; a bit of alcohol in the finish

M - crisp, warm alcohol, medium to full bodied

This was a decent DIPA. There could have been a bit more balance. I think the malt was just a tad off for the intense hop character. Overall, however, I will definitely have this again.

Serving type: bottle

07-11-2012 15:39:47 | More by tdm168

SawDog505

New Hampshire

4.08/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a 13 oz tulip glass. Pours a clear dark orange, with a one inch off white head that leaves plenty of lace. Smell is grapefruit, pine, papaya, and tangerine. Taste is massive grapefruit and pine, with citrus flavors in though out. Body is medium, plenty of carbonation, not very dry considering 120 IBUs and its 10%, and very easy drinking once again considering its size. A wonderful, underrated DIPA.

Serving type: growler

07-09-2012 21:15:53 | More by SawDog505

steelerguy

New York

4.2/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

A - Exceptionally clear, moderate carbonation, off while head that fades to a covering. Head fades rapidly and not a lot of lacing, wonder if it is because they filter.

S - Lots of hop aroma tending to be more pine with citrus coming second. A touch of sweetness from the malt, but this is very much hop dominated.

T - Hop pow! Tons of hop flavor, again big pine and grapefruit flavors. Simple but nice malt profile to stand up to the hops. Would like a little more complexity, nothing crazy, just a little more floral or spice.

M - Big resinous feel, coats your mouth with all the hop oil. Nice warmth from the alcohol, not too much carbonation, this is how a DIPA should feel.

O - Very good beer, lots of good qualities, one hop away from being excellent.

Serving type: bottle

07-08-2012 23:19:47 | More by steelerguy

mttaylor1066

Connecticut

4.43/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

One of the better imperial IPAs you can purchase.

Appearance -- Does a beer look any better than this? Deep golden and clear with a head that collects nicely... leaving a nice lacing on the glass as you sip.

Smell - Deep, clean hops aroma with a lighter malt backing. Lets you know this a is a beer that you need to consume slowly and enjoy at your leisure.

Taste - The 10% ABV is well-hidden by a balance between malt and hops. Not a light body by a long shot... but not heavy. Exercise caution when you stand up after drinking this IPA!

Mouthfeel - Deep and rich... malty. The malt lingers on the palate and is assisted with a hoppy finish.

Serving type: bottle

07-06-2012 23:15:03 | More by mttaylor1066

bubseymour

Maryland

3.48/5  rDev -14.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A - really beautiful head at 3 fingers to top of pint glass. dark copper and you can tell it looks heavy on appearance

s - very piney hopped smells with some spice notes. A strong scent profile.

T - Its definitely a strong heavy beer as expected but at 10% its one of the more tolerable sippers. Its a hop bomb for sure but not overly bitter in the finish.

Mouthfeel - full bodied

Overall - I'm usually very polarized with beers this strong in ABV. Usually a love/hate relation. This one is a rare one that I think is pretty good and sort of average tasting overall. Hopheads probably like this one a little better than my rating.

Serving type: bottle

06-22-2012 22:28:30 | More by bubseymour

BostonHops

Massachusetts

4.1/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

on-tap at Big City, allston MA (10/23)
review from notes.

pours a golden / orange tone while yielding a finger or so of off-white head. decent retention and lacing. nose is not as potent as i remember from numerous previous samples (bottle - 1st time having it on draft), but then again lots of heavy odors are present in the bar, picking out elements in the aroma not ideal. primarily citrus / floral hops with the suggestion of a malt backbone.

taste is good. pine, citrus hops with that balancing maltiness. a bit boozy, but tasty and flavorful. resin-y mouthfeel with average carbonation.

overall i really enjoy this DIPA. one of the really good locals i too often take for granted. holds its own, no question. highly recommended.

Serving type: on-tap

06-21-2012 01:36:11 | More by BostonHops

stercomm

Ohio

4.18/5  rDev +3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into an Avery mini-pint glass.

A - Light coppery orange, massive off white head that hangs around for a bit then leaves a nice layer, very strong lacing.

S - Surprisingly getting a lot more malt and butterscotch then usual pine and citrus, alcohol definitely comes thru in a big way.

T - Wow, lots of nice bitterness, piney and citrusy on the front get some malt and slight sweetness in the middle and then finishes with a nice dry bitterness that stays in the mouth.

M - Medium bodied nice carbonation.

O - Aside from the fact this is a 10% ABV (careful here), very nice taste profile, very distinct flavors

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2012 21:01:20 | More by stercomm

minterro

Michigan

4/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Thanks to Whitley for buying me this beer for part of my bday present.

A&S: lots of grainy malts coming through for it being a double IPA. Along with lots of piney and tropical citrus notes. Also pretty formidable alcohol scents. Clear butterscotch colored beer. The head is off white and fizzy. Head pours about a half finger and isn't retained well

T&M: Very bitter upfront. The thing I think I like the most about this beer is that its pretty bitter throughout for a double ipa unlike alot of doubles that are very sweet. Lots of piney hops but its a little unbalanced. lots of alcohol in the taste as well, but less maltyness then in the smell.

Overall: I liked it but its not even close to be worth 4$ for a bottle, I would suggest other cheaper common doubles over this one to rep the style like: hop wallop from victory or stone ruination or depending on the area hopslam from bells.

Serving type: bottle

05-31-2012 23:18:52 | More by minterro

metter98

New York

4.05/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: The beer is clear copper in color and has a light to moderate amount of carbonation. It poured with a finger high off white head that died down but consistently left a thin head covering the surface and lots of lacing down the sides of the glass.
S: There are aromas of citrus and pine resin hops in the nose.
T: Like the smell, the taste is quite citrusy and has some notes of pine resin along with hints of caramel from the underlying malts. There is a moderate to strong amount of bitterness.
M: It feels medium-bodied and crisp on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: This beer is quite drinkable considering its strength because the alcohol is relatively well masked from the taste.

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2012 01:18:29 | More by metter98

sulldaddy

Connecticut

4.05/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Cellar temp bottle poured into a snifter.

Beer pours a clear bright copper hue with fluffy off-white head foaming up 3 cm and receding very slowly back to the surface. Tight latticework and large craters form as the head fades.
Aroma is some earthy and vegetal hops, I also get a little rindy grapefruit mixed in for good measure.
First sip reveals a soft texture and mild spacious carbonation. The texture is fluffy for lack of a better word, light and airy in my mouth and slightly sticky on my lips.
Flavor is biscuity malt and then some sweet caramel and a bit of toffee, but rolls to some mixed bag of hops. I get earthiness and citrus, primarily orange and grapefruit, with a good dose of pine sap resin and bite on the finish. Leaves a dry astringency on my palate after each sip.
I dont get any hints of the booze which is impressive for a 10% brew.
Pretty solid Double IPA. Worth a shot if you like big beers that dont taste big and have a decent dose of hops

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2012 03:19:37 | More by sulldaddy

Pahn

New York

3.93/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

12oz bottle into Duvel tulip. Best by 7/15/12.

Appearance: Free pour yields a one and a half inch fluffy white head that dissipates quickly, leaving a thick semicircle of lacing. Pours a clear reddish gold and leaves tight arches of lacing.

Smell: Tropical fruit and potent citrus. Way more citrus than aroma than one finds in the usual "citrusy hops" IPA--this is like a just-cut orange. Love it.

With time, the aroma gets more herbal, though the grapefruit/orange stays strong and some punchy tropical fruit also sticks around. Some sugary candy smells underneath, but mainly hops.

Taste: First sip: this is a well balanced beer. What's going on in the nose is mirrored in the flavor, but much more subtle and with a strong malt backbone. Great finish; this is where the high IBUs come out, and it's nice and dry as well, combining to give a very crisp and refreshing impression.

Mostly herbal hops with citrus rind, suggestions of tropical fruit, and a nice maltiness underneath. I want a DIPA to be a bit more complex and powerful, but this is still above average.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied. High side of moderate carbonation. Excellent finish, bitter and dry. I don't want a hop-centric beer to be syrupy, i want it nice and attenuated like this one.

Overall: Very good beer. Solid flavor, well utilized hops, great aroma and mouthfeel. I was a little afraid after trying Harpoon's Leviathan wheat wine ("Triticus") and despising it, but this beer turned out to be quite satisfying.

Probably won't return to it (not my favorite style) unless I see it on tap somewhere and drink it on a whim, however I would recommend any (D)IPA lover to give it a try.

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2012 03:02:27 | More by Pahn

Chico1985

Massachusetts

3.6/5  rDev -11.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

"End like Leviathan, it's deep well let me try again..."

Pours into a snifter a darkish copper/orange, lots of persistent carbonation bubbles. White head retains very well while leaving good lace.

Lots of strong, sweet butterscotch and caramel malts in the nose, earthy pine sap hoppage strong as well but taking a backseat to the malt. Bit of alcohol there too.

The taste is more hoppy but malts are still huge, definitely an East Coast style IPA. Sweet and buttery candy caramel malts. Hops are earthy, resiny, some grapefruit rind. Along with the nose, becomes more enjoyable as it warms.

Carbonation is a bit on the high side, good mouthfeel overall. Packs quite a punch but not much alcohol heat for 10%.

Definitely follows in the footsteps of many East Coast DIPAs such as Unearthly, 90 Minute, etc. - sweet, malty and bitter - which isn't my favorite type of IPA, but this was pretty good. Certainly wouldn't mind having it again.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2012 13:09:05 | More by Chico1985

superspak

Michigan

3.8/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12 ounce bottle into tulip glass, best by 4/15/2012. Pours slightly hazy golden orange color with a nice 2 finger dense white head with great retention that reduces to a nice cap that lingers. Some nice spotty lacing on the glass. Aromas of big pine, grapefruit, orange, mango, grass, caramel, honey, and some spicy alcohol. Nice and well balanced aromas with good strength. Taste of grapefruit, mango, pine, orange, biscuit, caramel, honey, and herbal spiciness. Good amount of bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of citrus, pine, caramel, honey, and herbal spiciness on the finish for a while. Good malt flavor and bitterness balance. Medium carbonation and medium-full bodied; with a fairly creamy and slightly syrupy mouthfeel. Quite smooth to drink but is definitely a sipper. Alcohol is fairly well hidden with only a warming after the finish noticed. Overall this is a very nice imperial IPA. Nice and balanced hop flavors; and quite smooth to sip on.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2012 05:46:59 | More by superspak

nimrod979

Maryland

4.03/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bottle. "Best By 7/15/12"
Pours a slightly hazy golden orange with a thin head that fades to practically nothing rather quickly. i do like the Leviathan series' labels though.

Aroma is a blast of all things hoppy. Grassy and a dank resin are highlighted by tropical fruity undertones. Barely any malt but it's there. Makes my mouth water.

Same goes for the flavor profile. Plenty of grassy hops. Resinous with subtle tropical fruit notes. This thing stays bitter throughout the entire sip. Yeah, definitely a sipper. There's a hint of malty sweetnes but it doesn't last for long. And she's hot. Way hot.

beer is medium to full bodied with low carbonation. gives it a rather thick syrupy mouthfeel. Tons of lingering bitterness and a bit too much heat. This beer isn't bad if you're only going to have one but it's almost over the top. I love the hops but the alochol heat is a bit overwhelming in this one.

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2012 23:05:09 | More by nimrod979

tylerprince

Colorado

2.95/5  rDev -27.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Poured from a fresh bottle into a pint glass. Having consumed and enjoyed quite a bit of Harpoon IPA in the past, I was excited to try its big brother. I was quite disappointed:

A: Crystal clear orange/copper with no head whatsoever (and I did use a clean glass). Thin lacing.

S: Grassy citrus with a sweet, cloying background. Made me a little scared to taste it...

T: My suspicions were right. Grassy citrus up front immediately gives way to a dominating fruitiness. Berry, berry, cherry, and some cough syrup. Cloying. Finished with warming alcohol.

M: Low on carbonation, and a bit syrupy. Really pretty terrible, and not something I would expect from Harpoon.

O: This is one of the worst IIPAs I've tried in a long time, and I try a lot of them. It's like cough syrup with a touch of hops. I will be avoiding this one.

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2012 04:38:47 | More by tylerprince

GarthDanielson

New Hampshire

4.23/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a bottle into a tumbler pint, the beer is a bright, vibrant, crisp, yellow-gold coloring with only a trace of film sparsely coating the surface. Aromas of rich, toasted caramel and a slight, citrus highlight balance out the wet, resiny, thick, underlying hops presence. The beer's flavors are rich and tangy, with a tangy sweet and floral backbone of caramel, lavender and jasmine blended with a thick, sugary orange highlight and some pepper and oregano spiced hops. The palate is impressively complex and rich, transitioning into a smooth, resiny and tart hops and citrus blending. The finish has a decent linger, with a rich, dark, forresty hops aftertaste. Good, strong beer that does not flaunt the increased ABV, but instead blends it throughout the complex flavors and body. Well done.

Serving type: bottle

02-29-2012 02:48:37 | More by GarthDanielson

troysoy2

Pennsylvania

4.2/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Picked up a 4-pack at the brewery, best by date of 6/15/12.

Poured it into a goblet, got a finger of not-so-long-lasting off white head. Copper color, high clarity, and not a ton of carbonation bubbles.

The smell is of muted grapefruit with a bready undertone. Balanced, and comes off a tad sweet.

Mmm, sharp, grassy bitterness right off the starting line. Very dry throughout. The muted grapefruit tries to come through in the body of the taste, but doesn't quite manage to overcome the prickly, spicy, unrelenting bitterness. Dry, dry dry. The mouthfeel is lightly carbonated, not too thick or syrupy, and really works to augment the bitterness. Definitely a nice, warming alcohol effect on the aftertaste. It's not overbearing, but it is nice to know you're drinking a 10% ABV brew here.

I was unimpressed until I took a sip. Wow, this is a really good sipping Imperial IPA. I'm glad I have more. For now...

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2012 05:04:31 | More by troysoy2

JohnnyMc

Ohio

4/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

My favorite from Harpoon so far. A very complex and strong taste from a traditional Imperial IPA, but easy to drink at the same time.

There is a very good balance between the bitterness and the hoppy flavor which provides a refreshing, but full beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2012 01:36:27 | More by JohnnyMc

chodinheaven

Maryland

3.85/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Hazy and dull ruby red in hue, not much light shines through, but some does. Decent little 1.5 finger off-white head on top that dissapates pretty quickly to a thin and bubbly sheet on top. Patchy lacing. Sweet dark fruit backing with a touch of booze, and in the very end of the aroma, a hint of spicy rye and herbal hops. Some caramel mixed in there with the malts as well, interesting aroma.

Sweet up front, like medicinal dark fruits with a good bit of spice to it. The fruits remind me of dried plums, not incredibly fruity, but definitely a bit. There is a brief medicinal, but not band-aid, taste in the middle that is quickly trumped by herbal, piney hop flavors, earthy in nature. The rye provides the spicy sweetness of the malt very well, giving a balancing earthiness while still remaining semi-sweet. The alcohol provides a bit more of a sweetness, near cloying but far enough away from it not to be worried. The hops do a great job of working with the spiciness of the rye, balancing a sweetness that threatens to take over this beer in a bad direction. Fortunately, the spices do a great job at making this beer pretty enjoyable. Somewhat effervescent in the carbonation, leading to a dry mouthfeel and a lingering aftertaste of dried fruit and bitter hops.

Not bad, maybe a bit too over the top. It is not really an IPA or IIPA, closer to a barley wine in some features. Maybe just a tad too sweet for what it seemed to be going for, but still not bad. I'd drink it again.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2012 05:08:58 | More by chodinheaven